Gail Whiteman: how to explain climate impacts as a risk to what we love

Gail Whiteman is a Professor of Sustainability at the University of Exeter Business School, and a social science expert on how decision-makers make sense of systemic global risks from climate change and other environmental threats. Since 2012, Whiteman is the Professor-in-Residence at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and is actively involved in building science-based targets for collective business action. 

She is a past member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Frontier Risk, keynote speaker at Davos in 2023, “Unlocking the Polar Crisis” with HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, and in 2020, “What’s at Stake: The Arctic,” alongside Sanna Marin (Prime Minister, Finland) and Al Gore. In 2021, she organized and participated in a High Level Panel – “A Plan for the Planet – the Arctic and Beyond” -- with TIME Magazine as part of WEF's media program for the online Davos Agenda, together with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Robert Downey Jr., Baroness Bryony Worthington, Rainn Wilson, and Eric Rondolat.

Professor Whiteman is the Founder of Arctic Basecamp and the co-founder, with Rainn Wilson, of Climate Basecamp, two nonprofit climate communications organizations.

Pierce Siegel and Helena Rambler, juniors at Hunter College High School in Manhattan, spoke to Professor Whiteman on November 11, 2024.

Video: Helena Rambler's exploration of the Arctic Basecamp climate science website (four minutes).

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