<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: black;">The talk is based on a new book, Michael P. Vandenbergh &amp; Jonathan M. Gilligan, Beyond Politics: The Private Governance Response to Climate Change (Cambridge University Press 2017). He will explain how private companies, on their own, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a billion tons per year over the next decade.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: black;">He will explain that private sector action provides one of the most promising opportunities to reduce the risks of climate change, buying time while governments move slowly or oppose climate mitigation. Starting with the insight that much of the resistance to climate mitigation is grounded in concern about the role of government, the talk will draw on law, policy, social science and climate science to demonstrate how private initiatives are already bypassing government inaction in the United States and around the globe.&nbsp; </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: black;">The talk will combine an examination of the growth of private climate initiatives over the last decade, a theory of why private actors are motivated to reduce emissions, and a review of viable next steps. </span></p>
<p class="xmsoplaintext"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: black;">For a short summary of the Beyond Politics book, see the book review in Science by David Victor at <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.sciencemag.org%2Fbooks%2F2017%2F12%2F18%2Fbeyond-politics%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cjonathan.gilligan%40vanderbilt.edu%7C81696f8a25e44f52ad7508d546391d38%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C636492133595051210&amp;sdata=PSMuCQsqH2NHzqgpi3RUqOATnJM4ScGV3GLvhuIkBCo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://blogs.sciencemag.org/books/2017/12/18/beyond-politics/</a>.</span></p>
<p class="xmsoplaintext"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: black;">This is a free event.&nbsp; 1 free CLE, Substantive, available. Please feel free to bring a brown bag lunch. </span></p>
<p class="xmsoplaintext"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: black;">Registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. <a href="https:{staticroot}prospective-students/why-widener/events/register-for-events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to register for the event.</a></span></p>