Episode 83: Climate Change, Health and Survival with Professor Hugh Montgomery

Episode 83:
Climate Change, Health and Survival

Guest: Professor Hugh Montgomery

Hosted by: Marina Robb

Professor Hugh Montgomery

Hugh Montgomery OBE FMedSci MBBS BSc FRCP(Lond) FRCP (Ed) MD FRSB FFICM FRI FRGS

Hugh obtained a 1st class BSc (Cardiorespiratory Physiology/Neuropharmacology) in 1984, his Medical Degree in 1987, & MDRes in 1997. He works as a consultant Intensivist in London & is Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at UCL where he also directs the Centre for Human Health & Performance.

He’s published >900 scientific research articles & has won 15 national and international scientific awards.
Hugh chaired the two Lancet Commissions on Human Health & Climate Change, & now co-chairs the 52-country Lancet Countdown on Health & Climate Change. He’s written & lectured extensively on the subject; has briefed policymakers (inter)nationally; & co-leads the UCL MSc module on climate & health.

He was appointed London Leader by Greater London Authority’s Sustainable Development Commission; has attended many of the international ‘COP’ negotiations; leads the children’s climate education ‘Project Genie’; & co-led the ITV documentary on Floods and Climate Change (2020). He was awarded the OBE in 2022 in part for his work on climate change and health. In 2023, he founded non-profit Real Zero to leverage the global health economy as a tool to decarbonize society more generally.

In 2025, he was appointed co-chair of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, representing >1m healthcare professionals.

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In this episode ...

In this conversation, Professor Hugh Montgomery names climate change for what it is:
A survival crisis driven by “radiation gain” and accelerating feedback loops.

He cuts through denial, delay and mixed messaging with five simple moves anyone can make now - switch your power, move your money, change your food, shift your travel, and talk about it - then shows how asking seven others can cascade into mass action.
We touch on real zero vs net zero, why money we can do now, and how unity across politics beats division.

Here are the essentials:

Hugh reframes climate change as “radiation gain,” explaining that greenhouse gases trap longwave heat and create positive feedback loops driving escalating warming.
Humanity is emitting over 54 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually, and a fifth of what’s emitted today will still be heating the planet in 33,000 years.
Natural systems like oceans and forests can no longer absorb enough carbon; atmospheric CO₂ now rises about four parts per million per year, reaching around 430.5 ppm.
Feedback loops include methane release from permafrost (83 times more potent than CO₂), forests becoming net emitters, and loss of reflective ice - 9 trillion tonnes gone - accelerating heating.
Hugh warns that the real threat is not only to health but to human survival within the next one or two decades, not centuries.
He compares Earth’s situation to a patient long ignoring symptoms - what could have been minor surgery now needs radical, painful treatment to survive.
Inaction stems from circular blame between individuals, business, and politicians - each claiming it’s someone else’s responsibility.
Many in government and business remain ignorant of climate science or see it as a political issue; some even believe warming will benefit economies through resource access or growth from destruction.
Human psychology also plays a role: people avoid short-term loss or pleasure deprivation even when long-term risk is high - similar to health behaviors like smoking or drinking.
Fear-based climate messaging fails when it offers no agency; effective communication must link truth with action, empowering people to act immediately.

Hugh outlines five tangible actions anyone can take:
1. Switch to 100% renewable electricity
2. Move personal banking away from fossil-fuel funders
3. Shift to a largely plant-based diet (less meat, smaller portions)
4. Reduce air and car travel where possible
5. Talk about climate concerns openly to normalise action

Music by Geoff Robb: www.geoffrobb.com

Links and Resources

The Lancet Commission – referenced for his early statement that climate change is “the greatest threat to human health.” https://www.thelancet.com/countdown-health-climate

When will Policy Match Science: Article

Climate change impacts: survival on, and of, intensive care: Article

Real Zero website: https://realzero.earth/

Hugh Montgomery OBE on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-m-65...)

Link to Hugh Montgomery’s videos and his wiki page

The Climate Coalition:
The Climate Coalition The Climate Coalition is the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action on climate change and limiting its impact on everything we love in the UK and around the world, including the world’s poorest countries. The coalition is a group of over 100 organisations, including WWF, National Trust, RSPB, Christian Aid, CAFOD, The Women’s Institute, and Oxfam, with a combined supporter base of 22 million. Together we want a future where the UK no longer contributes to climate change within a generation.
Find out more at www.theclimatecoalition.org