Social science responses to climate change

The climate emergency demands responses from all areas of human activity, including social science. But how have social sciences responded to date and what could and should they be doing? This panel will highlight some of the vital intellectual insights the social science have to offer about the nature of climate change and social responses to it. It will also explore the doing and organising of social science, including examples of initiatives seeking to advance climate change mitigation and adaptation by altering how social sciences engage with other disciplines and wider stakeholders through research and teaching. Facilitated by Prof Lauren Rickards, Director of the Urban Futures Platform at RMIT University, the panel will consist of:

• Assoc. Prof. Saffron O’Neill, Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science (ACCESS) programme, Uni. Exeter, UK
• Dr Adam Standring, Centre for Environmental and Sustainability Social Sciences, Orebro Uni, Sweden
• Prof. Wendy Steele, Critical Urban Governance, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT
• Prof. Noel Castree, Climate, Society and Environment Research Centre, UTS
• Dr Blanche Verlie, Climate Change Transformations research program, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT