Najam Delivers Series of Climate Change Lectures at Cambridge and Oxford
Dean Emeritus and Professor of International Relations and of Earth and Environment, Adil Najam of Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, presented three influential talks at leading UK institutions this October, addressing critical aspects of climate change adaptation and faith-based climate action.
On October 10, Najam delivered two presentations at the University of Cambridge. His first talk at the Attenborough Center for the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI), titled “Climate and Development in the Age of Adaptation,” drew a standing-room-only audience of faculty and students. Najam introduced his concept of the ‘Age of Adaptation,’ arguing that climate change demands immediate action beyond emission control, particularly in vulnerable developing nations that have contributed least to the crisis.
His second Cambridge presentation at the UN Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) focused on nature-based climate solutions in Pakistan. Najam shared his experience leading the “Living Indus Initiative,” which he authored and has since been incorporated into Pakistan’s climate adaptation policy, recently receiving UNEP’s ‘Flagship Climate Project’ award.
Additional details and photos from the Cambridge presentations can be found here and here.
On October 14, Najam presented at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) on “Can Faith Motivate Better Climate Behavior?” Speaking to another capacity audience of students, researchers, and faculty, he examined the limitations of relying solely on science and economics to motivate climate action. Najam advocated for incorporating values and faith-based approaches to inspire climate-conscious behavior, particularly in Muslim societies, with specific focus on water conservation.
The Oxford presentation was part of the ongoing ‘Faith and Climate Change’ project that Najam leads at the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future as a Faculty Fellow, in collaboration with OCIS. Details and photos from the Oxford presentation are available here.
Professor Adil Najam is Dean Emeritus and Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He served as the Inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies from 2014-2022. He is also a former Vice-Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and currently serves as the Global President of WWF International. Read more about Najam on his Pardee School faculty profile.
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