Cate Blanchett to host climate change podcast

Audible has commissioned a new Audible Original podcast, Climate of Change with Cate Blanchett and Danny Kennedy.

Co-created and co-hosted by multi-award-winning actor, producer, and environmental advocate, Cate Blanchett (Don’t Look Up, Nightmare Alley, Blue Jasmine); and climate entrepreneur and activist, Danny Kennedy (CEO of New Energy Nexus [NEX] and Managing Director of the California Clean Energy Fund), it features out-of-the-box thinkers, innovators, and high-profile guests, all of whom will be announced later.

Two seasons have been commissioned in the deal between Audible and Blanchett’s Dirty Films (in association with StoryHunter), with the first series set to launch globally this April ahead of Earth Day. This collaboration marks the first time Cate Blanchett and Danny Kennedy will create and host a podcast together, as well as Audible’s first major original climate change podcast series.

Climate of Change sees the two long-term friends explore despair, optimism, and hope in the face of environmental change. This one-of-a-kind podcast, featuring an exclusive soundtrack by Grammy Award-winning electronic artist Imogen Heap, takes listeners to the front edge of the most exciting initiatives to address the climate crisis. From women-led energy solutions in Uganda, to a Navajo solar farm in the Arizona desert, to ideas that could transform the global fashion industry; Cate and Danny offer surprising, uplifting stories of ingenuity and resilience, and a listening experience to empower the change we all want to see.

Cate and Danny interview guests along the way, discussing the biggest challenges humankind faces and the incredible and groundbreaking work being done to tackle the crisis. Climate of Change will feature some of the world’s leading authors and thought leaders in the green economy, behaviour change, and sustainability, as well as grass-roots innovators who are making a positive impact on their local communities by creating clean energy solutions.

Cate Blanchett (Partner, Dirty Films) on behalf of Dirty Films, said:

“This podcast is a joyous extension of a long-standing friendship that all of us at Dirty Films have had with the wonderful Danny Kennedy. Danny’s knowledge about and passion for climate solutions is infectious, and our experience developing this project with the folks at StoryHunter for Audible has been a shot in the arm – and has gone a long way to tempering our eco-anxiety. We hope that our listeners enjoy hearing the conversations as much as we have enjoyed having them.”

Aurelie De Troyer, Senior Vice President of International English Content at Audible, said:

“We are thrilled to be working on such an exciting and important series as Climate of Change. Podcasts are the perfect vehicle to educate and raise awareness of important issues and it’s an honour to collaborate with the extremely talented Cate and Danny on their first podcast. We have been blown away by the passion for this project from the team at Dirty Films and StoryHunter and we know this will be something special.”

Photo credit: Leigh Keily