Net Zero Festival: Alex Steffen on why the climate crisis isn't taken seriously enough

BusinessGreen staff
clock • 1 min read

VIDEO: Veteran climate futurist argues 'the world we have built is no longer suited to planet we've made' at BusinessGreen's Net Zero Festival

Influential US commentator and writer Alex Steffen boasts a long an career in sustainability, social innovation and design, in addition to several years reporting on the interlinked climate and environmental crises.

He describes himself as a "veteran climate futurist", and his work on cities and ubanisation in particular has been widely acclaimed and highly influential, having been arguing the importance of sustianable cities to delivering a sustainable society since the mid-1990s. He is currently working on his latest book on the need to accelerate climate action - The Snap Forward - which is based on his newsletter of the same name.

At BusinessGreen's Net Zero Festival last week, Steffen delivered a fascinating lecture on how he views the climate and environmental crises, and the pathway forward for the global economy. The climate crisis, he argued, is not taken seriously enough, even by people working in sustainability, as there is a failure to fully grasp the wide-ranging, all-encompassing risks and opportunities it presents to society. His speech can be watched in full above.

All of the panel debates, keynote speeches, and presentations from the Net Zero Festival - which took place over three days from 29 September 2021 featuring hundreds of top speakers from business, politics and academia - are now available to watch again on demand by signing up for free on the Net Zero Festival website.

More on Climate change

UN climate chief warns there are 'two years to save the world'

UN climate chief warns there are 'two years to save the world'

Simon Stiell acknowledges warning may sound 'melodramatic', but insists time is running out to avoid catastrophic climate impacts

James Murray
clock 10 April 2024 • 6 min read
Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa industry preps for an era of escalating climate impacts

Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa industry preps for an era of escalating climate impacts

BusinessGreen reports from Côte d’Ivoire, where cocoa farmers and traders are racing to comply with EU deforestation legislation, as climate change wreaks havoc on the harvest

Cecilia Keating
clock 10 April 2024 • 12 min read
Climate groups hail 'monumental' victory in European human rights legal ruling

Climate groups hail 'monumental' victory in European human rights legal ruling

European Court of Human Rights rules against Swiss government in landmark climate case brought by group of 2,000 women

Michael Holder
clock 09 April 2024 • 5 min read