Bayes experts ready to bring their research and experience to bear as COP28 gets underway
Bayes academics have been researching a breadth of issues around climate change so are well-placed to observe events and agreements around COP28 with an informed eye.
Here are some of the areas of research and field experience our experts have been working on.
Dr. Lucrezia Nava, Lecturer in Corporate Social Responsibility
Dr. Nava has been a partner in a EU Horizon-funded research project which confirms that carbon dioxide removals, while fundamental to reach net zero emission goals, will not save the planet and humanity from the impact of climate change.
We still need to make major changes to production and consumption patterns, she says, in order for carbon capturing technologies and practices to be effective without compromising other planetary boundaries like biodiversity and land use.
Climate change is pushing farmers in the Global South towards short-term oriented choices that further increase their vulnerability, another study involving Dr. Nava suggests.
She studied over 3000 Brazilian cocoa farmers whose land has been devastated by climate change but choose short-term solutions, especially further deforesting the region to sell timber and make space for cattle farming, despite acknowledging this change will make their land even more vulnerable to climate change in just a few years.
Professor Bobby Banerjee, Professor of Management
Each year the COP carbon footprint increases while vested corporate interests – including oil and gas producers – tighten their grip on policymakers.
He has attended four COPs, including last year’s, and believe they achieve little – not one has called for the phasing out of fossil fuels.
Professor Banerjee has written about the ‘squabbling’ by wealthier nations over reparations and other funding to the low and medium income countries who have often contributed least to climate change but are the worst affected.
Dr Itziar Castello-Molina, Reader in Corporate Social Responsibility
UN has failed to deliver on promises that COP events will be inclusive.
Research starting during COP26 in 2021 revealed that dis-engagement in climate change can be the consequence of mismanagement of the communication on inclusion in COPs.
Dr Angela Gallo, Senior Lecturer in Finance
Dr Gallo has researched and written about why investment funds such as pension schemes – rather than banks – are key to financing the transition to net zero.
However, they are very sensitive to changes in the political and regulating environment – notably the American electoral cycle.
Dr Ioannis Moutzouris Dean for Engagement, Onassis Senior Lecturer in Shipping Finance and Analytics
Financing the decarbonisation of shipping (which accounts for 3% of greenhouse gas emissions) – he is hosting a panel discussion at Bayes on Monday 4 December. This will include discussion of his recent research.