CFP: Climate Hub 2025

The American Philosophical Association’s 2025 Central Division meeting will be the first APA conference to be held virtually without a pandemic, for reasons of environmental sustainability and accessibility. This is an experiment and an exciting historic moment, offering a chance to participate without the burdens of traveling and without causing significant environmental damage. Philosophers for Sustainability is organizing a Climate Hub as one strand of the conference, similar to the Teaching Hub at recent APA conferences, with a combination of invited and submitted sessions on a range of topics connected to both philosophy and climate change. We aim especially to make progress in practice toward addressing the climate crisis through teaching, curriculum development, event organizing, public philosophy, and institutional change. 

We are inviting proposals for the inaugural APA Climate Hub. Proposals should be at most 500 words. To submit a proposal, please follow the link below to the conference website and submit your proposal using the submission form there.

Possible subjects of proposals include, but are not limited to: 

• Climate change in teaching and curriculum design
• Inclusive, sustainable virtual conferencing
• Shifting academic institutions in response to climate change
• Philosophy and climate advocacy
• Climate change and issues of academic culture or ‘climate’

Proposals may include: (1) project presentations showcasing past or current initiatives or projects relating to any of the above themes; (2) pitch-to-peers presentations for new project ideas requiring collaboration; (3) interactive workshops or other activities designed to foster discussion of a particular aspect of philosophers’ responses to climate change. All proposals should focus primarily on current and future changes in the practice of philosophy. Research papers defending theoretical claims should be submitted to the APA main program, and will not be considered for the Climate Hub. Presenters should plan for a session length of 35 minutes, including discussion. 

We especially welcome submissions from indigenous philosophers, philosophers of color, women, and members of other frontline populations disproportionately impacted by climate change. Please note: It is the policy of the APA that all those attending sessions, including speakers, commentators, and session chairs, are required to be current APA members and to register for each meeting they attend.  

Proposals are due by May 1, 2024. Notifications will be sent by June 1, 2024.