The Green Recovery On Trial
Net zero, nature positive, or tackling inequality only become a reality when we start to change the rules governing our economies.
“Net zero, nature positive, or tackling inequality only become a reality when we start to change the rules governing our economies...”
Since the crisis of COVID-19 emerged, governments and businesses have promised young voters to ‘build back better’. Two years on, and the evidence on the ground is mixed. The Green Recovery agenda has prompted some innovative solutions and new ambition on the part of some of the world’s largest businesses and governments. But beyond a sprinkling of stimulus and pledges, what deeper economic and system wide changes are underway?
Post COP26, we are inviting five of the world’s leading experts on inclusive green economic transitions to give us their ‘witness statements’ on the status of the Green Recovery. Each expert will provide a different perspective on the Green Recovery agenda including nature; jobs; poverty; finance; and governance.
The ‘jury’ will be made up of representatives from youth networks from around the world including #FridaysForFuture and Global Youth Action Network. The youth jury will have the chance to ask our expert witnesses their questions, and then decide on their own verdict as to whether the Green Recovery is happening.
The trial will be chaired by financial journalist, ex-CNBC, Nozipho Tshabalala, and will be live streamed to a global audiences.
Our witnesses include:
Brian O’Callaghan - Brian O'Callaghan is Lead Researcher and Project Manager of the Oxford University Economic Recovery Project, which monitors and advises on government investment to achieve a sustainable recovery from the pandemic. He is also a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Kumi Naidoo - A life-long social justice campaigner from South Africa, Kumi Naidoo was the International Executive Director of Greenpeace International (2009-16) and Secretary General of Amnesty International (2018-20).
Alice Ruhweza - An expert in International Development and Sustainability, Alice is a systems theorist, UN International Gender Champion, and current Africa Region Director for WWF International.
Alison Tate - Director of Economic and Social Policy of the global labour union peak body, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Alison has worked across economics, international trade and investment, social policy, human and trade unions rights, sustainable development, climate and migration.
Benoît Lallemand - Secretary General of Finance Watch, Benoît spent more than 10 years in the financial sector before joining the association upon its creation after the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Finance Watch aims at reshaping the financial system to make it serve a green and just transition.
Tamanna Sengupta - Tamanna is a climate researcher and educator focusing on simplifying the science of climate change for a wider audience. She is a Fridays for Future India volunteer and works with the communications team at Greenpeace India.
Nalin Singh - South African student of Water Science, Policy and Management at Oxford, former volunteer researcher at environmental justice non-profit, groundWork, on water environmental justice issues in South Africa.
Noah Herfort - Co-founder of Climate Vanguard, a youth-led think tank that educates young people on the systemic drivers of climate chaos and advances the radical solutions necessary to arrest climate breakdown.
Lina Yassin - Lina is a Sudanese climate journalist and activist, a Masters student in environmental change and management at the University of Oxford, and the Operations Manager at Climate Tracker.
Yifan Ping - Born and raised in Jiangsu, China and educated in the US, currently studying anthropology and sociology with a focus on education in developing countries, diaspora and immigration.
Divya Thakur - Trained as a mechanical engineer in Delhi, India, now studies business and management at HEC Paris.
The trial is taking place on Day 4 of the Green Economy Coalition’s Global Meeting 2021.
