Last May, the École normale supérieure welcomed a new sponsor, MACIF, as part of the creation of a new chair on ecology and climate. The launch event took place on Tuesday, November 26, in the historic Library of Letters at 45 rue d’Ulm.
How can we address extreme events related to climate change? Through mutual support and social dialogue!
This is the focus of the new chair hosted by the ENS: “Climate Change: New Divides, New Mutualization”. Climate, as a crisis factor, is a potential source of conflict because it disrupts organic bonds of participation. As a result, social actors may find themselves in confrontation, each defending different interests.
More than seventy people gathered to listen to the inaugural speeches, which bridged the fields of humanities and climate sciences. The evening began with a discussion featuring the co-directors of the chair: Aglaé Jezequel, a researcher at the Dynamic Meteorology Laboratory – IPSL, and Serge Paugam, director of the Maurice Halbwachs Center. Charles Duprez, a doctoral researcher at the Maurice Halbwachs Center, and Matthieu Belin, a doctoral researcher in the Geosciences Department at ENS. These were followed by a presentation of their research projects.
Interview with Aglaé Jézéquel and Serge Paugam conducted by Alban Gonord, Director of Engagement at MACIF.
During their discussion, Aglaé Jezequel and Serge Paugam reaffirmed the importance of studying global warming, the extreme events it causes, and their consequences. According to them, one of the solutions to address these challenges is to identify potential divides and promote dialogue between different social groups to find collective solutions.
Aglaé Jezequel is a climatologist who developed an early interest in the humanities and social sciences. Trained as a physicist, she has always been fascinated by the inner workings of the climate and the planet. Her interest in climate sciences is also driven by her desire to give purpose to her work as a physicist — how can she contribute to society? For her, building a response to climate change must involve a merging of disciplines.
On his end, Serge Paugam focuses on social bonds and attachment, studying how society can act as a collective force in the face of adversity. He has developed the concept of social reproduction, which explains how society, through its institutions, maintains a stable form of solidarity. He argues that climate change is a major crisis that all societies worldwide will face. His central question is: how will societies respond?
Their dialogue, enriched by the presentations of the young researchers, was both fascinating and promising for the chair’s future work! The ENS Foundation and the School extend their thanks to all the participants as well as to MACIF for supporting the launch of this innovative chair. Over the next three years, it will enable the recruitment of researchers from multiple specialties who will work together on this urgent topic, bringing new perspectives to the scientific community.
A huge thank you to Jean-Louis Grosse – Delasalle, president of MACIF, and Jean-Philippe Dogneton, general director of MACIF, for joining Frédéric Worms, director of ENS-PSL. Thank you to Stéphane Israël, president of the ENS Foundation, for all contributions.