Paul Behrens
profpaulbehrens.bsky.social
Paul Behrens
@profpaulbehrens.bsky.social
Prof at Oxford Martin School working on food, energy, and climate change. Book: The Best of Times The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science http://shorturl.at/lzCTZ

#ClimateChange #ClimateAction
Reposted by Paul Behrens
🚨 The UK government has recognised nature collapse is a national security risk.

🌿 But collective action can restore hope for climate and nature.

🤝 Meet with your MP—ask what emergency action they’re taking and how they support the Climate and Nature Bill.

👉 action.zerohour.uk/meeting #CANBill
February 11, 2026 at 10:30 AM
I wrote an op-ed for the @bmj.com on the UK government's national security assessment on ecosystem collapse and how we need act.

This report was released last week, delayed by months—allegedly it was seen as too negative by number 10—and abridged🧵

www.bmj.com/content/392/...
Ecosystem destruction will force the UK to tackle food security
The UK’s approach to food makes it increasingly vulnerable in an unstable world. A great food transformation with a focus on resilience is urgently needed, argues Paul Behrens Last week the UK gover...
www.bmj.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:22 PM
"The UK does not have enough land to feed its population and rear livestock: a wholesale change in consumer diets would be required." re: the challenge of food security under nature collapse.

from a UK govt national security assessment out today…

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0e...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
January 20, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
At the National Emergency Briefing
@newscientist.com had a chat with our food expert
@profpaulbehrens.bsky.social
who highlighted how badly we underestimate how stongly other people support climate action.

We will be tackling this head on with the People's Emergency Briefing.

#netzero
January 20, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
UPDATED – Factcheck: How ‘scary-sounding numbers’ are being used to mislead the UK about net-zero | @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org

Read here: buff.ly/Be7nHfA
January 13, 2026 at 4:44 PM
No, grass-fed beef isn’t better for the climate. Several of us spoke with @sachimulkey.bsky.social at the New York Times about the confusion. 🧵

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Is Grass-Fed Beef Really Better for the Climate?
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
We got the upside-down dietary guidelines from political maneuvering, not a science-based process. It has a scientific committee, touted as backing this report, but it likely installed to justify pre-held beliefs of RFK Jr & MAHA, who love animal products 1/ www.businessinsider.com/rfk-new-diet...
No sugar, more fat: RFK Jr's 5 big changes to the American food pyramid
Kennedy said his new guidelines undo previous advice. Full fat dairy is back, sugar is out, and highly processed foods come under fire.
www.businessinsider.com
January 8, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
I ask MPs and media heads to consider this question:

𝙄𝙛 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙, 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙙?

Clips below of expert warnings of severe economic and societal threats without emergency action.
#NEB2025
Please ask your MP to watch the 9 expert briefings on the climate & nature crisis, and then add their name to the Parliamentary Call for a televised emergency briefing.

More info: www.nebriefing.org/take-action

Full talks: www.youtube.com/@nebriefing

Clips of all nine talks below 🧵1/10👇
#NEB2025
National Emergency Briefing
Take Action on the Climate and Nature Emergency | How to engage after the National Emergency Briefing and support science-led solutions
www.nebriefing.org
December 28, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
youtu.be/jvjJ8Ag0-z0
Brilliant, disturbing yet positive talk by @profpaulbehrens.bsky.social his advice is a no-brainer. Hardly anyone is fully aware of our precarious food security plight, or the huge upsides of fixing it. @sioldridge.bsky.social @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social
Food Security - Professor Paul Behrens | National Emergency Briefing
YouTube video by The National Emergency Briefing
youtu.be
December 20, 2025 at 11:31 AM
We have a new review out: “Obesity and Climate Change: Co-Crises with Common Solutions”. These aren’t separate crises but two symptoms of the same broken food system. A threat (and thread) 🧵

www.frontiersin.org/journals/sci...
December 18, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
More wise words by the excellent @profpaulbehrens.bsky.social. Read the interview!
www.futureoffood.ox.ac.uk/article/beyo...

Or extracts, in this short 🧵
"Behrens believes in tackling the biggest drivers of environmental damage head-on. 'If you can make a small shift in the parts of the system
1/6
Hope arrives when you can imagine a better path to the future and you start taking action to get there
Future of Food profiles: Professor Paul Behrens
www.futureoffood.ox.ac.uk
December 17, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
Food expert @profpaulbehrens.bsky.social of @ox.ac.uk with a vital message for MPs & the public.

"If we don't lead this change on the front foot, we'll be forced into it anyway as food shocks intensify."

