Combatting Climate Change — where do we go next?
Ever wondered what more you could do for the planet, other than switching off the lights, and avoiding buying plastic? Do you have a passion for the environment, perhaps studying life sciences, politics, technology, and wish to act against climate change? Perhaps you’re considering studying Sustainable Development or a similar topic at university and wish to know what skills are needed to work in the sustainability field, then this talk is for you!
The discussion covered a wide spectrum on the theme of “Climate Change”. From what action do we need to take as individuals and as a whole? To what is the role of corporates, governments, NGOs? Do you think people movements such as Extinction Rebellion are helping to contribute to the cause or hindering it? And is “greenwashing” increasingly prevalent and how to see through it? We live in a society that is increasingly more reliant on technology: what role can technology play in combatting and creating a Net Zero society?
Penelope Guarnay
Penelope Guarnay has led sustainable business programmes since 2005, specialising in environmental sustainability across telecommunications, real estate, food and clothing retail industries. Her work has spanned M&S and BT’s carbon targets, including BT’s recent 2030 Net Zero target. During her time at Marks & Spencer’s she worked on delivering the ground breaking sustainability programme, Plan A (because there is no Plan B for the one world we have). She was a founding board director of the UK Energy Managers Association, and has worked with international NGOs such as WBCSD and The Climate Group to drive policies to address the climate crisis. More recently she established PAN Sustainability in order to support organisations across society and the economy to deliver sustainable change and this year was invited by Cambridge University to be a tutor for their postgraduate courses in Sustainability.