The continued 'existential threat' of the climate crisis w/ the University of Auckland's Dr Kevin Trenberth: 20 October, 2025

In a recent article for Newsroom, University of Auckland climate scientist Dr Kevin E Trenberth wrote about the continued ‘existential threat’ of climate change.

He outlines the key issues of climate change, including droughts, intense rains and flooding risks and tropical storms. All leading to food and water shortages.

In the article, he also called net-zero a “pipe dream”, given the shortfalls of the Paris Agreement and other climate accords 

Thursday Wire Host Caeden spoke to Trenberth, who is a Distinguished Scholar at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, USA, and an honorary academic at the Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, about his article, including the most urgent climate change-driven threats and what role New Zealand has to play in enacting solutions.

They started by asking what about the current moment inspired him to write his article.