“I don’t want you to listen to me, I want you to listen to the science,” says Greta Thunberg in the first episode of a new three-part documentary, co-produced by The Open University (OU) and the BBC.
The series, set to air from Monday 12 April 2021 at 9pm on BBC One, follows climate activist Greta Thunberg as she takes a year off school to explore the science of global warming and challenge world leaders, calling for action on climate change.
With unique access, this series documents Greta’s journey over an extraordinary year as she comes of age and takes her fight against climate change to a global stage. But when COVID-19 brings life to a standstill Greta is faced with an even bigger challenge – to convince a world reeling from one crisis finally to face another.
In the documentary, Greta explores the science – from the melting glaciers of Canada to the coal mines of Europe. She witnesses first-hand the consequences of climate change and makes clear the reasons why she thinks something must be done right now.
Can we make a change?
On her travels she meets climate scientists and confronts the complexity of what is required to make change happen. Encounters with some of the world’s leading scientists and economists allow the series to examine what the latest science tells us about what can be done to prevent the worst effects of climate change.
OU academic consultants Professor Neil Edwards, Dr Emma Dewberry and Professor David Humphreys have been involved in advising and shaping the script.
Dr Emma Dewberry, Senior Lecturer in Design at The Open University, said:
“This programme shows us that the climate crisis isn’t just environmental, but cultural and economic as well. It requires us to reimagine ourselves as part of a story of change rather than seeing the climate crisis as something abstract, far from our own social world.”
David Humphreys, Professor of Environmental Policy, at The Open University, adds:
“This excellent series explores the greatest challenge that our world has ever faced: climate change. Greta Thunberg is one of the most important voices defending the rights of future generations to live in a stable climate. The history that will be written of the twenty-first century will narrate how well our civilisation met the challenge of planetary heating.”
This series was commissioned by Broadcast and Partnerships and is supported by the faculty of science, technology, engineering and maths, and the faculty of arts and social sciences.
- Commissioned by Dr Caroline Ogilvie, Head of Broadcast and Partnerships
- Academic Consultants Professor Neil Edwards, Dr Emma Dewberry and Professor David Humphreys
- Media Fellows Dr Julia Cooke, Dr Claire Kotecki and Dr Alison Penn
- Broadcast Project Manager Jo Weeks
- Digital Content Producer Alison Tang
