Elsa Abs
I joined the Laboratory for Sciences of Climate and Environment (LSCE) in April 2023 and discovered that my colleagues were eager to reflect on forms of climate engagement that ethically align with our profession as researchers. In response, I founded the Reflexion on Engagement for Climate group, which hosts a monthly seminar series. Each month, we invite a specialist to deliver an hour-long seminar, followed by a lunch debate. These events received funding from CLand in spring 2024 and by LSCE since fall 2024.
Our May 2025 guest was Anna Vayness, who, after completing a master’s degree in geosciences, went on to study social sciences at EHESS, where her thesis focused on climate scientists’ engagement in the face of climate change. The seminar is titled: "Ordinary commitments in the face of an extraordinary upheaval".
Our April 2025 guests were Léa Bonnefoy, Kaina Privet, and Irénée Frerot. Léa is a researcher in planetology at Sorbonne Université and a recipient of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents Award, Kaina is an ecologist and associate professor at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), and Irénée is a CNRS physicist at the Jussieu campus. All are members of Scientist Rebellion France. Their talk is titled "Our engagement with ecology through Scientist Rebellion".
Our March 2025 guest was Augustin Fragnière, a political philosopher and research director at the University of Lausanne. He contributed to the report "The Public Engagement of Academics: From Academic Freedom to Professional Ethics". He is also affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Center for Sustainability, where his work focuses on the ethical implications of climate action and sustainability.
Our February 2025 guest was Jean Jouzel, climate scientist and emeritus research director at the LSCE. He served as co-chair of working group 1 of the IPCC from 2002 to 2015 for the 4th and 5th reports, with the 4th contributing to the IPCC's Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. He is also a member of the Académie des Sciences. His talk was titled 'Reflections on my various forms of climate engagement.'
Our November 2024 guest was Mike Hulme, Professor of Human Geography in the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge. In 2000, he founded the Tyndall Centre, the first climate-society center. His talk was titled "Climate scientists as analysts, advisors, advocates, or activists: what’s the difference and does it matter?".
Our October 2024 guest was Valérie Masson-Delmotte, climate scientist and research director at LSCE. She was elected co-chair of working group 1 of the IPCC in 2015 for the 6th report and is a member of the Académie des Sciences. Her talk was titled "Feedback on my various forms of climate engagement".
Our September 2024 guest was Eric Guilyardi, climate scientist at Jussieu who contributed to the CNRS Ethics Committee (COMETS) report on the public engagement of scientists. His talk was titled "Between Freedom and Responsibility: The Public Engagement of Researchers".
Our May 2024 guests were Laure Teulieres and Christophe Cassou and the seminar took place at l'Ecole Normale Superieure of Ulm in Paris. Laure is a historian and Christophe is a climate scientist. Both are part of the interdisciplinary working group AtEcoPol (Atelier d'écologie politique). Their talk title was "Our climate engagement experiences: 1) From the IPCC to public arenas, 2) Through the interdisciplinary collective Atécopol".
Our April 2024 guest was Niels Dutrievoz and the seminar took place at AgroParisTech in Saclay. Niels is a PhD candidate in Arctic climate science at LSCE. His talk was titled "From Antarctica to social media: Cross commitments in research and outreach".
Our March 2024 guest was Hannah Gautrais, and the seminar took place at LSCE. Hannah is a PhD candidate in sociology at the Ecole Normale Superieure of Lyon. Her talk was titled "Social study on the engagement for climate of climatologists".
Our first guest was Lydia Messling, and the seminar took place at LSCE in February 2024. Lydia is a climate engagement consultant. She earned her PhD in sociology at the University of Reading. Her talk was titled “How can scientists engage in policy advocacy and preserve their credibility and independence: theory into practice”.