As we approach COP26 the impacts of climate change and the ecological crisis have been well expressed in firstly, the chilling 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.” We now have greater knowledge and understanding about the causes and solutions for our present multi-faceted predicament and we also know that we cannot hesitate, but must act with urgency and also with agency.
The solutions are in our hands – we have no excuses!
These three sessions on 09 and 23 September and 07 October leading up to COP26 will explore how we can take the opportunities available to act with the agency required.
Robin uses his long experience as an architect who loves rethinking the way we use buildings, to work with the practice and others to transform our industry; into one where the buildings and places we make have ‘long life, loose fit and low energy’ for the benefit of the users, the clients and the wider world.
Robin acts as convenor of the Edge Thinktank and chairs the Cambridgeshire Quality Panel to help steer thinking towards these goals. He has been an Honorary Professor at Nottingham University since 2013.
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?
This discussion is facilitated by Baroness Parminter.
There is more than sufficient evidence about the impact of climate change and the decline in biodiversity. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. We are misusing our natural resources with the intensification of agriculture, pollution of our rivers, serious decline in all species and most critically our pollinators. The Committee on Climate Change Third Climate Risk Assessment published in June 2021 made it very clear that while mitigation is needed to reduce further emissions, we also need adaptation to handle the greenhouse gases already ‘baked in’ to the atmosphere. But adaptation and mitigation have not been successfully integrated to date across government policy. It is clear that we will need standards and regulations to achieve the degree of change needed. What else should we do?
Time to rethink how we can all engage on these critical environmental issues?
This discussion facilitated by Julie Hill will explore these issues.
In a recent article, Tim Harford commented that the climate crisis would not be solved without adopting policies and norms that change the behaviour of businesses, local governments and individuals. In Humankind: A Hopeful History Rutger Bergman’s proposition is that human beings are mostly decent and research has shown that about 70% of people in the UK support action on climate change. But what actions? What changes? To what extent will be we change our values to achieve the necessary transformation needed? How should we present the urgency of our situation to inspire action with the agency needed? Time to rethink how we take on our individual and professional responsibilities engaging with climate change?
This discussion facilitated by Lucy Shea will explore these issues.
