Cities are widely considered to be progressive bastions against the tide of populism and growth of right-wing movements across Europe. But recent election results show that cities are not immune to the divisive discourses surrounding the green transition. From Berlin to Barcelona to Oslo to London, green policies have developed into a central battleground in local politics, with initiatives such as 15-minute cities, low-traffic neighbourhoods, low emission zones and other attempts to reduce car dependency proving particularly contentious. How can urban leaders design and communicate policies in ways that reconcile concerns for the end of the month and concerns for the end of the world, and enable the transition towards more just and sustainable cities?
Taking Liam Beiser-McGrath’s research around the political feasibility of climate action and research by the European Cities Programme at LSE Cities as a point of departure, this event will bring together a panel of European city leaders to discuss what has been driving a growing backlash against the green transition in Europe, and how this is shaping urban politics and policy making.
Meet our speakers and chair
Liam Beiser-McGrath (@lfbeisermcgrath) is Assistant Professor in International Social and Public Policy in the Department of Social Policy at the LSE. He is also the organiser of EPG Online, an online seminar series covering Environmental Politics and Governance. Beiser-McGrath’s research primarily focuses on the political feasibility of efforts to tackle climate change and environmental problems, including the link between economic inequality and the public acceptability of ambitious climate policy, using experimental research designs and machine learning.
Ciarán Cuffe (@CiaranCuffe) served from 2019 to 2024 as a member of the European Parliament representing Dublin, Ireland. He sat on the Transport, and Energy committees of the Parliament. He was the Parliament’s Rapporteur or chief negotiator for the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive that legislates for the decarbonisation of the EU’s building stock. He serves as President of EUFORES, a European cross-party interparliamentary network that promotes the deployment of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. Prior to his election to the European Parliament in 2019, he served as a Dublin City Councillor, member of the Irish Parliament for Dún Laoghaire, and Minister of State with responsibility for sustainable transport and climate change.
Jean-Louis Missika (@jlmissika) was Deputy Mayor of Paris from 2014 to 2020, in charge of urban planning, architecture, Grand Paris projects, economic development and attractiveness. From 2008 to 2014 he served as Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of innovation, research and higher education. He is the author of Le nouvel urbanisme parisien (2019) and co-author of Des robots dans la ville (2018). He is currently a Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE Cities.
Shirley Rodrigues (@sabrodrigues61) was the London Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy between 2016 and 2024. She implemented programmes to tackle the climate emergency, reduce air pollution and restore nature including the Ultra Low Emission Zone, the world’s largest clean air zone of its kind, to initiatives to ensure London is a net zero carbon city by 2030 and more resilient to the impacts from climate change. Previously she oversaw a global climate change grants portfolio at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) developing their first global cities strategy, and held various executive roles in local, regional, and national government in the UK. She is currently a Commissioner on the Our Common Air Commission, Chair of the Breathe Cities Advisory Committee, expert advisor to the Earthshot Prize, and on the Board of C40 Cities.
Catarina Heeckt is the Programme Lead for the European Cities Programme and a Policy Fellow at LSE Cities. Her research is focused on urban environmental policy and governance with a particular interest in understanding what drives resistance to the green transition in cities.
More about this event
This event is part of the LSE Festival: Power and Politics running from Monday 10 to Saturday 15 June 2024, with a series of events exploring how power and politics shape our world. Booking for all Festival events will open on Monday 13 May.
LSE Cities (@LSECities) is an international centre carrying out research, education, advisory and engagement activities investigating the social, spatial and environmental complexities of the 21st century city.
Hashtag for this event: #LSEFestival
Podcast & Video
A podcast of this event is available to download from What is driving the green backlash in European urban politics?
Podcasts and videos of many LSE events can be found at the LSE Public Lectures and Events: podcasts and videos channel.