Full talk: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

#NationalEmergencyBriefing #NEB2025 #FoodShortages
December 11, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Our future food system will be very different. By design or by disaster. Much of the choice is ours

If we get it right, everyone wins. Healthier diets and communities, more nature, higher productivity, stable(r) climate, etc...

My speech: @nebriefing.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvjJ...
Food Security - Professor Paul Behrens | National Emergency Briefing
YouTube video by The National Emergency Briefing
www.youtube.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
Wise words from @profpaulbehrens.bsky.social!

You can hear more from Paul here on our podcast: How To Build A Sustainable World - Paul Behrens.
youtu.be/VQrGldPO7P8
@timcoulson.bsky.social
December 6, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
What evidence is there that uplands like this were once covered by temperate rainforest, and would return to such a state naturally but for sheep?

Loads... 🧵
December 6, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
'It’s urgent that we support a shift to plant-rich diets.'

Oxford @oxmartinschool.bsky.social’s Prof Paul Behrens sets out why the UK food system needs reform - and how it could benefit farmers, the public and nature ⬇️ #OxfordClimate
Expert Comment: National Emergency Briefing- Reforming UK food
Professor Paul Behrens, from the Oxford Martin School, was one of nine experts invited to deliver evidence at the UK’s first-ever National Emergency Briefing on the climate and nature crises, held
www.ox.ac.uk
December 5, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
Will the government back the call for a televised #ClimateEmergency briefing, as called for by @nebriefing.bsky.social?

In the context of #COP30, I ask the question

Minister's answer:
hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-1...
December 4, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
Thank you to @carolinevoadenmp.bsky.social for pushing for Government to consider a televised emergency briefing on the #climate and #nature crisis.

The public have a right to know.

Sign the open letter:
www.nebriefing.org/open-letter-...
Now at over 36,000 signatories.

#TimeToStepUp #NEB2025
December 4, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
"The food industry itself is alarmed. UK food executives have warned that the sector is on course for pronounced shortages and business failures."

@profpaulbehrens.bsky.social of @ox.ac.uk calling for urgent action at the National Emergency Briefing.
#NEB2025 #TimeToStepUP
Expert Comment: National Emergency Briefing- Reforming UK food
Professor Paul Behrens, from the Oxford Martin School, was one of nine experts invited to deliver evidence at the UK’s first-ever National Emergency Briefing on the climate and nature crises, held
www.ox.ac.uk
December 4, 2025 at 5:44 PM
My write up on the @nebriefing.bsky.social here, please consider signing the letter calling on Kier Starmer and media heads to televise a briefing to the country:

theconversation.com/what-we-told...
What we told UK leaders about climate and nature at a national emergency briefing
With so many influential people in the room, the hope was to see a tipping point in the engagement of political, faith, business and cultural leaders.
theconversation.com
December 3, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
Are climate models counting people as well as carbon?
A new @thelancetplanet.bsky.social Review with @profpaulbehrens.bsky.social finds major wellbeing impacts - on mental health, work and stability - often missing from policy tools. Including them strengthens the case for prevention.

Link below ⬇️
December 3, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Climate action isn’t just about carbon tonnes or warming degrees, it’s about people’s lives, health, dignity, and wellbeing

We've a new article in Lancet Planetary Health mapping how climate policy models are missing far too much of this story. 🧵

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Inclusion of wellbeing impacts of climate change: a review of literature and integrated environment–society–economy models
Climate change has broad and deep impacts on people’s wellbeing; yet, these dynamics are largely excluded from integrated environment–society–economy (ESE) models. In this Review, we provide an overvi...
id.elsevier.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
Yesterday we spoke to 100s of the UKs MPs, Peers, faith leaders, CEOs, and celebs for the first @nebriefing.bsky.social on the climate & nature crises.

What happened needs to reach millions more, please sign this letter to the PM and media organisations: www.nebriefing.org/open-letter-... 🧵...
November 28, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Yesterday we spoke to 100s of the UKs MPs, Peers, faith leaders, CEOs, and celebs for the first @nebriefing.bsky.social on the climate & nature crises.

What happened needs to reach millions more, please sign this letter to the PM and media organisations: www.nebriefing.org/open-letter-... 🧵...
November 28, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Paul Behrens
A packed audience for the #NationalEmergencyBriefing this morning, listening to 9 experts give a hard-hitting and evidence-based view of the state of climate effects to MPs, Lords, and leaders across media, business and culture.

@nebriefing.bsky.social
November 27, 2025 at 10:47 AM