In the run up to COP21, the University of Sheffield’s Carbon Neutral University hosted a range of experts to talk about climate change. The videos from this event are now on our YouTube channel.
Speakers included Grantham supervisor Dr Matt Watson, Mike Berners-Lee and MEP Linda McAvan.
Carbon Neutral University is a network of students, staff and the general public. They support the University of Sheffield to become Carbon Neutral by 2025.
You can now watch the videos from Carbon Neutral University’s A Local Solution to the Global Climate Crisis on the Grantham Centre YouTube channel.
Dr Matt Watson sets out the global climate change challenge we face. He asks if the 2 degree target is right and if the agreements set out by global leaders can get us there. And he explains the importance of COP, and the role universities have in responding to climate change.
Matt supervises Grantham Scholar Katie Sumner whose project focuses on sustainable energy.
Linda McAvan, MEP for Yorkshire and Humber in the UK, explains why politicians have to act on climate change. For Linda, there is no difference between international policy and climate change policy – the affects on the grounds are so mixed together they cannot be separated.
Linda talks about the history of COP, its failures and successes over the years. One focus is the role of different countries at COP, including how America has responded to making cuts in emissions over the years and how the UK needed the EU to make an impact.
You can find Linda’s video here.
Mike outlines outlines the context of climate change and the role universities have in responding to it. Mike argues that all our efforts to combat climate change have so far made very little difference – but there’s still plenty of hope that we can.
You can find Mike’s video here.
Fionn outlines the University of Sheffield’s climate change strategy. Fionn shows that in 2015 TUoS’ main impact comes from energy use, and so this has to be the start of any strategy to mitigate impact.
You can find Fionn’s video here.
We’ve been sending our experts to COP since the Grantham Centre was started back in 2015 – our people were at COP21 when the Paris Agreement was signed. And from every COP our people report back. As such, we’ve got a unique multidisciplinary and historical perspective on COP. If you want to find out more, then go to The Grantham Centre at COP.
Our researchers, the Grantham Scholars, are embedded across the University. We have Scholars in every faculty because a multidisciplinary approach is vital to sustainability. This view is reflected in our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. Our Scholars also create a flow of knowledge and expertise between different fields and the Centre. Find out more about the Grantham Scholars.
Grantham Centre co-director Professor Rachael Rothman is the Academic Lead for Sustainability across the whole of the University of Sheffield. Find out more about sustainability at Sheffield.
Our Management Board has a range of experts from across the across the University, who help us set the direction of the Centre.
We also work with a team of multidisciplinary experts from across TUoS on our special research projects, including Many Happy Returns and Zaatari: Co-creating Sustainable Solutions.