Fishburn Hedges

26.02.2010

The Economist's 'After Copenhagen' could have easily not mentioned it at all - it wasn't mentioned for the three hours I was there apart from by me when I asked WWF's Mark Wright if they felt the forest agreement would make any difference.  It might, said Mark Wright, but it's one of many initiatives in play.  Sore point perhaps. 

Another sore point for WWF was the motion we debated 'to let the panda die' - very entertaining and informative.  Apparently only 1% of species that have ever lived are alive today.  So really, we should all just face the fact that all our days are numbered.  The motion was carried.

Overall the afternoon session was a corker, particularly Tony Giddens, champion of progressive politics and Professor at the LSE, and sceptic Philip Stott (University of London SOAS). 

Stott's perspective on climate change, is to see it as one risk among many, and to see change, climatic or otherwise, as not so much exceptional as normal, and one that human innovation is more than capable of dealing with.  Stott predicted that very soon the twin narratives of food and energy security will displace climate change altogether.

Giddens was calling for a whole new way of valuing the economy so growth does not compete with sustainability, echoing the sentiment in Tim Jackson's 'Prosperity without growth'.  And called for more insight into the vision for a green economy.  He urged people to look beyond green industry to a future world where the whole environment for business is different and the opportunities are not so much in 'green tech' but in the lifestyle patterns that become necessary in a low carbon world. 

Post climategate, it's clear that there's a real opportunity to adapt the narrative around climate change and many academics are already doing so.  There's a risk companies will be left behind altogether if they don't stay tuned to the debate.

Posted by Clare Hinkley