Najam Urges Global Action on Climate Change
Professor Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus and Professor at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies, recently shared his insights on climate change and global challenges in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio’s “Horizon” program.
Najam, who participated in the International Leadership Meeting of Public Media Executives from Central and Eastern Europe hosted by Bulgarian National Radio, emphasized that climate change is “a problem of 8 billion people.”
“The planet is giving us signal after signal. We must listen to what the climate is telling us,” Najam stated, highlighting the urgency of the climate crisis. He pointed to recent floods in Central and Eastern Europe, record-breaking heatwaves, and wildfires as evidence of the immediate impacts of climate change.
Addressing potential solutions, Najam stressed the need for both mitigation and adaptation strategies. “We need to reduce our carbon footprint to prevent bad things from happening. But we also need to adapt to a different world,” he explained. He emphasized the importance of reducing waste, conserving energy and water, and protecting forests and rivers.
Najam also called for a shift in how we discuss climate change, moving away from fear-based messaging to a more empowering narrative. “Instead of just talking about threats, we need to focus on actions and finding solutions,” he said, adding that this approach is particularly important for engaging young people.
On the topic of the energy transition, Najam acknowledged the challenges but emphasized the opportunities. “The energy transition is underway. The question is how to accelerate it, especially in poorer, resource-poor countries,” he stated. He called for global cooperation to ensure that the transition doesn’t divide the world, with some countries progressing while others lag behind.
Najam concluded on an optimistic note, expressing admiration for young people’s passion for climate action and the accelerating pace of the energy transition. “This moment in history should be special. Let’s think about how to make the planet a better place,” he urged.
The full interview, conducted in English and translated into Bulgarian, is available on the Bulgarian National Radio website.
Adil Najam is Dean Emeritus and Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He served as the Inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies from 2014-2022. He is also a former Vice-Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and currently serves as the Global President of WWF International. Read more about Najam on his Pardee School faculty profile.