Juliet Davenport, Rupert Read, Simon Sharpe and Gaia Vince Chaired by Stephen Law

Businesswoman Juliet Davenport, environmental activist Dr Rupert Read, economist Simon Sharpe and science journalist Gaia Vince ask what’s preventing us from acting on climate change and debate the practical steps businesses should take to counter it.

Climate change and the destruction of the Earth is arguably the most urgent issue of our time. We appear to be hurtling towards the end of civilisation as we know it. If we are to save ourselves and our planet, we need to act much faster. For example, we need to cut carbon intensity five times faster than we are just to prevent us exceeding 1.5C global warming. What’s preventing us from taking the necessary steps? As issues around climate change and the environment become more urgent, businesses and start-ups need to work harder than ever before to operate in greener, more sustainable ways, for the benefit of both themselves and the planet. But how, exactly, are they to do that? Our panel of experts offer both sharp analysis and hands-on, practical advice.

Davenport is a businesswoman and former chief executive of Good Energy, a renewable energy company. She also hosts The Great Green Podcast. Her latest book, The Green Start-Up, is an essential toolkit for the modern-day entrepreneur.

Read is associate professor of philosophy at the UEA. He is a former spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, an environmental activist, and a former Green Party councillor. His most recent book is Why Climate Breakdown Matters, a practical guide on how to be a radical, responsible climate activist.

Sharpe is director of economics for the UN Climate Champions, and a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute. He was previously deputy director of the UK government’s COP26 Unit, where he led international campaigns on energy, transport, land use, science and innovation. Sharpe is author of Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change.

Vince is an award-winning science journalist, author, broadcaster and speaker. She is particularly interested in how human systems and Earth’s planetary systems interact. Her latest book is Nomad Century: How to Survive The Climate Upheaval.

Discussions are chaired by Dr Stephen Law, a philosopher and academic, author of bestselling introductions to philosophy for adults and children, editor of the Royal Institute of Philosophy Journal Think, and the festival’s major projects director.