Professor Julia Steinberger participated online in the GreenPaths Conference and delivered a keynote speech addressing the current obstacles to a just green transition, while also highlighting the opportunities to keep the transition moving forward. The theme of her presentation was “Making light in dark times”. Her contribution addressed several pressing issues:
A challenging global context
- The rise of authoritarian and fascist movements.
- Increasing corporate influence over politics and academia.
- Deregulation and competitive pressures leading to rollbacks in climate and social progress, as highlighted in the Draghi Report.
- Economic insecurity fueling far-right ideologies.
Emerging ideologies and technologies
Julia also explored the rise of new narratives around cryptocurrencies, “network states,” and artificial intelligence, warning that these are often framed in ways that undermine human and environmental values.
Recommendations for action
To counter these trends and keep the transition moving forward, she proposed four key strategies:
- Cultivate informed anger by redirecting public frustration away from scapegoated groups such as migrants or women, and toward the structural causes of injustice.
- Organise collectively, activating cooperative and egalitarian capacities.
- Develop a holistic and positive vision of how to live well within planetary boundaries.
- Popularise the history of corporate and industrial influence through accessible formats that engage wider audiences.
Her keynote was well received and sparked meaningful dialogue on how to navigate the complexities of today’s political and ecological landscape while keeping hope and action alive.
In the following video, you can watch the whole speech. Enjoy!