In 2025, the Centre for Energy Ethics – University of St Andrews and Greener Vision partnered on an exhibition and series of roundtable discussions to explore new approaches to addressing anthropogenic climate change. This report by Claire Haigh summarises the key conclusions.
The goal of limiting heating to 1.5°C is dead[i]. The 10 hottest years in history have all occurred in the last decade[ii]. However, global carbon emissions from fossil fuels hit a record high in 2025.[iii] UN Secretary General António Guterres has berated nations for their “moral failure”.
How can we approach climate policy differently? How can we prevent short-term thinking and political expediency from driving critical decision making?
The roundtable discussion series sought to address these critical questions. The series built on insights from The Tabula Project 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.
In the UK the easy wins of decarbonising the power sector have happened. Little progress has been made in sectors where people need to make changes in their lives, and the once strong political consensus is fracturing. Net zero has become a political battleground with division stoked by misinformation funded by vested interests. We urgently need a better informed, evidence-based and balanced public debate.
The roundtable discussions highlighted some key policy priorities, governance and institutional issues and tactics for engaging with the public on climate change.
A central theme of The Tabula Project is the sanctity of truth. This imperative has come into ever sharper focus with the rise in populism, where opinions are increasingly based on emotions and beliefs rather than facts.
As part of strengthening the public debate on net zero there needs to be a clearer distinction between fact and fiction in the media. We need greater transparency and democratic accountability given the considerable influence yielded in Westminster by funded interests. Policy priorities should include ensuring a fair and just transition to net zero, prioritising growth that addresses our climate and nature crises and pricing properly for carbon. The climate crisis must be treated as an emergency. We need to engage with the public through positively orientated storytelling.
Consultation will now continue with policymakers, business leaders, academics, key stakeholders and politicians from all political parties on these key areas of focus. The final report The Tabula Project: A New Perspective on Climate Policy will be published in Spring 2026.
[i] https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2025
[ii] https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature
[iii] https://globalcarbonbudget.org/fossil-fuel-co2-emissions-hit-record-high-in-2025/
