Deep Climate Conversations, organized and moderated by Jennifer Hadden and Aseem Prakash, are online structured roundtables (i.e., questions circulated in advance to speakers). The objective is to explore climate issues at a deeper, theoretical level. These are 75-minute events: 60 minutes for discussion of planned questions, leaving about 15 minutes for comments from the audience.
Please register in advance here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The Geopolitics of Critical Minerals
Thursday, April 18, 2024, 12:00-1:15 EDT (9:00-10:15 am PDT)
The roundtable focused on the following questions:
How might past research on resource curse inform the governance of critical minerals? What is the role of public policy and private governance in ensuring that labor and environmental laws are respected in mining countries? Are governance problems resource-specific?
Given the rise of China as the key player in critical mineral mining and refining, what leverage do NGOs have in improving the governance of the critical mineral mining sector?
What is the possibility of resource nationalism akin to the oil sector? Could we think of an OPEC-like cartel for lithium, nickel or cobalt? Might energy transition away from fossil fuel redistribute power to new countries?
Panelists:
Bentley Allan, Johns Hopkins
Raphael Heffron, Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, France
Sophia Kalantzakos, NYU
Michael Ross, UCLA
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
The Politics of Energy Transition
Thursday, March 21, 2024, 12:15-1:30 EST (9:15-10:30 am PST)
The roundtable focused on the following questions:
Energy use correlates highly with economic development. In what circumstances might there be a trade-off between economic development and decarbonization? What are the implications of energy transition for energy security and energy equity? Have climate groups and policy-makers neglected opportunities to connect decarbonization with development, security, and equity?
Addressing climate change equitably involves both simultaneously scaling down fossil fuels and scaling up renewables. What are the similarities and differences of the politics (distribution of benefits and costs, as well as normative conflicts) of both of these types of transition? Will the scale-up of renewables automatically lead to the decline of fossil fuels, and vice versa? How might the advocacy strategies for these subjects overlap or differ?
Energy politics often involves a mixture of domestic (cap and trade, renewable energy mandates, etc) and international politics (energy security, international finance, etc.). What role are international actors (foreign governments, inter-governmental organizations, firms, banks, etc.) playing in the domestic energy transition? What are the biggest opportunities and challenges originating from the international system for domestic transition?
Panelists:
Michaël Aklin, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne
Valerie Karplus, Carnegie Mellon University
Paasha Mahdavi, UC Santa Barbara
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security
Thursday, February 22, 2024, 12:00-1:15 EST (9:00-10:15 am PST)
The roundtable focused on the following questions:
What are the biggest governance challenges related to climate and food systems? What research questions need to be answered on mitigation in food systems? On adaptation? Is there a tension between climate mitigation and adaptation in the agricultural sector? What are the biggest governance challenges related to climate and food systems? What research questions need to be answered on mitigation in food systems? On adaptation? Is there a tension between climate mitigation and adaptation in the agricultural sector?
Addressing climate and food security is often thought about in terms of supply-side policy such as incentivizing new technologies or encouraging/discouraging particular agricultural approaches. What incentives (or disincentives) do corporate actors (agri-businesses) have to promote low-carbon farming methods? Moreover, what is the political feasibility of including demand-side policies (reducing food waste and meat consumption) in the policy mix? Should corporate power (supermarkets in particular) be closely examined here as well?
Is there a rural backlash against climate policies? Farmers in many countries are protesting against climate mitigation policies, although rural economies would be severely impacted by the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Is climate mitigation perceived as imposing an urban agenda on rural areas? What might be the appropriate policy response?
Panelists:
Jennifer Clapp, University of Waterloo
Michelle Jurkovich, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Paul Winters, University of Notre Dame
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
Assessing COP 28
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 11:45 am -1:00 pm EST (8:45-10:00 am PST)
The roundtable focused on the following questions:
How do you assess the success of COP 28 and associated bilateral commitments? Broadly, how might one assess the success of any COP? Do they primarily have a performative function of focusing global attention on climate issues, or should we take their substantive pledges seriously?
How do you evaluate the global stocktake process? Did the process succeed in providing a focal point for negotiators? Did it have a “ratcheting up” effect on contributions? Or are global conflicts, inflation, and energy security issues derailing the climate agenda?
Given the almost impossibility of achieving the 1.5 C target, what sort of balance should future COPs strike between mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage? How do you assess the seriousness of developed countries towards the $100 billion annual climate aid target? Are there other promising financial mechanisms?
Panelists:
Joanna Lewis, Georgetown University
Anand Patwardhan, University of Maryland, College Park
David Victor, UC San Diego
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
Implementing Just Transition: Who Pays What to Whom and How
Thursday, November 16, 2023, 12:00-1:15 EST (9:00-10:15 am PST)
The roundtable focused on the following questions:
From your perspective, what are the key debates in the area of climate migration? Is the climate migration issue suffering from over-attribution given that wars, conflicts, and economic factors have historically been big drivers of cross-national migration? How do scholars isolate the effect of climate change on migration outcomes?
How central is the migration issue to the politics of climate change? Are COPs neglecting this subject? Should climate migration be subsumed under adaptation, or do we need a new conceptual category to understand it and address it?
In what ways could climate migration reshape international relations and domestic politics? From a cross-national perspective, are there differences in how both home and host countries are addressing the issue of climate migration?
Panelists:
Roman Hoffmann, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Vally Koubi, ETH Zurich
Valerie Mueller, Arizona State University
Alex de Sherbinin, Columbia University
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
Implementing Just Transition: Who Pays What to Whom and How
Thursday, October 19, 2023, 11:30-12:45 EST (8:30-9:45 am PST)
The roundtable focused on the following questions:
From your perspective, what are the key debates on implementing just transition? Who takes what position in these debates, and what are the main areas of disagreement? How central are these debates to the politics of climate change?
What do research and historical experience teach us about how the just transition should be structured? What sectors should it cover? Who should decide what resources are committed, when and how?
From a cross-national perspective, are there differences in how just transition plays out in different contexts? For example, what role might foreign aid or international NGOs or other international mechanisms play in supporting this work in developing country contexts?
Panelists:
Mijin Cha, University of California, Santa Cruz
Kathryn Harrison, University of British Columbia
Peter Newell, University of Sussex
Dimitris Stevis, Colorado State University
Dustin Tingley, Harvard University
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
Business Responses to Climate Change
Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 11:00-12:15 EST
Panelists:
Michael Barnett, Rutgers University
Magali (Maggie) Delmas, UCLA
Jennifer Griffin, Loyola University Chicago
Llewelyn Hughes, Australian National University
Jonas Meckling, UC Berkeley
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
Climate Advocacy: What Works, and Why?
Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 11:00-12:15 EST
Panelists:
Patricia Bromley, Stanford University
Mette Eilstrup-Sanviovanni, University of Cambridge
Sidney Tarrow, Cornell University
Fernando Tormos-Aponte, University of Pittsburgh
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
Multi-disciplinarity in Climate Social and Behavioral Sciences: Challenges and Opportunities
Wednesday, February 1, 2023, 11:00-12:15 EST
Panelists:
Teenie Matlock, UC Merced
Ron Mitchell, University of Oregon
Timmons Roberts, Brown University
Benjamin Sovacool, Boston University
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.
Assessing COP 27
Thursday, December 8, 2023, 11:00-12:15 EST
Panelists:
Jennifer Allan, Cardiff University
Patrick Bayer, University of Strathclyde
Navroz Dubash, Centre for Policy Research
David Victor, UC San Diego
Recording:
On Google Drive, please link here.