Skip to main content
10Feb

Can natural capital be replaced? How the weak versus strong sustainability divide will shape our common future

Hosted by the Department of Geography and Environment, the Global School of Sustainability and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
In-person and online public event (Sheikh Zayed Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building)
Tuesday 10 February 2026 6.30pm - 8pm

This event celebrates the open access publication of the 5th edition of Weak versus Strong Sustainability. First published in 1999, the book has remained a reference point in the debate on sustainable development. Eric Neumayer will discuss how the question of whether natural capital can be substituted by other forms of capital lies at the heart of the controversy.

Proponents of weak sustainability maintain this is possible, whilst followers of strong sustainability regard natural capital or at least certain critical forms of natural capital as non-substitutable. Looking at natural resource availability and economic growth and using global warming and other major environmental issues as examples, he shows how policies and solutions radically differ depending on which paradigm is more plausible.

Meet our speaker and chair

Eric Neumayer is Professor of Environment and Development at LSE in the Department of Geography and Environment, in which he served as Head of Department between 2009 and 2013. He is now LSE’s Deputy President as well as Pro Vice Chancellor (Planning and Resources).

Hyun Bang Shin (@urbancommune) is Professor of Geography and Urban Studies and the Head of the Department of Geography and Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

More about this event

The Department of Geography and Environment (@LSEGeography) is a centre of international academic excellence in economic, urban and development geography, environmental social science and climate change.

This event is part of the Department of Geography and Environment’s Sustainability Public Lecture Series.

Launched in 2025, the Global School of Sustainability at LSE (GSoS) is the centre of social science expertise for sustainability impact at LSE. We work in partnerships across the LSE community and beyond to advance pioneering sustainability research and global policy engagement.

The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment (@GRI_LSE) was established by the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2008 to create a world-leading multidisciplinary centre for policy-relevant research and training on climate change and the environment, bringing together international expertise from across LSE and beyond, including on economics, finance, geography, the environment, science, law, international relations, development and political science.

Join us on campus or register to watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live is the home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

Hashtag for this event: #LSEEvents

Any questions?

If you have a query see our Events FAQ or take a look at the information below.

You can also contact us at events@lse.ac.uk.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.

LSE holds a wide range of events, covering many of the most controversial issues of the day, and speakers at our events may express views that cause offence. The views expressed by speakers at LSE events do not reflect the position or views of the London School of Economics and Political Science.