To slash emissions fast, the formula is simple: electrify everything and clean up the grid. But in practice, progress is slowed by all sorts of bottlenecks — from arcane permitting processes to sky-high electricity costs.

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with producer Oscar Boyd to spotlight a surprising culprit slowing the transition: a global shortage of transformers, and why it has industry insiders so worried. This episode kicks off Bottlenecks, a new series exploring the lesser known obstacles standing in the way of our electrified future.

Explore further:

• The One Device Throttling the World’s Electrified Future
• The Device That Brought Down Heathrow Airport

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scientists are clear that meeting climate goals means ending carbon pollution and drawing down excess CO2 from the air. That’s why carbon-removal technologies have proliferated over the past decade. But with the US government slashing climate incentives and programs, some companies are being forced to cut costs. This week Akshat Rathi speaks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder of Climeworks, a startup that pulls carbon dioxide from the air, about its first major layoffs and what the future holds for the most expensive climate solution.

Explore further:

• Climeworks Is Cutting 22% of Staff as US Climate Backlash Hits Carbon Removal
• Past Zero episode on carbon removal with Professor Jennifer Wilcox
• Big Bets on Speculative Carbon Capture Tech Ignore Today’s Solutions

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. This episode was produced by Sommer Saadi and Robert Williams. Special thanks to: Coco Liu, Michelle Ma, Brian Kahn and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Low-carbon tech investments reached $2.1 trillion last year. But with the whole world trying to work out how to navigate US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policy agenda, is 2025 still a good time to invest in climate tech? This week on Zero Akshat Rathi interviews Greg Wasserman, head of private company climate investment at Wellington Management, which oversees more than $1 trillion in assets. Wasserman has to make investment decisions here and now about companies and technologies — weighing risks and opportunities in a volatile market.

Explore further:

• Trump’s Big Oil Era Means Green Bargains for Investors
• Companies Pivot From Climate Talk to 'Greenhushing' in Trump Era
• Why ESG Faces Backlash and Its Future Under Trump 2.0
• GOP to Phase Out Biden Energy Credits to Pay for Tax Cuts

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Amanda Kolson Hurley and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.