Zero: The Climate Race

Since the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, global energy markets have been frenetic, prices swinging up and down with each new headline. Even with the prospect of the Strait of Hormuz reopening, prices of oil and gas have risen around the world, and we’re starting to see impacts on local economies, particularly in Asia. This week on Zero, Bloomberg opinion columnist David Fickling explains what those impacts are, and how they may reshape Asia’s energy systems for decades to come.
Explore further:
Iran War: The LNG Shock Isn’t Driving Asia Back to Coal - Bloomberg
Iran War: Expensive Oil Is EV Makers' Best Sales Pitch - Bloomberg
Iran War: A Country Fueled by Subsidized Diesel Is Running Dry - Bloomberg
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.
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Will the Iran War finally be the moment where countries move to renewables en masse, or will they rely more heavily on fossil fuels? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Aurore Belfrage, a tech investor, geopolitical risk advisor, and sustainability strategist, to look at how the energy investment landscape is changing with a fresh war in the Middle East, and how climate tech is making countries more resilient.
Explore further:
EU Weighs Ukraine Crisis Strategy to Calm High Energy Prices
European Consumers Seek Out Solar, EVs as Energy Prices Surge
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's Why is Bloomberg’s short explainer podcast, where we take one big news story and break it down in just a few minutes with help from our experts across the newsroom.

We're dropping into your feed with a special episode featuring Akshat Rathi, who joined us to discuss why the Iran war is making a new argument for renewable energy.

The war in the Middle East has roiled oil and gas markets. The unrest and price spikes are making countries look again at renewable energy like solar and wind — produced at home and insulated from external tensions. But experts warn that the picture is more complicated.
Like what you hear? Subscribe to the Here’s Why podcast for more quick, expert-driven explainers available via the links below every Friday.
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Zack Polanski is challenging the notion that you can’t be Green and a popular politician. Since he became the leader of the UK’s Green Party in September 2025, he has run a campaign that’s pushed his party ahead of the incumbent Labour Party and opposition Conservative Party in some polls. It’s a remarkable rise in a short span of time – how did he pull it off and what will he do if the Green Party gets into power?
Find more:
Watch this interview on YouTube
Zack Polanski Is Making the Once-Fringe Greens a Political Force — Bloomberg

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. This episode was produced by Oscar Boyd and Jessica Beck. The video version was edited by Meaghan Olsen. Our theme music is composed by Wonderly. Special thanks to the Bloomberg TV team, Isobel Finkel, Olivia Rudgard, Lucy White, Ellen Miligan, Sommer Saadi, Laura Millan and Sharon Chen. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the war with Iran drags out and oil prices remain turbulent, it raises the question of whether — and how — prolonged conflict in the Middle East might impact global fossil fuel dependence and the future of renewable energy.
This week on Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Todd Woody and Zero podcast host Akshat Rathi join Sarah Holder to discuss early signs that the high cost of oil is reigniting consumer interest in electronic vehicles and other clean energy technologies, and how companies and countries are beginning to respond.
Explore more:
Surging Gas Prices Reignite EV Interest
What a $100-Per-Barrel Oil Spike Does to the Global Economy
Zero Podcast: War with Iran is a nightmare for oil and gas. What does it mean for clean energy?
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Todd Woody and Akshat Rathi; Edited by Tracey Samuelson. Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.