Event

2019 Christ's Climate seminar 3: Investigating how politicians understand and act on climate change

31 January 2019, 5:30pm

Share

Banner Image by Photocurry Creative Commons


“It’s important not to be a climate change zealot”: Investigating how politicians understand and act on climate change.

Rebecca Willis, Independent Environmental Researcher

Date: Thursday 31 January 2019

Time: 17:30-19:00

Venue: Plumb Auditorium, Christ's College, with a reception to follow (map)


Political support is essential to climate action. But how do politicians think about climate, and how do they decide whether to speak up or act? At this session, I will discuss the findings of collaborative research between Green Alliance and Lancaster University.

The research uses analysis of political speech and detailed anonymised interviews with Members of the UK parliament, to build up a picture of how politicians see their role, plan their career and represent their voters - and how climate change fits (or doesn’t fit) within that picture. Based on these findings, I will suggest how climate advocates can best work with politicians to encourage better debate and action.

The work draws on Green Alliance’s Climate Leadership Programme for MPs, which since 2009 has worked to engage politicians in the science and policy of climate change.

2019 Climate Seminar Series

This is the third in the 2019 Christ's College Climate Seminar Series. For details of other seminars in the series, please click here.


Banner Image by Photocurry Creative Commons

  • In news articles

    It’s important not to be a climate change zealot

    In the penultimate seminar of the Christ’s Climate Seminar Series, Rebecca Willis, Independent Environmental Researcher, discusses the findings of a collaborative research project to investigate how politicians think and act on climate change.