Why Climate Change Matters
Jean Monnet Memorial Lecture 2010
The Aftermath of Copenhagen
The 2010 iCES Jean Monnet Memorial Lecture organised in
partnership with the European Commission Representation in the UK
offered an opportunity for four prominent commentators on climate
change to present their views on the impact of the recent
Copenhagen Conference
Jonathon Porritt, writer and broadcaster on sustainable
development, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, formerly Director
of Friends of the Earth (1984-90) and Co-Chair of the Green Party
(1980-83); Ian Katz, Deputy Editor of the Guardian, currently
overseeing the paper's ambitious plans on the environment including
both on-line and newspaper coverage. Malini Mehra, Founder &
CEO of the Centre for Social Markets (CSM), a non-profit
organisation that has pioneered work on sustainability and
corporate responsibility in India and the Diaspora; Peter Luff,
Chairman of the European Movement UK and Chief Executive Officer of
Action for a Global Climate Community.
The failure of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change to
live up to expectations has inevitably led not only to a deep sense
of frustration and disappointment but also to a feeling that the
whole issue needs to be approached in an entirely different way if
practical progress is to be made. The ambition underlying the
Institute of Contemporary European Studies (iCES) Jean Monnet
Memorial Lecture held on 28 April 2010 at Regent’s College and
entitled ‘Climate Change is “Dropping off the Agenda” – Does it
Really Matter?’ was to take stock of the revised environmental
landscape that has emerged in the aftermath of Copenhagen.
Engaging with Creative Innovations for Climate Change
Porritt was in no doubt that conventional ways of talking about
the issue needed to be changed.
In his view science alone would not convince the general
public.
What was required was not `a sack cloth and ashes doomsday
scenario’, but rather enthusiastic support for a creative and
innovative low-carbon approach to future development. Porritt
argued that this approach needs to be allied to energetic and
vigorous advocacy of the social and economic benefits of an
accelerated transition to a low carbon world.
The Role of Science Globally
Ian Katz, in contrast
with Jonathon Porritt, insisted that the case for climate
action in the aftermath of Copenhagen and Climate Gate must be
based on solid scientific evidence.
He argued for the need to make progress on climate action
through incremental and steady progress on the ground rather than
through what will probably remain elusive globally negotiated
deals.
At a time when politicians appear to be disengaged, it falls in
his view to civil society ‘to pick up the running, and keep this
issue alive’.
New Generations for Climate Action
Malini Mehra
highlighted the real sense of fatigue now surrounding the
gatherings of conventional groupings in the climate change
field.
Mehra made the case for moving beyond the traditional actors and
creating new ‘coalitions of the willing’ who genuinely believe in a
low carbon economic future.
She also offered an illuminating analysis of the climate change
politics emerging in India and China.
Renewable Energy in Europe
Peter Luff focused
specifically on the plight of developing countries in Africa and
Asia, arguing the need for enhanced cooperation between the
developing and developed world in projects based on large scale
renewable energy.
Specifically, he made the case for the European Union to take a
leadership role in this field. Although sidelined at the Copenhagen
conference.
In his view, the EU should following the ratification of
the Lisbon Treaty, assume a more imaginative climate action role
that can build trust and confidence with the countries of the
developing word.
Despite differences of emphasis all four speakers were unanimous
in the view that climate change mattered to us all, and that we
should all play a part in putting it back on the agenda.
Read Here the published version of this
Lecture, Download the iCES
Occasional Paper 05 Climate Change Post Copenhagen
Page last updated 7/18/2010