The Role of Economics in Climate Politics
Culture and languages
Society and economy
With Niklas Olsen, Professor of the History of Political Thought at University of Copenhagen.
Seminar
With Niklas Olsen, Professor of the History of Political Thought at University of Copenhagen.
Since the 1960s, natural scientists have issued warnings that the planet is reaching its ecological limits. Economists, on the other hand, have adopted a more positive attitude in relation to environmental and climate crises. Instead of advocating strong political measures to avert these crises – or envisioning alternative and more ecologically friendly social models – they have placed faith in technology and innovation to solve all problems. As economics has emerged as the most politically influential social science, the faith in technological fixes has become key to climate change policy in most of the Western World.
This talk aims to historicise the prominent role of economics in climate politics, including the idea of the ‘technological fix’ emerging from this discipline. Focus is the two economists William Nordhaus and Thomas Schelling, who have been influential in shaping policyagendas that discourage political action in the present from the expectation that technological innovations will solve societal challenges in the future
Chair: Anders Pedersson
For those without a GU card: Meeting point outside the department's door on floor 6, elevator C. Admission is 10 minutes before the start of the seminar.
Contact person: Anders Pedersson