University of Westminster brings together key figures to explore feminist climate policy

Westminster's Centre for the Study of the Production of the Built Environment (ProBE) hosted a panel discussion to explore feminist climate policy, which brought together academics, politicians, environmental activists and unions to discuss the reframing of climate change issues from a feminist perspective.

ProBE welcomed guests from academia and beyond to the University's Marylebone Campus for a panel event following the book launch of Feminist Climate Policy in Industrialised States: A Gender Just Climate Emergency Response. ProBE is a cross-school research centre between Westminster Business School (WBS), the School of Architecture + Cities (A+C) and the School of Social Sciences, with the aim of finding innovative ways to construct a just, inclusive and sustainable society through the social, historical and environmental processes involved in producing the built environment.

The event began with a welcome and introduction from Kate Cheyne, Head of the University's School of Architecture + Cities. This was followed by a series of talks from the panellists and a Q&A discussion chaired by Dr Rosa Schiano-Phan, Reader in Architecture and Environmental Design at Westminster and Co-Director of ProBE.

The session started with an introduction by researcher Susan Buckingham, who gave a summary of her research on Feminist Climate Policy. Susan highlighted that, as the climate emergency intensifies, the grip of fossil fuel and techno-feudalism tightens, inequality deepens, and populist right-wing governments increase, the world needs a very different kind of leadership at all levels, reflected in policies and practices that prioritise the most disadvantaged people and other-than-human nature.

The panel began with an overview of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by Professor Karen Morrow, Hilary Rodham Clinton Professor of Environmental Law at Swansea University, who spoke about the role of intersectionality in climate justice. Baroness Natalie Bennett, Member of House of Lords and former leader of the Green Party, then discussed the need for systemic change to resolve problems debated on the political forum for hundreds of years.

Suzanne Jeffrey and Michelle Singleton, union representatives from the National Education Union (NEU) and UNISON, one of the UK's largest trade unions, spoke about the role of education at all levels and climate change being a working-class issue, as it affects the most vulnerable and underrepresented. Zarina Ahmed from the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) then addressed the issue of underrepresentation of marginalised women and the development of a sense of agency as the focus for WEN's Climate Sisters initiative, which aims to amplify the voices of marginalised women in climate justice discussions.

Concluding the presentations were Westminster colleagues Professor Emerita Linda Clarke, Founding Director of ProBE, and Research Associate Dr Coralie Guedes, who argued that women need to be involved in decision-making organisations and that green construction policy needs to be transformed by an inclusive ground-up, rather than just top-down, approach. They shared that addressing climate change cannot be achieved through traditional male institutions, embodying exclusiveness and perpetuating inequality, and transformational goals are best achieved through women forming networks of support and joining unions.

The audience then had the chance to ask the panel questions that spanned intersectional representation, societal bias, system change, masculinity and the feminisation of AI. Panellists also offered international examples of current initiatives and feminist leadership.

The event ended with thanks to those involved, before attendees participated in a networking session and drinks reception.

About the event Dr Schiano-Phan said: "The Feminist Climate Policy panel discussion was a great success - well attended and rich in thought-provoking dialogue. A highlight of the event was the all-female, diverse panel, whose perspectives brought depth and urgency to the conversation. Both the Q&A and the networking session sparked compelling discussions, ranging from social and climate justice to the need for a feminist approach to politics and governance - an essential alternative to the masculine paradigm that has long dominated our world."

This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5: Gender Equality and 13: Climate Action. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Find out more about studying Construction, Surveying and Real Estate at the University of Westminster.

Learn about the University's institutional commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

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