Reducing population and consumption: is this the answer to climate change?

24th Mar 2014 18:30 – 00:00

University Enterprise Lecture to explore impact of population and consumption on climate change

An environmental expert explores the relationship between population growth, consumption and climate change during an Enterprise Lecture at the University of Winchester.

Reducing population and consumption: is this the answer to climate change? is being hosted by the University in partnership with Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC), a charity founded in 2007 with the aim of transforming the city into a low carbon district. The lecture forms part of a series of events looking at how climate change might be tackled.

Speaker Dr David Knight has taught a wide range of subjects in the life and medical sciences for more than 40 years and has been a research associate at Cambridge and Oxford. He is a thought-leader in the debate on climate change and the impact of growth in the global population and in individual consumption.

Dr Knight addresses these issues in his lecture and discusses ways to tackle the impact on the environment.

“I’d like to encourage debate about whether a combination of cutting how much we consume and reducing population growth could help prevent dangerous climate change,” said Dr Knight.

Christine Holloway, Executive Director of local climate charity WinACC, said: “WinACC aims to cut the carbon footprint of the district by influencing local residents and policy-makers. Population is an emotional issue, so we thought it important to look at it carefully. This event is part of our policy-making process.”

In 2013, the University of Winchester won the Blake Lapthorn Sustainability Award at the Hampshire Business Awards, Carbon Smart Gold certificate and Winchester City Council’s Carbon Smart Business of the Year.

“The University takes environmental sustainability very seriously and has made great strides towards reducing its carbon footprint in a number of ways, including reducing consumption of water and power,” commented Trish Kernan, organiser of the Enterprise Lecture series and Business Development Manager at the University of Winchester. “We wholeheartedly support the aims of WinACC and are delighted to partner with them to present another topic in their climate change series.”

The Enterprise Lecture, Reducing population and consumption: is this the answer to climate change?, takes place at 6.30pm on Monday 24 March at The Stripe, King Alfred Campus, University of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester, Hampshire SO22 4NR.

For further information or to book a place at this Enterprise Lecture, please visit www.winchester.ac.uk/store View this event on the EAUC website →