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Rethinking Freedom, Justice and Democracy in an Age of Climate Change
Hosted by the Focal Topic: Justice in Sustainability and ClimAct, Research Institute for Sustainability, Helmholtz Center, Potsdam
On the eve of the 28th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Dubai, against the background of record-breaking heat, extreme weather and their associated socio-economic impacts, we invite you to a workshop where we explore how principles of freedom, justice and democracy are shaping (or are failing to shape) climate policy and governance, and how ever-advancing climate change is forcing governments and citizens to reconsider how they uphold these principles and values. In the German context, the Federal Constitutional Court decided in a 2021 landmark ruling that climate change endangers the freedoms of future generations – and therefore needs to be addressed with more ambitious climate law and policy today. Yet concrete climate policy proposals can and often do collide with citizen’s demands for their individual, present-day freedoms – as in the case of the German heating law and proposals for speed limits on the Autobahn. We also witness an increase in climate activism- in the German context most vividly expressed by the Letzte Generation protests. A general overarching question that arises in the foregoing context is: What does all of this collectively imply for freedom, justice and democracy in relation to the broader public, particularly vulnerable sectors of society, non-humans and future generations? More specifically: In what ways do our democratic practices and institutions need to evolve to confront the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change? What are appropriate and effective responses to the rise of possible left and right-wing populism and the threats it poses to both democracy and climate action? What needs to be achieved at the global level to support freedom and justice for poorer nations who bear the brunt of climate impacts? How are courts and other governance actors, in Germany and elsewhere, stepping up to protect fundamental rights, freedoms and democratic values that are impacted by climate change? We invite you to join us in a lively dialogue on some of the big ideas needed to confront the big challenges of our time that will be led by an invited group of leading voices in climate law, policy and governance. We will send further details about the speakers in due course. We will take the lessons we learn during the day with us to the 28th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Dubai to inform and guide our outreach activities during this key meeting.
Date: Tuesday 28 November 2023
Venue: WIS Bildungsforum, Potsdam
Registration: We have limited capacity for 20 participants and registrations are on a first come, first served basis. Please register by Monday 13 November.
Contact: Please direct all queries to: louis.jacobus.kotze@rifs-potsdam.de.
Events & Sustainability
To reduce the environmental impact of our events as far as possible, we consider sustainability aspects during all stages of the organization. You can find more information here.
Event location
Bildungsforum PotsdamWissenschaftsetage
Am Kanal 47
14467 Potsdam
Deutschland
Coordinates (lat, long):
52.406158, 13.073257
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Notes
How to get to the Wissenschaftsetage by public transport
Stop "Platz der Einheit/ Bildungsforum"Tram Linie 93
Tram Linie 94
Tram Linie 99
Bus 692
more information: www.swp-potsdam.de/de/verkehr