Social dimensions to law and the role of media: An Exploration of climate change

A worldwide audience from 46 countries representing 96 universities, were in for a treat at the seventh Stockholm Explorative Talks webinar for 2021 – ‘Taking Climate Change to Court?: Law as a Driving Force for the Climate.’

The discussion drew upon the diverse academic experiences of the Explorers – Jutta Brunnée (Environmental Law), Aku Kwamie (Health Systems Governance), Marcus Nakagawa (Sustainability), Anne Kaun (Media and Communication Studies) and Christine Gangelhoff (Music Studies), and explored various facets of the most important issue of our time – climate change.

The exploration revolved around different key points such as – the existence of law within the framework of societal practices, lack of social consensus characterizing collective decision-making against climate change, the need to be cognizant of different belief systems regarding the climate, and awareness of inequalities in the lived realities of people while introducing climate change legislation.

Further, the exploration shone a light on the importance of communicating climate change in ‘real’, ‘visible’ terms, and the influential role that media plays to this end in mobilizing public opinion. Conversely, the carbon footprint of media channels and the resources that media streaming consumes were also discussed.

The Exploration ended on an urgent yet optimistic note, with emphasis on empowering ‘the everyday’ and ‘the individual’ for climate justice to truly bring about change.

Stockholm Explorative Talks will be going on a short winter break for now, but we’re back on 23 February 2022 – this time with a brand-new collaboration with the Next Einstein Forum!

Check out our event calendar and join us in exploring the future together!

Jutta Brunnée teaches and researches in the areas of Public International Law, International Environmental Law, and International Legal Theory. Her current research agenda explores the role of international legality and legal practices in mediating between stability and change in international law.

Aku Kwamie is a health systems researcher. Her work focuses on applying complexity theory to health systems governance, management and leadership. She is particularly interested in district health systems, as well as learning and mentorship in health policy and systems research (HPSR).

Marcus Nakagawa is an expert in the intersectional field of social entrepreneurship and sustainability. His research focuses on issues of ethics, socio-environmental responsibility, social entrepreneurship, business administration, third sector and entrepreneurship.

Anne Kaun researches and teaches in the field of media and communication studies. Her academic interests include media theory, mediated temporalities, algorithmic culture, automation, and artificial intelligence from a humanistic social science perspective.

Christine Gangelhoff is a researcher in music, specializing in classical, folk, and popular art forms. A trained flutist, she has performed both as a soloist and with chamber ensembles and orchestras in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Europe.