A cartoon of a woman riding her bike on top of the world with a city scape and a wind turbine behind her. The text overlay reads: London Climate Change Festival

** This event has been cancelled due to COVID-19**

The London Climate Change Festival will take place at Charing Cross Theatre London from Monday 23rd March until Saturday 16th May 2020, in conjunction with the London transfer of Christopher Durang’s hit Off-Broadway play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike starring two-time Olivier Award winner Janie Dee and directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie.

Contributors from the arts, science and business will come together before and after performances to talk, entertain and explore ways to live in better harmony with our planet. The Festival will inform, inspire and offer both hope and guidance on how to live a plastic and carbon-free life. It will bring focus on the need for immediate change in how we live on this planet.

Imperial involvement

Speakers from Imperial and the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment will be amongst the speakers at the festival. Talks available to book include:

Climate change on our blue world: past, present and future | Dr Matthew Genge

17.00, 24 March | Tickets: £4 + booking fee

Climate change is nothing new, our planet’s climate has changed continually throughout its long history from freezing ice ages to periods of searing deserts. Why then should we be concerned about the changes that are occurring now? The answer lies in the history of our planet. It reveals the unprecedented scale of the changes that each and every one of us are beginning to see with our own eyes. In this talk planetary scientist and geologist, Matt Genge will take us on a journey through deep time to show how the world’s climate system has changed in the past. 

What can we do to tackle climate change and how can climate action make our lives better? | Dr Neil Jennings

17.00, 25 March | Tickets: £4 + booking fee

What needs to happen to avoid the worst consequences of climate change and what role can different parts of society play in the transition to a lower-carbon future? This presentation considers the multiple benefits of climate action – how reducing carbon emissions can improve public health, reduce NHS costs, grow the low-carbon jobs market and reduce poverty and inequality. It combines these themes by emphasising the agency that individuals have to make a difference on climate change while showing the personal and societal benefits that result from climate action.

Melting Minds: Does climate change impact mental health? | Dr Emma Lawrance

17.00, 8 April | Tickets: £4 + booking fee

Climate change has growing implications for every aspect of our society, but health impacts have only recently received significant attention. As more people witness the effects of the changing climate on their homes, communities and environments, or learn about future scenarios, more people are speaking out about the emotional and psychological toll. How does awareness of the climate crisis impact our mental health, and what can we do about it? Join Emma to discuss all things climate change and mental health – she promises no mind melting!

Limiting warming to 1.5°C – a matter of societal will, not science | Dr Joeri Rogelj

17.00, 15 April | Tickets: £4 + booking fee

Climate impacts are hitting home, with weather and climate extremes breaking records every consecutive year. If we continue to pollute the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, these impacts are projected to only increase with detrimental effects for people and nature. The urgency to act is clear. In this talk, we take a look at the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C to understand what science tells us about where we are, what climate impacts we expect, and what we can do to respond to the global climate change challenge.

Tackling climate change, and much more, through urban design | Dr Audrey de Nazelle

17.00, 6 May | Tickets: £4 + booking fee

Strategies are clearly needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change but the way we address this problem matters. Dr Audrey de Nazelle will present evidence on the benefits and co-benefits of different types of urban policies that tackle climate change while simultaneously addressing some of our greatest urban health challenges such as air pollution. Audrey will make the case for holistic approaches to urban policy decision making through urban planning and design strategies that help create a thriving, healthy, equal, creative, sustainable and resilient society.

Please note this is not an Imperial College London event and talks must be booked in advance via the links above.