Green Agreement: How to return to political climate consensus Ned Hammond, Charlie Jeffery, Virginia Sentance, David Powell and Jonathan Derbyshire (Chair)
Event details
How do we return to political climate consensus and retain public support for the transition to net zero?
During the 2010s, there was broad political consensus on the importance of tackling climate change. But over the past few years, that consensus has started to fray as some politicians have sought to create division for political gain. That has fed through to the media, with certain outlets regularly publishing misleading stories on all aspects of net zero, from renewable energy, to electric vehicles and heat pumps.
So far, the public remains largely on board with reducing emissions and reaching net zero. But the introduction of some green measures, such as clean air zones and sustainable farming subsidies, have led to anti-environmental protests and vandalism. And as the green transition shifts from focusing heavily on energy sources to items that interact more with people's lives, such as cars and home heating, there is a risk that public support declines.
Join us as our expert panel discusses how to improve communication and conversation on the costs and benefits of the transition to net zero in a way that maintains public support and brings back political consensus. Speakers include David Powell, Senior Advocacy Manager at Climate Outreach; Charlie Jeffery, Vice-Chancellor of the University of York; Virginia Sentance, Director of Industrial Strategy and Clean Energy at Labour Together; and Ned Hammond, Head of Energy and Environment at Onward.
This event will take place live on Zoom Webinar. You will receive a link to join a couple of days before the event and a reminder an hour before. During the event, you can ask questions via a Q&A function, but audience cameras and microphones will remain muted throughout.
About the speakers
Jonathan Derbyshire is Executive Opinion Editor at the Financial Times. He was previously Managing Editor of Prospect, Britain’s leading monthly magazine of politics and ideas, and Culture Editor of the New Statesman.
Ned Hammond is the Head of Energy and Environment at Onward and leads the Getting to Zero research programme. Prior to joining Onward, he was the Head of ESG & Data research at Berenberg Bank, and prior to that held various roles in equity research and investment banking.
Professor Charlie Jeffery became Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of York in September 2019. He joined us from the University of Edinburgh where he had been Senior Vice-Principal since 2014. He was a Member of Council of the Economic and Social Research Council from 2006-12 and Chair of the Political Studies Association of the UK from 2009-12.
David Powell leads Climate Outreach's advocacy work, championing public engagement and effective climate communications with policy makers, politicians and those who influence them. David has nearly two decades of experience as a campaigner, communicator, researcher and strategist on environment and climate change. He’s worked as Head of Environment and Green Transition at the New Economics Foundation and senior campaigner on economics and resources at Friends of the Earth. He has a MA in English Literature, an MSc in Environmental Strategy, and a Graduate Diploma in Economics. He’s particularly interested in the intersection between systems change and individual psychology, and how to build campaigns that harness the deeply held concerns we all have about the climate crisis.
Virginia Sentance is Director of Industrial Strategy and Clean Energy at Labour Together.
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