Neutrality is not the same as scientific integrity: questioning the former should never mean compromising the latter. The rigour of our methods, the honesty of our findings and the robustness of the evidence are not up for debate. What is at stake here are the choices that shape the way science is done.

Choosing to work on climate, deciding how research is funded, accepting or turning down an invitation to write an opinion piece: these are all choices that shape our work, and which this event invites us to examine.

The event “Climate Science: How Far Does Neutrality Go?” will explore four key themes:

• Questioning scientific neutrality;
• Examining how the economic system shapes our own practices;
• Assessing how the deterioration of public research and the political climate affect our profession;
• Discussing ways to explore different forms of engagement.

The day brings together academics from other disciplines — the history and philosophy of science, sociology, political science, law, and more — many of whom have themselves taken a public stance.

The programme alternates between paired presentations, panel discussions and audience participation. The event provides an intergenerational space for exchange, organised in collaboration with the IPSL youth for climate action.

Programme

*The programme is subject to change.

8.30 am • Welcome coffee

9 am • Opening remarks and welcome
Sophie Godin-Beekmann, Director of IPSL ;
Valérie Masson-Delmotte (LSCE), Co-chair of the “Climate-Society” Centre.

9.10 am • Introduction to the day by the IPSL youth for climate action

9.30 am • Paired presentations and discussion — Scientific neutrality: definitions, realities and myths
Léo Coutellec (Université Paris-Saclay), philosophy of science: where the ideal of neutrality comes from, what it has been used for, and examples that challenge it;
Caroline Ibos (Université Paris 8), sociology and gender studies, co-author of “La savante et le politique”.
Joint discussion and questions from the audience.

10.45 am • Coffee break

11 am • Participatory session — Where do you draw the line? Seven scenarios put to the audience
Facilitated by the IPSL youth for climate action.

11.15 am • Panel discussion — How does the neoliberal economic system shape our scientific practices? Why is this system so difficult to question within our institutions?
Hugo Harari-Kermadec (Université d’Orléans), economics: how neoliberalism and indicator-based governance are transforming research work;
Jean-Baptiste Comby (Nantes Université), sociology, depoliticisation and class relations; author of “Écolos, mais pas trop. Les classes sociales face à l’enjeu environnemental“;
Marine Braud, environmental transition consultant, former ecology adviser at Matignon and the Élysée, and author of “Qui aurait pu prédire ? — Leçons de 10 ans de politiques écologiques depuis l’Accord de Paris”.

1 pm • Group photo

1.05 pm • Buffet lunch

2.30 pm • Triple keynote — The deterioration of public research and the rise of authoritarianism: two effects of the same political agenda?
1. The rise of authoritarianism in France
*Johann Chapoutot (Sorbonne Université), historian: what the history of the 1930s can teach us about shifts towards authoritarianism, and the parallels it allows us to draw with the present day (20 minutes + 10 minutes for Q&A).
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2. The material and media-driven deterioration of research
Tamara Ben Ari (INRAE), environmental sciences, co-author of “Le Moment orwellien” (20 minutes + 10 minutes for Q&A).
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3. Two effects of the same political agenda
Éric Fassin (Université Paris 8), sociology and gender studies — co-author of “La savante et le politique” and author of “De la liberté académique. Tout dire, mais pas n’importe quoi” (20 minutes + 10 minutes for Q&A).

4 pm • Coffee break

4.15 pm • Panel discussion — From neutrality to engagement: what positions can scientists take, and what risks do these pose to our credibility?
Céline Marty (Université de Franche-Comté), philosophy, philosophy of work and political ecology, author of “Travailler moins pour vivre mieux”;
*Agnès Ducharne (CNRS/METIS-IPSL), hydroclimatologist: the experience of a climate scientist who chooses to engage;
Manuel Cervera-Marzal (Université de Liège, FNRS), sociology, co-author of “Pour une démocratie sauvage”;
Dorian Guinard (Sciences Po Grenoble, UGA), public law: the legal limits of academic freedom, and a legal scholar’s engagement for biodiversity;
Johanna Siméant-Germanos (ENS Paris), political science: engagement and scientific mobilisation.

5.30 pm • Towards a collective framework for engagement
Myriam Khodri, Co-chair of the “Climate-Society” Centre.

5.45 pm • Drinks reception

Free entry, registration required.

>>>> Registration form <<<<<

Further information

• The “Climate-Society” Centre (C2S) at the Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute (IPSL) is a hub for scientific expertise and education dedicated to climate science and its interactions with society. Find out more here.
• Watch highlights from the C2S annual event, held on 2 June 2026 and dedicated to misinformation and new narratives.