The risks posed by the climate and ecological crisis are poorly understood.
This statement seems counterintuitive. Vast areas of scientific endeavour are assessing the causes and consequences of the crisis, while its escalating impacts are now routinely reported. But where it matters most, understanding of the risks is limited. For example, governments’ national security risk assessments do not include catastrophic climate risks, while pension funds use scenarios of future climate risk that do not include sea level rise.
It is a sobering reality that climate scientists have often been overly cautious in defining ‘conservative risk estimates’. At the same time, risk managers have consistently underestimated the potential for worst-case scenarios. Compounding these challenges is the institutional inertia and resistance to change that prevents a much-needed shift towards systemic risk management. As we head deeper into the crisis, it is critical to improve this understanding, so our strategies for change can respond to the threats and opportunities of a far less stable world.
At the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between climate science and risk management in the philanthropic sector is Laurie Laybourn. Director of the Strategic Climate Risk Initiative (SCRI), a think-do tank dedicated to developing the capabilities for delivering sustainability transformations even as environmental destabilisation escalates. Laurie is at the centre of research on “derailment risk”: the growing danger that as the consequences of the polycrisis worsen, we will find it more difficult to tackle the root causes.
Joining Laurie is Peter Lipman, the former (founding) chair of Transition Network and Common Cause Foundation. Peter chaired the UK government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change’s Community Energy Contact Group and set up Anthropocene Actions, a community interest company that promotes fair, loving, and ecologically regenerative societies. His extensive experience with organisations driving grassroots societal change brings a valuable perspective to our conversation, complementing Laurie’s expertise in risk assessment and management.
Together, they will explore the barriers to exploring different scenarios of how the polycrisis could evolve and what the consequences could be for our impact strategies – and how we might confront these obstacles to drive meaningful action.
Through this conversation, we aim to explore potential solutions and actionable steps that philanthropists, policymakers, and other stakeholders can take to better integrate climate science and risk management. Ultimately, our goal is to inspire a collective capacity to bridge the crucial gap between climate science and risk management. By fostering collaborative efforts and ongoing dialogue, we can drive progress towards more effective philanthropy and meaningful societal transformation in the face of escalating crises.
Join us for what promises to be an insightful and thought-provoking conversation that could shape the future of how we confront the challenges posed by the polycrisis. REGISTER IN ADVANCE ON ZOOM!
The risks posed by the climate and ecological crisis are poorly understood.
This statement seems counterintuitive. Vast areas of scientific endeavour are assessing the causes and consequences of the crisis, while its escalating impacts are now routinely reported. But where it matters most, understanding of the risks is limited. For example, governments’ national security risk assessments do not include catastrophic climate risks, while pension funds use scenarios of future climate risk that do not include sea level rise.
It is a sobering reality that climate scientists have often been overly cautious in defining ‘conservative risk estimates’. At the same time, risk managers have consistently underestimated the potential for worst-case scenarios. Compounding these challenges is the institutional inertia and resistance to change that prevents a much-needed shift towards systemic risk management. As we head deeper into the crisis, it is critical to improve this understanding, so our strategies for change can respond to the threats and opportunities of a far less stable world.
At the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between climate science and risk management in the philanthropic sector is Laurie Laybourn. Director of the Strategic Climate Risk Initiative (SCRI), a think-do tank dedicated to developing the capabilities for delivering sustainability transformations even as environmental destabilisation escalates. Laurie is at the centre of research on “derailment risk”: the growing danger that as the consequences of the polycrisis worsen, we will find it more difficult to tackle the root causes.
Joining Laurie is Peter Lipman, the former (founding) chair of Transition Network and Common Cause Foundation. Peter chaired the UK government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change’s Community Energy Contact Group and set up Anthropocene Actions, a community interest company that promotes fair, loving, and ecologically regenerative societies. His extensive experience with organisations driving grassroots societal change brings a valuable perspective to our conversation, complementing Laurie’s expertise in risk assessment and management.
Together, they will explore the barriers to exploring different scenarios of how the polycrisis could evolve and what the consequences could be for our impact strategies – and how we might confront these obstacles to drive meaningful action.
Through this conversation, we aim to explore potential solutions and actionable steps that philanthropists, policymakers, and other stakeholders can take to better integrate climate science and risk management. Ultimately, our goal is to inspire a collective capacity to bridge the crucial gap between climate science and risk management. By fostering collaborative efforts and ongoing dialogue, we can drive progress towards more effective philanthropy and meaningful societal transformation in the face of escalating crises.
Join us for what promises to be an insightful and thought-provoking conversation that could shape the future of how we confront the challenges posed by the polycrisis. REGISTER IN ADVANCE ON ZOOM!