RDV sur l'Oder: Dr Antonin Pottier on the importance of a democratic and political approach to ecological change
The Rendez-Vous sur l'Oder are made possible by a collaboration between the "Pensées françaises contemporaines" programme (visiting professor Dr habil. Arnaud Lechevalier, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and PFC coordinator Dr habil. Elsa Tulmets) and the Viadrina Language Centre of the Viadrina. The guest lecture by Dr Antonin Pottier entitled " Un nouveau contrat écologique " ("A new ecological contract") will take place on Thursday, 4 July 2024 at 11 a.m. (Room: HG 217 and on Zoom). Dr Antonin Pottier will speak about the ecological transition in connection with a democratic and political approach rather than a technocratic approach. Registrations can be sent to pensees-francaises@europa-uni.de
Summary: While our time is characterised by the climate emergency, ecological change is struggling to get off the ground. There are many other economic and social emergencies, many other expectations and concerns. How can we harmonise our goals? How can we overcome our divisions? How can we act together? Antonin Pottier examines the failures of the past and recognises the same mechanism at work: pursuing a technocratic approach leads to a dead end, as in the emblematic case of the carbon tax. An excessive focus on technical measures prevents us from tackling the real challenge: the need to review and redefine the social contract. The ecological transition requires a political and democratic approach, which is the only one capable of confronting different aspirations within society and reaching mutually beneficial agreements. In his remarks, he calls for ecological change to be coordinated and for the whole of society to be involved in building a common future. Similar to a constituent process, this change of approach aims to build a new ecological contract, a social compromise that breaks down barriers between social, economic and environmental issues (Combet, Emmanuel; Pottier, Antonin (2024) Transition écologique et justice sociale. Paris : PUF).
Antonin Pottier is a lecturer at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, researcher at the International Research Centre for Environment and Development (CIRED, Paris) and at the Marc Bloch Center (CMB, Berlin). His areas of interest include the socio-economic consequences of climate change and its mitigation, the history of economic thought and its links to the environment, and the role of the economic discipline in public decision-making. In "How economists are warming the planet" (Paris: Seuil, 2016), he analysed the diagnosis of climate change made in the economic literature and the solutions proposed therein. He is currently reflecting on the interactions between social justice, inequality and emission reduction measures.
Here you can find the recording in the media portal.