Accelerating Social Change in Response to the Climate and Ecological Crisis

UPDATE: The event resulted in a co-produced policy brief, please see Policy Brief Final.

This is a stakeholder event, open to researchers, activists, policy makers, social entrepreneurs, campaigners, artists, communicators etc. who are working on climate change and the ecological crisis. The goal of this event is to come together, exchange insights from research and practice, share stories and ideas, and collaboratively explore pathways of social change in response to the climate and ecological crisis. A policy brief will be collaboratively written on the basis of this event.

09:30 – 10:00 Registration & Coffee

10:00 – 10:30 Opening: Viktoria Spaiser & Lucie Middlemiss (University of Leeds)

10:30 – 11:30 Panel - Horizon Scan, mapping the current situation: what is already happening in terms of social change in response to the climate and ecological crisis, what are the big challenges, where are we stuck and why? Panel discussants are Emma River-Roberts (Working Class Climate Alliance), Pauline von Hellermann (University of Sussex), Ed Gemmell (Buckinghamshire Councillor, Leader of the Climate Party), Pim Sullivan-Tailyour (UK Youth Climate Coalition), Dan White (Disability Rights UK), Lone Sorensen (University of Leeds). Moderator: Viktoria Spaiser (University of Leeds)

11:30 – 12:00 Coffee break

12:00 – 13:00 Panel - What next? Pathways for social change: what should we focus on next, which pathways should we consider next and how do we make them fair? What can we learn from research and practice on the ground. Panel discussants include Cathy Rogers (Social Change Lab), Steve Westlake (University of Bath), Fergus Lamb (Hope for the Future), Antoinette Nestor (Cambridge City Councillor), Lewis Jamieson (Music Declares Emergency), Amy McDonnell (Zero Hour) - TBC. Moderator: Lucie Middlemiss (University of Leeds)

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch break (with posters on research & projects)

14:00 – 15:30 Four breakout groups

1. Rethinking Communication and Culture - Abraham Darby room
   with lightning talks by Victoria Burns (Culture Declares Emergency) and Maria Rovisco (University of Leeds), Chair: Lone Sorensen (University of Leeds)
2. The Elephant in the Room: Lifestyle Changes - George Bradshaw room
   with lightning talks by Lorraine Whitmarsh (Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations) and Shefali Khanna (LSE), Chair: Viktoria Spaiser (University of Leeds)
3. Mobilising Public Support for Socio-Economic Transformation (System Change) - Sarah Fell room
   with lightning talks by Charlie J Gardner (XR Scientists) and Sarah Reay (UK Youth Climate Coalition), Chair: Lucie Middlemiss (University of Leeds)
4. Rethinking Economy - Kathleen Lonsdale room
   with lightning talks by Richard Bärnthaler (University of Leeds) and Jonathan Atkinson (Carbon Co-op and People Powered Retrofit), Chair: Richard Oduro (University of Leeds)

15:30 – 15:50 Coffee break

15:50 – 16:45 Closing Plenary & FossilHeads - Climate Crisis Cabaret Performance
Reports from each Breakout group chairs, closing reflections and climate crisis cabaret performance to finish the event

Organiser: Professor Viktoria Spaiser and Fair Energy Futures

Join us at this event, register here: https://forms.office.com/e/4A078QseKL