In this talk, Professor Joel Wainwright will share insights from his groundbreaking book Climate Leviathan, co-authored with Geoff Mann. Together, they argue that capitalism, far from resolving the climate crisis, is accelerating a major global shift in the organization of power.
The most likely outcome? A new form of planetary sovereignty they call Climate Leviathan. But it is not the only path. Standing in conflict with it is Climate Behemoth, a reactionary force embodied by leaders like Bolsonaro, Trump, and Modi.
This workshop offers a critical lens for those engaged in social change work and confronting the overlapping crises of climate, capitalism, and global power. Wainwright invites us to reflect on how much of today’s climate activism, though well-intentioned, can end up legitimizing the rise of Climate Leviathan, a formation that neither stops rapid climate change nor delivers justice for the majority of people.
To build a strategy that truly advances climate justice, we must reckon with capitalism’s central role in producing the crisis and understand the geopolitical forces shaping climate politics today. This session will help us make sense of the terrain we are navigating and support us in envisioning responses grounded not in fear, but in solidarity, collective power, and the hope of a different future.
Join us for a timely conversation on what lies ahead and what it will take to chart a different course, rooted in courage, connection, and transformative change.
In reciprocity,
The Ayni Team
