Simon Sharpe presents his new book ‘Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change’, in conversation with Professor Eric Beinhocker, Dr Nicola Ranger, and Professor Cameron Hepburn.
Five Times Faster is the inside story from Simon Sharpe, who has spent a decade at the forefront of climate policy and diplomacy. Limiting warming to 1.5°C means decarbonizing the global economy five times faster this decade than we managed over the last two decades. Yet, in our fight to avoid climate breakdown, science is pulling its punches, diplomacy is picking the wrong battles, and economics has been fighting for the other side. This provocative and engaging book sets out how we should rethink our strategies and reorganise our efforts in the fields of science, economics, and diplomacy, so that we can act fast enough to stay safe.

About the Speaker:

Simon Sharpe is Director of Economics for the Climate Champions Team and a Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute. He designed and led flagship international campaigns of the UK’s Presidency of the UN climate change talks (COP 26) in 2020–2021; worked as the head of private office to a minister of energy and climate change in the UK Government; and has served on diplomatic postings in China and India. He has published influential academic papers and created groundbreaking international initiatives in climate change risk assessment, economics, policy, and diplomacy.

Format:

Simon will present his new book, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

Panelists:

Prof Eric Beinhocker

Eric is a Professor of Public Policy Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. He is also the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the University’s Oxford Martin School.

Dr Nicola Ranger

Nicola leads the Resilience and International Development Programme of the Environmental Change Institute. She is also Executive Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Systemic Resilience and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking of the Oxford Martin School.

Prof Cameron Hepburn

Cameron is an economist with expertise in energy, resources and the environment. He is Professor of environmental economics at the University of Oxford, based at the Smith School and the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, and is also Professorial Research Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics and a Fellow at New College, Oxford.