A Turn­ing Point in Cli­mate Policy — A Cure for Cli­mate Anxi­ety

The climate debate is often framed through fear, emergency and the sense that the future has already been lost. Danish political scientist, author and President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, Bjørn Lomborg, offers a different approach: climate change is real and man-made, but our response should be guided by reason, prioritization and measurable results — not panic. For years, Lomborg has examined how societies can use limited resources most effectively to address the world’s greatest challenges, including climate change, poverty, health, education and energy.

In this lecture, Lomborg will discuss what he sees as a central problem in today’s climate debate: it too often fuels climate anxiety and symbolic policy, while paying too little attention to which solutions actually deliver the greatest benefit. Lomborg does not deny that climate change is serious; on the contrary, he argues that it must be addressed. But he criticizes apocalyptic rhetoric, costly and ineffective policies, and the idea that climate change should eclipse every other human challenge.

Lomborg calls for a more realistic and human-centered climate policy: more innovation, better technology, smarter adaptation, more cost-effective energy transitions and a prioritization that takes seriously the needs of poorer countries. His message is not to do nothing, but to do what works best. The lecture is therefore both a challenge to dominant climate narratives and an attempt to treat climate anxiety with facts, context and solution-oriented thinking.

The event takes place in Silfurberg at Harpa, the venue’s second-largest hall, designed especially for conferences and lectures.

Promoter

Paradigm