Public debate: Fuel poverty, climate change and social justice

Watch our lively public debate on fuel poverty, climate change and social justice. With Doug Parr, Jim Watson, Thurstan Crockett and Kirsty Alexander, chaired by Alice Bell.

Watch the video (on YouTube)
See photos from the event
More resources from the 2013 STEPS Centre Summer School


On 20 May 2013, as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival, the STEPS Centre and SPRU – Science and Technology Policy Research (University of Sussex) held a public debate in Brighton city centre’s Jubilee Library.

At a time of rising unemployment, energy and food costs, many families are struggling to heat their homes. Can fuel poverty be tackled without tackling climate change? And will tackling climate change – and other planetary boundaries such as water and land use – and keep the planet safe but make the poor poorer?

Speakers:

  • Kirsty Alexander, Head of Communications, Nuclear Industry Association
  • Thurstan Crockett, Head of Sustainability, Brighton and Hove City Council
  • Doug Parr, Chief Scientist, Greenpeace
  • Jim Watson, Research Director, UK Energy Research Centre

Chair:

  • Alice Bell, (Research Fellow, SPRU Science and  Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex)

Public lecture: Capitalism, carbon and climate change

Prof Michael Jacobs, LSE

Michael JacobsA video of this lecture will be posted on this website soon.

Michael Jacobs is a Visiting Professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, and in the School of Public Policy at University College London. He is a former Special Adviser at the Treasury and 10 Downing St.

More details


Cancelled: Planetary boundaries and Sustainable Development Goals

Unfortunately Prof Johan Rockström, Stockholm Resilience Centre, was not able to give the planned lecture on 16 May 2013 as he was called to address the UN general assembly. A video of his presentation to the UN can be viewed on the UN Web TV website (at about 1:56min in to the video).

Here are two more videos from Prof Rockström on the planetary boundaries theme:

http://www.stockholmresilience.org/21/research/research-news/3-27-2013-redefining-sustainable-development.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/johan_rockstrom_let_the_environment_guide_our_development.html