Beyond Zero Emissions Seminar: Switching into climate emergency action mode
A growing number of councils and organisations have formally declared climate change to be an emergency, but what are the practical implications of these declarations? What changes are required to our political, social and technological systems to address this emergency?
In this BZE seminar, two speakers will outline their thoughts on framing climate change as an emergency. They see 2020 as a turning point on climate action, arguing that fundamental changes are required after three decades of inaction. It requires grassroots community action, an alliance of businesses and policy frameworks that support the transition to a decarbonised economy.
Philip Sutton is a sustainability strategist. He coauthored with David Spratt the 2008 book Climate Code Red, a case for emergency action. Philip also was the architect of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee legislation passed in 1988, which became the model for the revision of wildlife legislation around Australia. Philip has been involved in Victorian Government strategy development in the areas of energy, environmental conservation, and the wood products industry. Philip’s work ranges across science and technology-based policy, law, industry policy, economics and social change strategy. In 2011, Philip founded RSTI (Research and Strategy for Transition Initiation) to work on the emergency speed transition to a safe climate and sustainability-promoting economy. In 2015 Philip published StrikingTargets: matching climate goals with climate reality, a strategy paper in the Breakthrough series, that maps a new approach to climate action in the post-Paris (COP 21) era.
Lachlan is the Project Lead for BZE’s Repowering our Regions work. Repowering our Regions takes our research and applies it to fossil fuel dependent towns and communities around Australia – showing a low-carbon, prosperous future is possible now.
Before coming to BZE, Lachlan was with the City of Melbourne, where he worked on corporate Power Purchase Agreements and residential energy efficiency programs. Prior to his time at the City, Lachlan worked in advocacy roles with Friends of the Earth and the Community Power Agency. Lachlan has also worked with MPs and on political campaigns in the UK and Australia.
Lachlan has a Masters of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts, both from the University of Melbourne. He hails from Hobart and cites the attempted destruction of Tasmania’s old-growth forests as inspiring his activism.