logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2021
17m 28s

World gas prices surge

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Today small energy firms among those struggling to stay afloat as world gas prices spiral. Ed Butler hears from Peter McGirr, who runs Green energy, a UK gas and electricity firm supplying about a quarter of a million households. Higher energy prices could lead to all types of additional business challenges. Sven Holester is the Norwegian President and CEO of Yara, Europe's second largest producer of commercial fertiliser. He says the spike in energy prices has already affected his firm's production. The cost of higher gas is affecting food prices, fertiliser, even abattoirs. But is it all Russia's fault? We ask Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at the University of Oxford.

Producer: Benjie Guy

(Picture: The Slavyanskaya compressor station, the starting point of the Nord Stream 2 offshore natural gas pipeline.)

Up next
Yesterday
Founders: The entrepreneur betting AI will replace apps
Jerry Yue is the entrepreneur behind Brain Technologies. He believes artificial intelligence could replace many of the apps we use every day, changing how we interact with our phones and computers. Leanna Byrne talks to him about building technology businesses in China, his journ ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 2026
Headspace: from mindfulness app to military partner
Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support.The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale.If you'd ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 2026
Anthropic: the $300bn AI firm at war with the White House
Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government.Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become on ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
The Impact of Rising Natural Gas Prices
As natural gas prices hit record highs in Europe and Asia, what does that mean for the broader commodity complex? Goldman Sachs Research’s Damien Courvalin explains the impact of rising prices on energy costs, inflation and economic growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ... Show More
20m 48s
Mar 2022
Business and Energy
How will soaring energy costs affect UK corporations? Prices are spiking, not least because of the war in Ukraine. Energy is essential for everything from heating offices to transportation to manufacturing, so what happens when it just becomes too expensive? Evan Davis and guests ... Show More
29m 3s
Mar 2022
Energy Prices
Energy prices have hit new heights. Gas and electricity bills will rocket for most people at the end of this month as the price cap is lifted and nobody filling their car could fail to notice record prices at the pumps. Energy too is at the heart of the biggest conflict in Europe ... Show More
28m 24s
Jul 2022
How Companies are Navigating the Energy Transition
From geopolitical tensions, surging gas prices and energy shortages, how are major companies dealing with the energy transition? In the latest episode of Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, Giulia Chierchia, Executive Vice President of Strategy, Sustainability & Ventures at bp, and Miche ... Show More
32m 40s
Oct 2022
105: The Global Energy Crisis
<p>Gas supplies from Russia have been significantly reduced due to the war in Ukraine. OPEC has announced oil production cuts and both Europe and the U.S. have stubbornly high inflation that central banks are trying to control. With winter fast approaching, what impact will that ... Show More
23m 11s
Aug 2022
Just How Bad Will the Energy Crisis Be in Europe This Winter?
As everyone knows, electricity prices in Europe have soared, due to a combination of factors, most prominently Russia's war in Ukraine and the curtailing of natural gas supplies. But how bad is it going to get this winter? Will Germany have enough energy to power homes and factor ... Show More
58m 41s