Stiglitz and Stern discussed inequality and climate change

Stern/StiglitzOn Earth Day, 22 April, Joseph Stiglitz and Nicholas Stern, two leading experts on economics and the environment, talked about the interactions of inequality and climate change.

Stiglitz, a University Professor at Columbia, and Stern, a professor at the London School of Economics, argued that our changing planet may be the ultimate social issue, considering how outcomes from a changing climate are hardest on communities that can least afford it. Stiglitz and Stern called for political action and policy intervention to address inequality and to focus energies on building global societal resilience.

LIS Director Janet Gornick introduced the conversation while Deborah Balk and Eduardo Porter co-moderated. The event was held at the Proshansky Auditorium of The Graduate Center in New York, and was co-sponsored by the Advanced Research Collaborative, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Graduate Center, and the Luxembourg Income Study Center.

A full video of the discussion can now be found on YouTube:


Further readings:

Joseph Stiglitz’s new book The Great Divide: Unequal Societies and What We Can Do About Them was published in April 2015.

The launch of Nicholas Stern’s upcoming book Why Are We Waiting? The Logic, Urgency and Promise of Tackling Climate Change is scheduled for May 2015.

May 4, 2015 | News