Net Zero Festival: Alex Steffen on why the climate crisis isn't taken seriously enough

BusinessGreen staff
clock • 1 min read

VIDEO: Veteran climate futurist argues 'the world we have built is no longer suited to planet we've made' at BusinessGreen's Net Zero Festival

Influential US commentator and writer Alex Steffen boasts a long an career in sustainability, social innovation and design, in addition to several years reporting on the interlinked climate and environmental crises.

He describes himself as a "veteran climate futurist", and his work on cities and ubanisation in particular has been widely acclaimed and highly influential, having been arguing the importance of sustianable cities to delivering a sustainable society since the mid-1990s. He is currently working on his latest book on the need to accelerate climate action - The Snap Forward - which is based on his newsletter of the same name.

At BusinessGreen's Net Zero Festival last week, Steffen delivered a fascinating lecture on how he views the climate and environmental crises, and the pathway forward for the global economy. The climate crisis, he argued, is not taken seriously enough, even by people working in sustainability, as there is a failure to fully grasp the wide-ranging, all-encompassing risks and opportunities it presents to society. His speech can be watched in full above.

All of the panel debates, keynote speeches, and presentations from the Net Zero Festival - which took place over three days from 29 September 2021 featuring hundreds of top speakers from business, politics and academia - are now available to watch again on demand by signing up for free on the Net Zero Festival website.

More on Climate change

In the business of better

In the business of better

The opening speech from the UK Green Business Awards 2025

James Murray
clock 12 June 2025 • 8 min read
World Athletics, the FA, and Liverpool FC back sport's first climate impact playbook

World Athletics, the FA, and Liverpool FC back sport's first climate impact playbook

Some of the world's biggest sports clubs, leagues, and federations are backing a new approach for measuring and reducing carbon emissions

Stuart Stone
clock 11 June 2025 • 4 min read
Experts warn UK crop harvest 'on a knife edge' after driest spring in 50 years

Experts warn UK crop harvest 'on a knife edge' after driest spring in 50 years

Volatile UK weather patterns leave farmers at risk of record low harvests, while homes and businesses face prospect of drought measures this summer

Michael Holder
clock 05 June 2025 • 5 min read