*FINAL Call for papers - AAG Annual Conference New York 24 -28 February 2012 *
** *Session title: ‘Green Commitments: transitions to a carbon conscious society’* Sponsored by the Economic Geography Specialty group of the AAG Organisers: Paul Barratt (University of Hull p.barr...@hull.ac.uk ), C. Patrick Heidkamp (Southern Connecticut State University heidkam...@southernct.edu ), Sally Eden (University of Hull), David Gibbs (University of Hull) Climate change policies are encouraging individuals and organisations to change their thinking and behaviours, internationally, nationally and regionally, to push the transition from a high-carbon society to a low-carbon society through a range of ‘green commitments’ in policy and practice. But how can that transition be understood, operationalised and implemented? How are technologies opening up new possibilities for green behaviours – or closing them down? What are the possibilities and problems in moving towards a ‘carbon-conscious’ society? This session aims to interrogate a diverse range of changes that are implicated in this transition to a carbon-conscious society, from smart metering in houses to ‘green champions’ in offices and factories. Theoretical approaches are likely also to be diverse, from co-evolution and co-production of users and technologies, through transition management and STS approaches, to governmentality and education to build carbon consciousness into consumers and other subjects. We anticipate organising two paper sessions plus a follow-up panel and particularly welcome empirical papers that address issues such as: • carbon labelling • green institutions/universities/buildings • post-carbon cities/towns/regions • carbon/climate neutrality • carbon/green technologies • green league tables/sustainability indices Questions that papers might address include: How are universities and other institutions responding to the climate change agenda by committing to reduce carbon? What are the problems in levering change in complex systems, such as international supply chains? What are the motives and drivers of green commitments/transitions in different sectors and areas of practice? How useful are benchmarking exercises such as league tables and sustainability indices in pushing transitions to a carbon-conscious society? How are carbon labels being developed and marketed to push sustainable consumption and production? How important are schemes to measure carbon footprints or to guarantee climate ‘neutrality’ for products and services? What certification services are developing to support and promote low-carbon consciousness? What kinds of place-based initiatives (in towns/cities/regions) are developing to implement green commitments? Abstracts of 250 words (maximum) should be submitted to Paul Barratt ( p.barr...@hull.ac.uk) and Patrick Heidkamp (heidkam...@southernct.edu) by September 14th 2011. Please remember to include your name, institutional affiliation and contact details on your submission. C. Patrick Heidkamp, Ph.D. Department of Geography Southern Connecticut State University 118b Morrill Hall 501 Crescent Street New Haven CT, 06515 (203) 392-5919
