SGR conferences

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) organises a conference roughly once a year (in the autumn) on issues of concern related to science, design and technology.

Keynote speakers are leading researchers/commentators in their field, and the event also includes SGR's Annual General Meeting, together with poster sessions or workshops.

This section of the website includes reports of previous conferences. Links to conference presentations and related material are provided where available.

Advert for SGR 2024 conference

Defusing carbon bombs: how do we stop remaining dangerous fossil fuels from being burned?

SGR online conference and AGM

4.00-6.00 PM (BST)
 

Speakers and presentations

SGR 2023 Conference image

Responsible science and the polycrisis: new hope versus false solutions

SGR online conference and AGM

From the war in Ukraine to the climate emergency, from economic crises to disruptive technologies, the world is confronted by what many are calling the 'polycrisis'. Four leading commentators offered their analyses of false solutions and where we should look for hope.
 

Main speakers:

  • Prof. Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE, University of Bath

Why behaviour change is a better bet for climate action than offsetting and speculative technology.

industrial network (Gerd Altmann)

Science superpower or techno dead-end: what would a globally responsible Britain look like?

SGR 30th anniversary conference and AGM; online

Wednesday 19 October 2022; 16.00 to 19.00 (UK time)
 

Photo of protest with banner reading Climate Action Now

From science to activism: how should action follow climate research?

Our 2021 conference was held on 6 October via Zoom, including the following presentations:

Solar panels

Transition Now (part II)

Recovering from Covid-19, will responsible science and technology be tools of rapid change?

Part II: Responsible technology and the climate emergency

SGR online conference and AGM

Scorched desert (iStock)

Transition Now (part I)

Recovering from Covid-19, will responsible science and technology be tools of rapid change?

Part I: Responsible science and the climate emergency

SGR webinar

How should the roles of scientific institutions and advisory committees change to respond to the climate emergency? What lessons are there from the Covid-19 pandemic for how scientific advice was produced and used to respond rapidly to a crisis that could be applied more broadly?

Speakers:

""

Scientists behaving responsibly: should science walk the talk on climate breakdown?

The SGR Responsible Science Conference 2019

The Gallery, Farringdon, London, UK,  EC1M 6EL

Download Scientists Behaving Responsibly report

""

Artificial intelligence: how little has to go wrong?

Autonomous weapons, driverless cars and friendly spies in the home

SGR conference and AGM 2018

The Gallery, Farringdon, London, UK

Is artificial intelligence evolving quicker than the regulation to manage it? Are we sufficiently able to imagine what major problems may emerge, and can it even be effectively regulated? This conference, with presentations and interactive sessions, explored both obvious threats and more subtle ones.

Conference outputs are now available to download!
 

Creating a better world

Some lessons for the next 25 years

SGR's 25th anniversary conference and AGM

The Gallery, Farringdon, London, UK; 28 October 2017

With the world facing heightened risks of nuclear war, the growing threat of severe climate change, and numerous other major problems, fears are once again growing for our future. Yet a look at evidence from history, science and technology provides lessons for how rapid positive changes could take place in our society. SGR's 25th anniversary conference drew upon some of the latest research to look at what could be achieved in the not-so-distant future.

A summary of the conference and other outputs are available to download.
 

Universities for sale?

The influence of the arms, fossil fuels and other industries

SGR conference and AGM 2016

The Gallery, Farringdon, London, UK; 19 November

This conference discussed the ways in which controversial industries are involved at UK universities, how government policies encourage this, and the range of detrimental effects - and then discussed proposals for change.

Presentations are available to download/ view.