The first in-person annual meeting of the British Ecological Society Climate Change Ecology Group will be held at the BES Headquarters in London on 18 September 2025. This meeting will bring together members of the climate change ecology community for a one-day meeting to present their work and discuss how we can address the climate and biodiversity crises. It will provide an opportunity to hear about current research developments and policy challenges and to network.
As the Climate Change Ecology Group, we aim to reduce the carbon footprint of the event while maximising its benefit for a wider audience. To achieve this, we will run the meeting as a hybrid event, enabling members of our community to view the presentations online as a webinar and submit questions to engage in the discussions.
The meeting will include:
1. Invited plenary talks
2. Policy panel
3. Open session talks (15 minutes including questions)
4. Short lightning talks (2 minutes)
5. Lunch and networking
Presenters will need to attend in person.
Invited keynote speakers:
- Professor Lesley Lancaster (University of Aberdeen) - Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of niche expansion in response to climate change
- David Nemecek (Senior Associate in Sustainable Finance) – Ecosystem and biodiversity finance to address to climate and biodiversity crises
Policy panel on achieving targets to conserve 30% of the land and sea by 2030 under climate change:
- Beth Askew-Stoker, Director of International Evidence and Advice, JNCC
- Emily Walker, Senior Policy Advisor, 30by30, Natural Environment, Trees & Landscapes Directorate, DEFRA
- Professor Nathalie Pettorelli, Mitigating the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, Institute of Zoology
The meeting organising committee is now calling for abstract submissions for the open sessions and lightening talks in any area related to climate change and ecology. This includes advances in modelling; climate change mitigation (renewable energy) and biodiversity; adaptation and ecosystems; impacts of near time forecasts on biodiversity; climate change and biodiversity in the marine / terrestrial / aquatic environment; and landscape planning.
To be considered to present at the meeting, please submit a 250 word abstract along with a list of authors and affiliations and indicate the name of the presenter. In addition, please specific whether you prefer to give a 15 minute open session talk or a 2 minute lightning talk. Due to limited space at the venue, presenters of accepted abstracts must register to attend the meeting in person to deliver their presentation.
Submit your abstract now: https://forms.office.com/e/gFF97DUav8
Abstract submission deadline: 15 July 2025
Those with accepted abstracts will be notified by 17 July. They will need to register to attend the event in person by 24 July 2025
