Workshop: Philophical perspectives on climate science
Colloque: Perspectives philosophiques sur les sciences du climat
Amphithéâtre CIC, Météo France, CNRM, Toulouse, 4th – 6th of November 2026
The aim of this workshop is to provide a broad overview of the philosophical questions raised by climate science. It will bring together philosophers of science from across Europe and climate scientists, with the goal of fostering interdisciplinary dialogue between the two communities.
The conference is funded by the Centre National de la Recherche (CNRS) in France, and by the TRACCS research programme.
The programme will consist of four half-day sessions over three days, from Wednesday afternoon to Friday morning. Each session will combine contributions from philosophers and climate scientists, encouraging exchanges between philosophical perspectives and scientific practice.
Participation is free of charge, with coffee breaks and Thursday lunch provided.
Registration is required by 29 September, subject to availability: registration form.
In-person attendance is strongly encouraged in order to make the most of the discussions and interdisciplinary exchanges. Online attendance will also be possible, although remote participants will not be able to interact directly with the speakers.
Preliminary Programme
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
14:00–15:30 — The Social Contract in Climate Science
Hannah Hilligardt — University of Bern, Switzerland
Aglaé Jézéquel — Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, France
15:30–16:00 — Coffee break
16:00–17:30 — Climate Justice
Morten Byskov — Tilburg University, the Netherlands
Sandrine Anquetin — CNRS / Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, France
Evening — Conference dinner
La Sauterelle (vegan restaurant), 3 Rue Tripière, 31000 Toulouse
Thursday, 5 November 2026
10:30–12:00 — Values in Climate Science
Karoliina Pulkkinen — University of Helsinki, Finland
[to be confirmed]
12:00–13:30 — Lunch
13:30–15:00 — Socioeconomic Considerations in Climate Science
Rawad El Skaf — University of Salzburg, Austria
Lola Corre — CNRM, France
15:00–15:30 — Coffee break
15:30–17:00 — Uncertainty and Decision-Making
Joe Roussos — Stockholm University, Sweden
Samuel Morin — CNRM, France
Friday, 6 November 2026
09:00–10:30 — Climate Modelling
Julie Jebeile — CNRM, France / University of Bern, Switzerland
Aurore Voldoire — CNRM, France
10:30–11:00 — Coffee break
11:00–12:30 — Tipping points
Vincent Lam — University of Bern, Switzerland
[to be confirmed]
Session Chairs and Interdisciplinary Discussion Facilitators
Futura Venuto — University of Bern, Switzerland
Sapna Kumar — University of Bern, Switzerland
Niklas Gärtner — Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, France
