"Measures have been taken to mitigate climate change, but we must do more and faster"

20/09/2019

On 18 September, the UAB officially inaugurated the 2019/20 academic year, with the issue of climate change being the focus of the university's annual festival and other dissemination and awareness-raising activities. Mercedes Pardo-Buendía, lecturer in sociology at the University Carlos III of Madrid, gave the opening lecture at the inauguration of the new academic year, which took place at the Rectorat building. Her conference was entitled "Cambio climático: entre el colapso y la metamorfosis social. Perspectiva sociológica" [Climate Change: between collapse and social metamorphosis. A Sociological Perspective].

What social changes are appearing now due to climate change and what do they represent for the future?

Important changes we are already beginning to see. For example, the pass from dirty production with fossil fuels, generating residues and not taking into account environmental impacts, to a clean production based on the use of renewable energies, recovery of residues and the control of emissions. There will also be a change in mobility in the cities, which are highly important actors in climate change. In twenty years, we will have beautiful, clean cities full of fresh air, with less cars and more public spaces.

Tell me about the concepts of environmental justice and climate justice.

Environmental justice began in the United States. In a country in which there are very important environmental policies, it was frustrating to see how toxic and dangerous residue was being dumped in the poorest areas. President Bill Clinton developed a specific legislation which obliged the Environmental Protection Agency to assess any measure taken and guarantee it did not generate more social injustice or inequality. In the case of climate justice, for example, Bolivia's president Evo Morales reflected on the fact that "now you want us to stop emitting gases, but you have been spreading greenhouse gases into the environment for the past 150 years". We must therefore observe the distribution of responsibilities and commitments. It is a central issue to the global climate negotiations.

The type of political debate taking place now in Spain and the rest of the world is very much focused on the short term and does not favour finding long-term measures. Is this also affecting the fight against climate change?

Yes. Politicians must face their voters every four years and climate change is a problem that forces them to look 100 years into the future. But at the same time, as society becomes more aware of these problems, they will need to answer these questions as well. There are cases in which politicians are leading the way: in Germany, Angela Merkel's government has made very important long-term decisions in relation to energy consumption, such as dismantling nuclear power plants. There, the green party is strong within the government and society is highly aware of these problems. Politicians respond to their social base and this interaction must be worked on.

Are climate change deniers an extravagant minority or can they become a serious threat?

Scientific deniers have gone down significantly in numbers because after being investigated it was discovered that there were severe methodological errors and that they were being funded to a great extent by oil companies interested in denying climate change. Today only a marginal number of these scientists exist. There is even the case of a physicist at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the leaders of the denial movement, who wrote an article in The New York Times acknowledging that he was wrong and that climate change was occurring due to human causes.

Are citizens responding better to the challenge of climate change?  Is there an evolution in the ways we transport ourselves, consume, recycle, etc.?

There are impressive social movements, especially by young people, which is wonderful. But the process is very slow. Recycling is one of the issues that has spread most among society and people respond, even though the recycling system and infrastructure can obviously be improved. And we are slowly moving away cars. But we still need people to connect their daily lives with all that is related to climate change. It is still seen as something that will happen in the future and that is not related to what it means to get up every morning, take a shower, go to work, eat and do or stop doing a certain series of things, etc.

What does sociology provide for the knowledge on climate change and its consequences?

The reports made by climatologists and natural scientists, in addition to calculating the biophysical effects, talk about what can be done at a social level and these seem a bit naïve. Society does not function based on good reasons: it will not change automatically simply because of climate change. There are rules, cultures, different experiences depending on the country. What sociology provides is precisely the ability to understand these processes better and offer clues in identifying social barriers and opportunities for change.

Are contributions from the academic field being taken into account, or is there a disconnection between the scientific community and society?

It is being listened to now more than ever, in general. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change brings together more than 2,500 scientists and has been working since 1990; its fourth and fifth reports were based on the global political debates conducted with the aim of reaching decisions such as the Paris Agreement in 2015. At a more local level, in Spain or Catalonia there are more difficulties because scientists here have not yet left the ivory tower. Universities are historically based on education and research, but they must also focus on the praxis of social transformation. It is our responsibility.

It is impossible to predict the future, but what do you think will happen in the next few years?

We are working with models, different scenarios, but what the climate will be like in the future is a mystery. We do know what has already happened: an increase in temperature, a rise in sea level and melting icecaps are obviously dangerous and concerning events. But all of this also depends on what we do in the future. There have already been some changes. The European Union has set a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and 85% or 90% reduction in 2050, and aims to reach 27% in renewable energy consumption by 2030. There are many examples, such as in Navarra where electricity is produced almost 100% by wind power, and there are many other cities which have begun to produce their own energy. Things are happening, but we must do more and faster. Speed is a key factor here. Our planet will be affected, there is no doubt about that. But I am optimistic about our ability to reverse some of these things.