As global Leaders attend COP27 talks few have any idea how to tackle the twin crises of cascading ‘wild weather’ events and the larger existential threats of climate breakdown that could easily follow. This series of TED talks outlines the new thinking needed to avert the worst outcomes and the refounding of meaningful democracies that must come with it.

Alan Simpson describes himself as ‘a recovering politician’. An MP for 18 years, he then worked as a consultant to Friends of the Earth and was Advisor on Sustainable Economics to the Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell MP. He would still like to save humanity from itself.

Getting beyond corporate feudalism and carbon dependency. Understanding today’s rigged energy market; unravelling the addictive dishonesties within the current system. Democracy, decarbonisation and energy security – a ‘Back to the Future’ experience of where we started from.

This session will focus on the (regulatory) art of consuming less. Smart everything; sharing the lessons of localised, integrated energy systems. Empowering communities instead of corporations. Energy: a service not a market. International examples of decentralised and accountable energy systems.

Renewable everything; smart grids and energy security. From consumers to pro-sumers; new ground rules for buildings, storage and energy sharing in a net-zero future.