Climate Crisis Toolbox: More Than Emission Cuts

This episode of the Climate Emergency Forum features a compelling discussion with Dr. Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge, joining live from COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Regular panelist Paul Beckwith and host Herb Simmens delve deep into the urgent need to look beyond simple emissions cuts as the core answer to the climate crisis. Shaun outlines the Centre’s ambitious research on greenhouse gas removal, including ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, direct air capture, methane oxidation, and innovative climate engineering projects like marine sky brightening and Arctic sea ice thickening. This video was recorded on November 14th, 2025, and published on November 19th, 2025, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.

Throughout the dialogue, the speakers confront difficult realities about the pace of global emissions reductions, the scale of intervention now being debated among scientists and policymakers, and the geopolitical and ethical complexities involved in researching and deploying large-scale solutions. The conversation highlights honest admissions from COP30 negotiators about the challenges of balancing economic growth and rapid emissions cuts, and stresses why a much broader “climate crisis toolbox” is urgently needed. Shaun and Paul address skepticism from mainstream science around climate interventions and reflect on the need for open-minded research, international cooperation, and action at scale.

If you’re ready to hear candid expert insights and learn about climate solutions at the cutting edge of science and policy, you won’t want to miss this episode. Stay tuned for a robust examination of what it will really take to address both the causes and consequences of climate change, and why adding new tools to our climate action menu is crucial for our collective future. Join the conversation by subscribing, commenting, and sharing your thoughts—because facing the climate emergency will require all of us.

Links:

• Support Our Mission

• Centre for Climate Repair - University of Cambridge

• Beyond Emissions Reduction (CEF Video)

• Polar Peril and the Methane Time Bomb (CEF Video)

• Marine Cloud Brightening (CEF Video)

• Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal (CEF Video)

• Antarctic ice-shelf collapse in Holocene driven by meltwater release feedbacks

• Who Decides: The Battle Over Geoengineering the Arctic (CEF Video)

• Bonn climate talks: Key outcomes from the June 2025 UN climate conference

• Climate Engineering and the Napkin Diagram (CEF Video)

Special Guest:

• Dr. Shaun Fitzgerald - Executive Director of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge (CCRC). Shaun is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering who works at the interface of academic research, business, government policy and public engagement.

Regular Panelists:

• Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University

• Herb Simmens - Author, Co-founder of the Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC), Climate Emergency Board Member and former college instructor.

Video Production:

• Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth & the Climate Emergency Forum; Climate Reality Leader

• Heidi Brault - Climate Reality Leader, BA(Psychology), Library & Information Technician Diploma - Video production and website assistant - Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP Team Lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum.

Attributions:

Background Music:

• Title: Through the City II
• Author: Crowander
• Source: crowander.com

Image and Video:

• Image and Video Attributions