Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This keynote by Enrique Leff proposes we rethink the cultural, epistemological and economic foundations of development from the concept of environmental rationality to pave the way for a civilisational transition in Latin America, in Session 2 of the conference.
Enrique Leff is a distinguished Mexican sociologist and economist, Emeritus Researcher at the Institute of Social Research and Professor at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and a member of the National System of Researchers. With doctorates in Development Economics and Philosophy of Science, he is a leading figure in Political Ecology, Ecological Economics, and Latin American Environmental Thought. He coordinated the UNEP Environmental Training Network for Latin America and the Caribbean for over 20 years. He has published more than 35 books, including 'Environmental Knowledge' and 'Environmental Rationality', and has been awarded multiple honorary doctorates for his academic and international career.
This keynote by Enrique Leff proposes we rethink the cultural, epistemological and economic foundations of development from the concept of environmental rationality to pave the way for a civilisational transition in Latin America, in Session 2 of the conference.
Enrique Leff is a distinguished Mexican sociologist and economist, Emeritus Researcher at the Institute of Social Research and Professor at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and a member of the National System of Researchers. With doctorates in Development Economics and Philosophy of Science, he is a leading figure in Political Ecology, Ecological Economics, and Latin American Environmental Thought. He coordinated the UNEP Environmental Training Network for Latin America and the Caribbean for over 20 years. He has published more than 35 books, including 'Environmental Knowledge' and 'Environmental Rationality', and has been awarded multiple honorary doctorates for his academic and international career.
