2024 Conference

We partnered with The Centre for Animals & Social Justice (CASJ) for our conference at Cambridge on 22 November. The event, entitled ‘Ecocentric Ethics: Exploring Our Responsibilities to Non-Human Animals and the Environment’, saw a range of renowned speakers present their expertise regarding the social and political reforms that are essential to help fulfil humanity’s moral responsibilities to other animals and nature in general.  

One of the central themes of the event was the proposal, championed by the Schweitzer Institute and CASJ, for a Government Animal Protection Commission (APC) as a vital step to start giving the welfare of nonhuman animals the consideration and protection they deserve. As part of this theme we examined the recently-established Animal Sentience Committee, which has the remit of holding the UK Government to account for how it considers animal welfare in policy-making. As the first body of this particular type, it could be seen as an embryonic forerunner of a more substantial APC. So its early activities will provide fascinating clues as to the possible future development of animal protection policy-making.

Conference speakers included Dr Dan Lyons from the CASJ, Prof. John Nolt (Schweitzer Fellow, Peterhouse), Prof. Robin Attfield (Cardiff University), Prof. Jane Holder (UCL), Dr. Penny Hawkins (RSPCA Science Group), Dr Jonathan M Hoffmann (Witten/Herdecke University), and Dr. Jan Deckers (Newcastle University). Videos of their talks can be accessed via our 'Archive' page.