Already the impacts of climate change are being felt at a local level, with lives lost, social services overwhelmed, and infrastructure damaged. Nature is heavily degraded; and large swathes of populations, particularly in higher-income countries, are over-consuming resources whilst deep poverty remains across the globe.
Higher and lower-income countries will not be able to achieve sustainable and inclusive low-carbon growth if their societies do not transform to be economically, physically, and socially resilient and sustainable.
Activities within the building sustainable societies theme
Policies for sustainable societies
Staff in LSE’s Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method will address the issue of how a concern for sustainability should guide policy decision making, including what knowledge is required, and how sustainability considerations are combined with other goals in the context of defining and enabling sustainable societies.
The new initiative on changing attitudes will initially investigate two linked issues. Changing Attitudes Towards Lab-Grown Meat will investigate how new information about animal sentience (presented in a variety of different formats) alters the choices of consumers when presented with traditional and lab-grown pet foods. Changing Attitudes in the Veterinary Profession will seek to shift the policies of national veterinary organisations towards greater animal welfare and more sustainable levels of meat consumption.
Accelerating behaviour change
Central to this theme is behaviour change, particularly in higher-income countries. Difficult conversations are needed. LSE’s Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science will lead pioneering research that improves understanding of human behaviour in relation to climate change and environment across areas such as lifestyle change, political opinion, acceptance of technological developments, social capital and cultural variability.
The department will contribute to accelerating climate action through its new What, How, Who initiative that will summarise the state of the art of models of human behaviour with respect to climate adaptation and mitigation and map knowledge of human behaviour to the climate policy environment.
Food (in)security Lab
Hosted by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, the Food (in)security Lab will make a step change in reducing food insecurity and improving maternal and child health and nutrition, particularly in lower-income countries.
Transformation to resilient societies
Collaborating closely with policymakers, the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment will inform effective evidence-based strategies for equitable adaptation to climate change.
Through these activities - and more - this theme contributes to the overarching mission and aspirations of GSoS. We embrace and encourage critical thinking on what kind of futures might be aspired to, and how societies can be transformed through behaviour change to achieve these futures.
Liam Delaney is Professor in Behavioural Science, Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, LSE. Elizabeth Robinson is Acting Dean of the Global School of Sustainability at LSE.
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