The Role of Universities in Addressing the Climate Crisis: Perspectives from the United States
With the recent release of the 2022 UNEP Emissions Gap Report and projections of “no credible pathway to 1.5°C in place …(and) need for large-scale, rapid and systemic transformation”, the role and responsibility of universities in addressing the climate crisis is increasingly critical. Universities provide opportunities to educate students, produce cutting edge research, and engage members of local communities and the broader public in understanding causes, consequences and responses. In this seminar, we explore the role and responsibility of universities in addressing the climate crisis; First, via an overview of the political landscape in the United States in terms of climate change denial and delay; Next exploring broadly the university system and culture in the United States, and last, on the legal and ethical responsibility of academics, including enrolled students, as well as prospects for a path forward.
Professor’s Biography: Dr. Paul Lachapelle is Professor of Political Science at Montana State University in the United States and focuses on environmental policy and climate communications. He is the author of the edited book Addressing Climate Change at the Community Level in the United States (Routledge in 2019) and has been a prominent critic of climate obstructionism at his own and other unvierities. He is currently on sabbatical in Europe researching pedagogical practices and emissions reduction policies at universities.
Link for registration: https://forms.office.com/r/1tfezPqPuE
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