About this event
Overview
As we approach COP26 the impacts of climate change and the ecological crisis have been well expressed in firstly, the Committee on Climate Change’s 4th Risk Assessment and the even more disturbing report from the IPCC described by the UN Secretary-General as ‘Code Red for Humanity’. Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and five other scientific advisers wrote in response, "transformation is required at every level of society: individuals, employers, institutions and international partners will need to work together to understand the trade-offs, agree on compromises and seize opportunities.”
These three webinar sessions on 9th and 23rd September and 7th October leading up to COP26 will explore how we can take the opportunities available to act with the agency required.
Session 1: Engaging better with politics and economics for rapid change
A recent report from the Pew Research Center carried out in the US, UK, France and Germany indicated significant support for systemic political and economic change.
In 2019 the Climate Change Act was amended to deliver 100% net-zero by 2050. Since then, the Climate and Ecology Emergency Bill has been introduced to Parliament, but it needs to get a debate in the House of Commons to make further progress. Are we declaring one thing and doing another? There has been much talk about the need to do things differently. Concerns have long been expressed about the unsustainable impact of economic ‘growth’ and the ‘degrowth’ movement is gaining support. More than 200 top UK firms and investors called on the government to make a Covid-19 recovery prioritise the environment. How do we get joined-up working across government? The Dasgupta Review has called on the Treasury to look beyond GDP – time to effectively factor natural capital and wellbeing into our national accounting? So, a time to rethink how we can all engage to deliver the transformational political-economic changes needed for a better future for all?
Hosted by
Co-founder of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and Co-founder of WEAll Scotland. I've instigated the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership and am the co-author of The Economics of Arrival: Ideas for a Grown-Up Economy.
I'm the Director of Sustainability and Physics at Buro Happold, RIBA Councillor and Steering Group Member for the RIBA and Architects Declare Built Environment Summit to be held in October 2021.
I was the Executive Director of Friends of the Earth between 1993-2003. I'm currently a member of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill Alliance core campaign team and its strategy advisor.
Chair of the Lords Select Committee on Environment and Climate Change. A life peer since 2010, I've campaigned on a diverse range of issues including the environment, equality, animal welfare and education.
