As I enter the final 12 months of the MACAL (Master of Arts in Climate Action Leadership) program, I afford myself a moment to reflect on my learnings thus far. These include teachings on climate risk management, climate science, and climate communication. But while these provide me with a base to develop as a climate action leader, it also prompts me to consider what that might look like. I am therefore drawn to the actions of other leaders in this space and have consequently landed on Simon Sharpe.
I first came across Simon when his book, Five Times Faster, was recommended to me by my MACAL program head. In his book, Sharpe (2023) proposes a different take on climate action through the rethinking of science, economics, and diplomacy. The basis of his arguments stems from his experience in positions of national and international importance. These include working for the UK Government and attending various COP’s (Conference of The Parties) in professional roles. Therefore, his real-world experience of dealing with multiple stakeholders provides valuable insight into what is required to succeed as a leader. To illustrate, on The Climate Pod with Benefiel (2023), Simon argues criticism and finger-pointing are counterproductive whereas working together on common interests can deliver genuine action.
What I have found though on my climate leadership journey thus far, is the overwhelming desire to implement the perfect action in response to climate change. This, in my opinion, is too slow and cumbersome as some leaders attempt to appease the individual agendas of every stakeholder. Simon discusses this very challenge with podcast host, Halliday (2023), as he argues leaders shouldn’t delay action due to a lack of consensus. Such delays only result in lost time, lost opportunities, and ultimately more emissions. This, he points out is also a result of prioritizing long-term targets over short term actions. I can’t agree more as the urgency to act is seemingly postponed into the future.
Given my interest in data and evidence based decision making, I’m also drawn to Simon’s position on economics and policymaking. Like his argument for short-term action, he argues for targeted and specific actions to leverage change in the near term. For instance, he argues that targeted policies, incentives, and investment lead to progress driven by feedback loops (Sharpe, 2023, p. 130). In other words, such actions lead to knowledge and innovation which then repeats itself to the benefit of cost decreases and production increases. Solar panels provide a great example of this as their costs and efficiency have changed immensely in recent years (Matasci, 2022). This is the type of progress, action, and policymaking I hope to be a part of.
While my journey as a climate leader is just getting started, I see the concern growing in others for what is to come. Yes, the systems that have brought about this crisis need addressing but this will not happen in the short term. Consequently, as some discuss the specifics of a total systems change, the climate crisis goes on unabated. Therefore, I believe leaders can navigate today’s world through effective diplomacy and economics to realize action in the short term.
References
Benefiel, B. (Host) (2023, June). 3 Critical Changes Needed To Decarbonize 5X Faster (w/ Simon Sharpe). The Climate Pod. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4umbaPkWEjdmWNZwORoIib?si=Bj5_-kFERgGe7d2HOfkI0A
Halliday, E. (Host) (2023, November 28). Simon Sharpe: What climate diplomacy gets wrong. [Audio podcast]. Prospect Magazine. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/podcasts/prospect-podcast/64105/simon-sharpe-what-climate-diplomacy-gets-wrong
Matasci, S. (2022, February 8). How Solar Panel Cost & Efficiency Change Over Time. EnergySage. https://www.energysage.com/solar/solar-panel-efficiency-cost-over-time/
Sharpe, S. (2023). Five times faster: Rethinking the science, economics, and diplomacy of climate change. Cambridge University Press.