Event Details

Can the status quo be trusted to deliver on our climate goals, or are significantly different models required? Is the market the problem, or the solution? Is technology our salvation, or do we need to lean more on cultural change? Is there a soft landing on the other side, or are we f**ked? Discuss.

The COP26 discussions in Glasgow will focus on the somewhat narrow and rather orthodox set of solutions the international negotiations have favoured for the last three decades. Although many still believe this to be an entirely reasonable response to the emerging climate crisis, voices pointing to different ways forward have grown louder. It is tempting to dismiss views that don’t align with our own, but if this is the watershed moment it is heralded as, perhaps it’s time to listen carefully to this diversity of opinion.

The session aims to curate a discussion where the validity of the solutions being proposed and enacted are examined through a wider lens than only attempting to perpetuate our current model. This is expected to draw from all parts of the socio-political compass, including those advocating the standard business model, the green new deal, technologists, degrowthers, XR, deep adaptation, state versus the private sector, orthodox and heterodox economists. The focus will be to try to hear and understand the position of others and see the weaknesses in our own.

Location

If attending in person you can find directions to the venue on the interactive campus map: https://link.mazemap.com/mxvc7DRl. The closest visitor parking is in Farrer Avenue.

Speakers will include

• Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). He is the author of The Art of Suppression, The Spirit Level Delusion and Velvet Glove; Iron Fist. His work focuses on 'pleasure, prohibition and dodgy statistics'.
• Anne Chapman, a director of Green House Think Tank Ltd and is co-chair of Green House. She studied biochemistry at Oxford and has environment-related masters degrees from Manchester and Lancaster universities. She has academic publications in the field of the philosophy of science and technology; her book Democratizing Technology was published by Earthscan in 2007. Anne lives in Lancaster where she is a director of a renewable energy co-operative.
• Chris Saltmarsh, co-founder of Labour for a Green New Deal and author of Burnt: Fighting for Climate Justice.
• Larch Maxey, a believer in taking direct action, most recently as part of Insulate Britain's blocking of major UK highways.

This event is part of the COP26@ Lancaster University Festival, which aims to spark debate and showcase our leading specialists and research relating to climate change in the run-up to the United Nation’s COP26 in Glasgow. The week-long COP26@ Lancaster University Festival takes place from Wednesday 20^th October to Wednesday 27th October 2021.