Konference 2023: Climate change – collateral damage of military spending

Årets internationale Transform konference har temaet Climate change – collateral damage of military spending.

Tid: Lørdag d. 11. marts kl. 9:30-18:00
Sted: 3F København, Peter Ipsens Alle 27, 2400 København NV
Det er slående, hvor lidt klimakrisen fylder i de aktuelle politiske prioriteringer – sammenlignet med de hurtige og resolutte handlinger i forbindelse med Covid 19 i foråret 2020, og sammenlignet med den hurtige beslutningstagning efter Putins angreb på Ukraine med enorme summer afsat til militærudgifter.
Det mest radikale “grønne” skridt, der påvirker klimaændringer og grøn omstilling, var beslutningen om at skære ned på importen af gas fra Rusland. Men det var tæt forbundet med sanktionerne mod Rusland og førte desuden til en stigning i produktionen af gas og kul i Europa, samt en EU-beslutning om at fremme atomkraft og naturgas som “grøn” energi.

Konferencen foregår på engelsk.
Det vil være muligt at deltage via Zoom.

Programmet vil løbende blive offentliggjort her på siden.

English below

It is striking how little the climate crisis weighs in the political priorities of today’s governments and politicians – compared to their fast and resolute actions around Covid 19 in the spring of 2020, and likewise the speedy decision-making after Putin’s attack on Ukraine with huge sums of money allocated to military spending.
The most radical “green” step, affecting climate change and green transformation, was the decision to cut importation of gas from Russia. But then this was closely related to the sanctioning of Russia and besides it led to an increase in the production of gas and coal in Europe, as well as an EU decision to promote nuclear power and natural gas as “green” energy.

Organizers:  Transform!Danmark – in cooperation with transform!europe, Global Aktion, NOAH – Friends of the Earth, Solidaritet, Kritisk Revy, Den Grønne Ungdomsbevægelse (Green Youth Movement), Enhedslisten/Red-Green Alliance, and others.

Registration: kontakt@transformdanmark.dk
Reg. fee for physical participation: 100 DKK to  5301-0000268457

Programme

See full programme text here

9:30 Registration and coffee/tea
10:00: Welcome

Session 1: Global considerations

10:20-11:00: Jeremy Scahill – USA, investigative journalist on national security and US military international affairs, writer, co-founder and co-editor of The Intercept and books such as Dirty Wars and Blackwater
The War Party: From Bush to Obama and Trump to Biden, the doctrine of “American Exceptionalism” is undermining global security and threatening the planet.”
Read Jeremy Schahil: The disturbing groupthink over the war in Ukraine

11:00-11:40: Kuupik Kleist, Greenland, Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) politician, former Chairperson IA and MP (Danish Parliament and Greenland Parliament), former Prime Minister Greenland, currently IIC (Inuit Circumpolar Conference) Vice-Chair and President IIC Greenland
Consequences of climate change in Greenland and increasing international conflict in the Arctic area”

11:55-12:45 Questions and debate.

12:45-13:45 Lunch

13:45-16:00: Parallel sessions:
Session 2) EU/Europe in a time of war and crisis
Session 3) The impact of economic growth on climate change and systemic alternatives. The role of degrowth – is there such a thing as sustainable green growth? Follow-up debate from 2022.

Session 2: EU/Europe in a time of war and crisis: EU/European rearmament and “green” adaptation to sanctions against Russia and the effects on climate change. The response of left parties and the climate/environmental movement.

13:45–14:15: Niamh Aine Ni Bhriain, Ireland – Transnational Institute, War and Pacification Programme:
Militarism in Europe on the rise but at what cost? “
See slides here: European Militarism – At What Cost

14:15–14:45: Katerina Anastasiou – transform!europe, facilitator of the chapters Migration and Global Strategy

14:45-15:15: Marc Botenga (online), Workers’ Party of Belgium, MEP, THE LEFT in EP
Avoiding a race to arms: reconsidering EU defence policy”

Session 3:  The impact of economic growth on climate change and systemic alternatives. The role of degrowth – is there such a thing as sustainable green growth ? Follow-up debate from 2022.

13:45–14:15:Andrea Vetter (online), Germany – Transformation researcher, activist, journalist

14:15 – 14:45:Luis González Reyes (online), Spain – Ecologistas en acción
The green growth proposal is sustained under three premises: the development of renewable energies is capable of substituting all the benefits of fossil fuels, the dematerialization of the economy and technological development as the central solution to the challenges….
See slides here: The role of degrowth – is there such a thing as sustainable green growth?

16:00-16:15: Coffee break

16:15 – 17:00: Workshops/group discussion

17:00-18:00: Panel conclusion and short round-up

Moderator
Vibeke Syppli Enrum, activist, Red-Green Alliance, Denmark, ExBoard member of the European Left

See background articles for the conference here – about Arctic and about European Militarism

Hent løbeseddel til konferencen her

Read the Report of the conference here

Opdateret 24.4. med slides fra konferencen
Opdateret med endeligt program 06-03-2023