Fixing the climate: Strategies for an uncertain world

Can the world meet the challenge of climate change? The reality is that despite more than three decades of global climate diplomacy efforts, a meaningful consensus about which concerted strategies work best in response to the crisis remains elusive. All the while, the likelihood of crossing the 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels threshold in the next five years is steadily rising, and the national and international security risks induced by the crisis are multiplying.

In their visionary book “Fixing the Climate,” Charles F. Sabel and David G. Victor argue that we cannot meet the stark challenges before us through top-down global treaties. Instead, they propose a new climate regime — an experimental set of strategies evolved from the foundations of the Paris Agreement — in which the profound transformations needed to reduce global emissions arise locally.

On December 14, the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology and the Energy Security and Climate Initiative held a moderated conversation with David G. Victor to discuss “Fixing the Climate” and how its proposed strategies can prepare us to respond to climate change-related impacts on security.

Viewers can submit questions via email to events@brookings.edu or via Twitter at @BrookingsFP using #FixingTheClimate.

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