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19May

Economics, ethics, and the role of the state in climate action

Hosted by the Global School of Sustainability
In-person and online public event (Old Theatre, Old Building)
Tuesday 19 May 2026 6.30pm - 8pm

Climate change and biodiversity loss are among the defining challenges of our time — but they also open the door to extraordinary possibility. The investments, innovation, and structural change required for climate action can unlock, particularly when combined with AI, far more dynamic and resilient paths of growth and development than anything the past has offered.

But to seize these opportunities, we need economic analysis of the dynamics of change that shows how to turn ambition into action, and ethical frameworks that recognise our different roles and responsibilities in shaping a sustainable future. We also need a fresh understanding of the role of the state — one that matches the scale and urgency of the transition ahead.

Join us as we explore how bold economic thinking, collaborative leadership, seriousness on ethics, and evidence‑based policy can turn risk into opportunity and help shape a thriving, sustainable global economy.

Meet our speaker and chair

Nicholas Stern is IG Patel Chair of Economics and Government and the inaugural Chair of the Global School of Sustainability at LSE. His book The Growth Story of the 21st Century: The Economics and Opportunity of Climate Action is published by LSE Press.

Susana Mourato is Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at LSE, where she is also Professor of Environmental Economics. She joined LSE in 2008 from Imperial College London and has held several senior leadership roles, including Head of Department of Geography and Environment (2017–2020) and Academic Director of LSE Summer School. She is an Associate of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

More about this event

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.

The Global School of Sustainability (GSoS) is the interdisciplinary centre for sustainability impact at LSE. GSoS works in partnerships to advance pioneering sustainability research, global policy engagement and world-leading educational opportunities at LSE. Grounded in LSE’s interdisciplinary excellence across the social sciences, GSoS’s global networks target the systemic challenges to sustainability embedded in the world’s economies, politics and societies.

Hashtag for this event: #LSEEvents

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