14. The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes: exploring paradigm shifts around climate change policy and research

Thursday 29 March 2012 - Planetary Stewardship, 15:00

Room 11

Chaired by Heide Hackmann

Convenors: Maria Sharmina, Sustainable Consumption Institute, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Manchester; Kevin Anderson, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Manchester; Heide Hackmann, International Social Science Council, UNESCO; Karen O'Brien, University of Oslo; Chris Shearlock, The Co-operative Group

What types of paradigm shifts are need to translate the rhetoric of "avoiding dangerous climate change" into effective policies and actions? This session brings together physical and social perspectives on the transformations considered necessary to meet unprecedented risks. The papers question some key assumptions of current approaches.  Following presentations, a discussion will focus on alternative approaches to  addressing climate change.

Real Clothes for the Emperor: Facing the Challenges of Climate Change

Prof. K. Anderson¹; Ms. M. Sharmina^{1 , 2}; ¹Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Manchester, UK ²Sustainable Consumption Institute, UK

Can the emperor change clothes? The social science of transformation

Dr. H. Hackmann¹; Prof. K. O'Brien²; Dr. A.L. St.Clair³; Ms. L. Sygna²; ¹International Social Science Council (ISSC), France ²Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo, Norway ³Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo-CICERO, Norway

Decoupled: UK transport and carbon mitigation strategies within the growth paradigm

Dr. M. Goulden¹; Dr. T. Ryley²; Prof. R. Dingwall³; ¹University of Nottingham, UK ²Loughborough University, UK ³Dingwall Enterprises, UK

Bioenergy as a solution for climate change mitigation? Reconciling top-down and bottom-up modeling on future bioenergy deployment, and implications for a risk-based paradigm shift in climate change policy

Dr. F. Creutzig^{1 , 2}; Dr. R. Plevin³; Dr. A. Popp²; Dr. G. Luderer²; Dr. J. Minx^{1 , 2}; Prof. O. Edenhofer^{1 , 2}; ¹Technische Universität Berlin, Germany ²Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany ³University of California, Berkeley, USA

We’re All In This Together: Shifting Paradigms on Science and Society in a Shifting Global Landscape

A. Helfgott¹; J. Vervoort¹; J. Ravetz¹; R. Ramirez¹; ¹University of Oxford, UK