THE TABULA PROJECT: Roundtable Discussions

The Centre for Energy Ethics – University of St Andrews and Greener Vision are partnering on a series of online roundtable discussions to explore new approaches to tackling anthropogenic climate change.  

Our world is on fire.  2024 was the hottest year on record with the global average temperature reaching 1.55°C above the pre-industrial average.^[i]  

Efforts to tackle climate change are moving into a critical phase.  The imperative to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions is brought into ever sharper focus by increasing and worsening climate impacts.  UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has described extreme weather as “the new abnormal, tearing through economies, widening inequalities, undermining the world’s Sustainable Development Goals and killing people”^[ii].

The UK has a strong track record on tackling climate change.  Emissions in the UK have halved since 1990 while the economy grew by 80%. The commitment to an enhanced emissions reduction of 81% by 2035 was a welcome demonstration of UK climate leadership. However, the world must deliver drastic emissions reductions in the context of a growing populist backlash against climate policies.  The UK’s commitment to net zero is more critical than ever.

We urgently need an informed, evidence-based and balanced public debate.  The roundtable discussions focus on one of the most urgent and profound challenges facing humanity today.  As energy systems change, so will energy politics, economics and social life.  What kind of world do we envision for ourselves and for others?  How do we balance our energy demands with our concerns for anthropogenic climate change?

Experts and leading figures from across the political spectrum have been invited to make keynote contributions to the roundtable discussions. Confirmed keynote speakers include:

• The Rt Hon the Lord Deben, former Chair of the Climate Change Committee and Chair of Sancroft International
• Alex Sobel MP, Chair of the Net Zero All Party Parliamentary Group
• Graham Leadbitter MP, Shadow SNP Westminster Spokesperson for Energy & Net Zero
• Patrick Harvie MSP, former Co-Leader of the Scottish Greens and Net Zero, Constitution and External Affairs spokesperson for Scottish Greens
• Alex Mayer MP, Transport Select Committee Member
• Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader South Cambridgeshire District Council
• Fiona Howarth, Founder & Director, Octopus Electric Vehicles
• Paul Campion, CEO at TRL
• Professor Jillian Anable, Chair in Transport and Energy, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds
• Professor Glenn Lyons, Mott MacDonald Professor of Future Mobility, University of the West of England
• Professor David Begg, former UK Government Advisor & Visiting Professor at Plymouth University

Following the keynote contributions, an informed audience of experts will be invited to reflect on current approaches to the net zero transition and how their efficacy can be improved. A wider Q&A will provide the opportunity for all attendees to raise questions and contribute to the discussion.

Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on the main barriers to progress, and how can these be overcome.  How can we ensure a fair and just transition to net zero for all?  How can we harness the forces pushing forward on net zero?  How can we maximise the potential for unlocking benefits?

The roundtable discussions are part of THE TABULA PROJECT: Events Programme 2025.  The series corresponds to the three parts of The Tabula Project: Examining Thought, Clearing the Mind and Building a New Framework.

PART I: Examining Perceptions | Tuesday 14^th October 10:00-12:00 

In order to focus our minds on what matters we need first to observe our thinking.  This involves examining assumptions governing our understanding of the world, how we perceive ourselves in relation to others, and how we relate to society and the world around us. 

Our understanding of the world is influenced by prevailing paradigms. It is also limited because we are part of the world we seek to understand.

• What do you consider to be the main assumptions underpinning decision making and policy on addressing climate change?
• In your view are these assumptions fit for purpose, or do they need to be changed? If so, how and in what way?
• How might we encourage a culture where we are able to become more honest and self-aware about the rationale for decision making?

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THIS EVENT PLEASE VISIT THE REGISTATION PAGE HERE 

PART II: Clearing Obstructions | Wednesday 15^th October 10:00-12:00

Socrates once declared “The unexamined life is not worth living”.   We need to observe ourselves with a higher degree of detachment.  We are often burdened with conflicting thoughts and feelings, which hinder us – as individuals and as a society.

We need to strip away the false preconceptions and misperceptions we labour under if we are to remove the main obstacles to progress.

• What do you consider to be the main obstacles to progress on tackling climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions?
• To what extent do these obstacles stem from current thinking and approaches to policy, and how might they be overcome?
• How might we develop a more sustainable ethos that would enable a response to the climate crisis commensurate with the scale of the challenge?

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THIS EVENT PLEASE VISIT THE REGISTATION PAGE HERE 

PART III: Building a New Paradigm | Thursday 16^th October 10:00-12:00

Art can be a window into higher awareness. Patterns can be a means of expressing the inexpressible, where verbal communication fails. There are fundamental principles about the way things work. These principles can be captured in patterns.

We need a radical realignment of how we perceive ourselves in relation to each other and the environment on which we depend.

• “We need a radical transformation of our relationship with the environment on which we depend”. Do you agree with this statement?
• How might we foster wider recognition and understanding of our fundamental interdependence with each other and the biosphere?
• What do you consider to be the building blocks of a new paradigm that would equip us to rise to our serious social, environmental and systemic challenges?

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THIS EVENT PLEASE VISIT THE REGISTATION PAGE HERE 

The Tabula Project is a 30-year creative endeavour that started with the assumption that we won’t solve our most intractable problems with the same thinking that created them. The paintings depict states of consciousness and thought, and fundamental questions of our existence are explored in the workshops.

Greener Vision applies insights from The Tabula Project to the challenge of tackling climate change.   Our thinking needs to evolve if we are to rise to the climate crisis.  By examining current thought patterns and clearing away the main obstacles to progress we can begin the work of building a new paradigm.

[i] https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/wmo-confirms-2024-warmest-year-record-about-155degc-above-pre-industrial-level

[ii] https://www.climatechangenews.com/2024/07/25/un-chief-appeals-for-global-action-to-tackle-deadly-extreme-heat/