If planetary diplomacy is to work, we can't represent the planet's interests until we understand how the planet actually works. From different disciplines we have come to understand that Earth is a single, interconnected system rather than a collection of separate parts. This understanding has given rise to a new field: Earth systems science.

In this last episode, we sat down with Sonia Seneviratne, Professor of Land-Climate Dynamics at ETH Zurich and a member of the IPCC, to explore Earth systems science. Her research focuses on climate extremes, land-atmosphere interactions, and feedback loops that amplify heatwaves, droughts, and other climate impacts.

In the conversation, we discuss how vegetation and soils influence climate, the role of feedback loops and tipping points, the risks facing ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest, and why, despite remaining uncertainties, we already know enough to act. We also explore what a more balanced Earth system could look like—and pathways that could help us get there.