Global sustainability advocate Simon Maxwell discussed the future of global climate affairs in a webinar hosted by the university on Feb. 24. Maxwell talked about current projects being used to alter the effects of climate change as well as the potential for a Global Green New Deal.
“The later we leave it, the less manageable it becomes,” said Maxwell.
Empirical data on carbon emissions collected by the United Nations (UN) shows that carbon emissions are rising steadily—and even despite the perceived progress made due to inactivity during the pandemic, carbon emissions still rose in 2020, Maxwell explained in the talk. “We’re not winning the battle on climate change,” he added.
Projects that contribute to “climate compatible development” are those that mitigate climate change effects, adapt to new technologies and practices and transform to a global outlook on sustainability, he said. While traditional environmentalists typically devise new ways to live more sustainably and mitigate the effects of climate change, according to Maxwell, they often do not consider the local and global impact of implementing such strategies. Maxwell said that when Margaret Thatcher closed down coal mines in the United Kingdom it lowered emissions, but only at the cost of working class citizens. “It is always important to talk about the losers,” he says.
Maxwell asked the audience to consider the current state of climate affairs in the world, asking, “Are you optimistic or pessimistic?” While the audience indicated a slightly pessimistic majority, Maxwell said there is reason to be both. However, he cautioned that despite the progress being made, there is still a long way to go.
According to Maxwell, at a global level, developing countries like China and India are emitting greenhouse gases at a higher rate, yet the consumption of products that are motivating higher emissions are credited to developed countries such as the United States. While China and India both have plans to lower emissions, unsustainable consumption puts a disproportionate pressure on developing countries to lower emissions further. At this point, “the issue of who gets to emit becomes relevant,” said Maxwell.
“I think a climate compatible plan needs to be framed as a Global Green New Deal,” said Maxwell.
While there are already several Green New Deals—one proposed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the United States and another in the United Kingdom—there is yet to be a Global Green New Deal, Maxwell said. With the interconnectedness of the economy in today’s time, Maxwell argues that it is crucial to consider the impact on other countries when climate change-mitigating measures are implemented.
Additionally, Green New Deals must be more than just virtue signaling, according to Maxwell. Politicians and people of authority need to feel the real suffering associated with climate change in order to make progress in the most sustainable manner, said Maxwell. When it comes to making individual contributions, Maxwell said, “Live the virtue, and [don’t] just talk about it.”
The event was hosted by the Center for Global Development and Sustainability at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management; Professor Joseph Assan (HS) moderated the talk.
