Creating a liveable future: positive action to avert climate catastrophe

Playwright Steve Waters from the University of East Anglia, researcher Ari de Fauconberg, winner of the FT's Bracken Prize for her book proposal on climate change entrepreneurs, and Ramit Debnath, Cambridge Zero's first Research Fellow, discuss how climate change activism is not just for scientists and how social entrepreneurs, writers and artists are taking action.

Steve Waters' many plays include Limehouse (2017) and Temple (2015) for the Donmar, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle for the Rose Theatre, Kingston, (2022); and for the Bush Theatre, The Contingency Plan (2009) (revived at Sheffield Theatres in 2022) and Little Platoons (2011). Steve's work for radio includes the acclaimed four-part drama Song of the Reed for Radio 4, Miriam and Youssef and Fall of the Shah for BBC World Service, and #Public Enemy, inspired by Ibsen’s play for Radio 3. He is Professor of Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia and his books include A Life in 16 Films: How Cinema Made me a Playwright (Methuen, 2021) and The Secret Life of Plays (Nick Hern Books, 2010). His plays are published by Nick Hern Books.

Ariel de Fauconberg is a Gates Cambridge Scholar and PhD student in the Organisational Theory and Information Systems group at Cambridge Judge Business School. Her research focuses on understanding the challenges that large organisations – particularly those in the oil and gas industry – face as they pursue alternative energy-related innovation. She won the 2022 Financial Times’ Bracken Prize, a prestigious award given to the best business book proposal of the year by a young writer, as determined by the Financial Times and McKinsey & Company, for her book proposal on climate change social entrepreneurship, titled Before the Dawn: Racing to net zero on the front lines of climate innovation.

The event is chaired by Emily Farnworth, Cambridge Zero Fellow and Director of the Centre for Climate Engagement. Emily is the Director of the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge. She has over 25 years of experience working with businesses, governments and non-profit organizations to support the transition to a low-carbon economy and has worked across multi-stakeholder groups and within specific industry sectors to collaborate on solutions to tackle climate change.