The climate crisis is reshaping economies, societies, and livelihoods, but not everyone bears its costs equally. From heatwaves to floods, the poorest communities, particularly in the Global South, face the greatest risks, while climate policies can impose heavier burdens on those least able to afford them. How can we save the planet in ways that are not only effective, but also fair?
This panel brings together leading academics and practitioners to explore the deep links between climate change and inequality, within and between countries. The discussion will ask how environmental, economic and social policy can work together to ensure that climate action reduces, rather than reinforces, inequality.
Drawing on experiences from across the globe, panellists will highlight practical, inclusive approaches to climate action and climate justice, and reflect on how fairness and inclusion can help build the political coalitions needed for a just transition
This hybrid public event is free and open to all, but registration is required. The event is organised by the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity and the LSE International Inequalities Institute as part of the LSE Festival: How to save the planet.
Panelist
Professor Giles Atkinson
Giles Atkinson is Acting Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and Professor of Environmental Policy in LSE’s Department of Geography & Environment. His specialist expertise is sustainability economics and economic appraisal of environmental policy.
Panelist
Dr Lucas Chancel
Lucas Chancel is an Associate Professor of Economics with tenure at Sciences Po, affiliated with the Center for Research on Social Inequalities and the Department of Economics. He is also Co-Director and Senior Economist at the World Inequality Lab at the Paris School of Economics (PSE). His work focuses on global inequality and ecological transitions.
Panelist
Denis Fernando
Denis Fernando is Senior Rights and Justice Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, working on the right to protest, antiracism, international solidarity and adaptation to extreme weather. Before working at Friends of the Earth, Denis was an activist in the Occupy London camp, Stand Up To Racism, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and has worked in Parliament and the trade union movement.
Panelist
Zephanie Repollo
Zephanie Repollo is an Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity and JASS (Just Associates) Southeast Asia Director. She has been working as an organiser, bridge-builder, and a strategic lead across Southeast Asia and in the Philippines in particular for more than a decade.
Chair
Dr Marion Dumas
Marion Dumas is an Assistant Professorial Research Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute at LSE. Her research interests encompass green innovation, the institutional processes underpinning decarbonisation, and the interaction between reducing inequality and fighting climate change.
Banner Image: Photo by Misbahul Aulia on Unsplash