Net Zero Festival: Sir David King on tomorrow's net zero world

BusinessGreen staff
clock • 1 min read

VIDEO: Former UK chief scientific advisor and now chair of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG) offers a view on what the world may look like in the coming decades as the net zero transition gathers pace

What will the world look like in 2030, 2040, and 2050, as the journey towards a net zero economy gathers pace? What will society expect and how will businesses adapt?

Sir David King, emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of Cambridge, is certainly as well-placed as anyone to attempt answers to these questions. His vast experience in international climate science and diplomacy includes a number of years advising the UK government, firstly as its chief scientific advisor, and later as the Foreign Secretary's special representative on climate change.

And, as well as chairing and directing a number of academic institutions and initiatives, King recently co-founded the Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG), which serves to act as an independent body of climate experts providing evidenced discussion, commentary and recommentations on climate policy worldwide.

At BusinessGreen's Net Zero Festival last week, King delivered - in his own words - a "severe" message in his keynote speech as he set out the scale of climate change emerging, and the efforts needed to try and combat the crisis. His speech and the interview which followed with journalist Lucy Siegle, can be watched in full above.

All of the panel debates, keynote speeches, and presentations from the Net Zero Festival - which took place over three days from 29 September 2021 featuring hundreds of top speakers from business, politics and academia - are now available to watch again on demand by signing up for free on the Net Zero Festival website.

More on Climate change

Government confirms UK emissions have fallen 53 per cent since 1990

Government confirms UK emissions have fallen 53 per cent since 1990

Emissions from agriculture exceed those from power generation for the first time, as data shows emissions are now at lowest level since the 1870s

James Murray
clock 07 February 2025 • 4 min read
UN climate chief: Decarbonisation is in every nation's economic self interest

UN climate chief: Decarbonisation is in every nation's economic self interest

UNFCCC executive secretary Simon Stiell describes climate action as 'a money-making opportunity too big to ignore' in first major speech of a crucial year for climate diplomacy

Michael Holder
clock 06 February 2025 • 5 min read
Can world football tackle its growing emissions bootprint?

Can world football tackle its growing emissions bootprint?

As the game is increasingly hit by extreme weather, new research warns its growing carbon footprint and sponsorship deals with the world's biggest emitters are only adding to the problem

clock 05 February 2025 • 8 min read