Lecture: How environmental and climate protection is communicated

Hans-Josef Fell comes from Hammelburg and studied physics and sport at the University of Würzburg to become a secondary school teacher. He taught for around 20 years, including at Humboldt-Gymnasium in Schweinfurt. In 1998, he was elected to the Bundestag for Alliance 90/The Greens, where he served until 2013.

As spokesman for research and energy policy, Fell campaigned for climate protection and the expansion of renewable energies during this time. He drafted the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). Today he is President of the Energy Watch Group and a global speaker, travelling the world to promote climate protection and renewable energies.

Two lectures plus discussion

On Wednesday, 14 January 2026, Hans-Josef Fell will give a public lecture (in German language) at the University of Würzburg entitled "Communicating with and to society - the example of environmental and climate protection". Admission is free, the event starts at 18:00 in the lecture theatre of the graduate schools on the Hubland North Campus, Beatrice-Edgell-Weg 21.

Afterwards, JMU media psychologist Dr Astrid Carolus will speak. In a short presentation, she will explain the extent to which the latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence are changing communication, including in the form of disinformation. A discussion will follow; the event will end at around 8 pm.

Continuation of the REKLINEU joint project

The lecture evening is part of the final workshop of the joint project "REKLINEU - Regional Pathways to Climate-Neutral Universities". Over the course of three years, the project developed new ideas, concepts and best practice examples for climate neutrality at universities. The University of Würzburg, the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences and the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences are involved in the project.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has funded the network - and will continue to do so: REKLINEU will enter its second funding phase from February 2026. Then, among other things, the focus will be on transferring the results into practice.

Lecture by Hans-Josef Fell

The speaker writes about the content of his presentation:

Communication dominates the world - with information about solution strategies to overcome global or local problems for the common good, but also with disinformation and lies to enforce power and corporate interests without regard for the common good.

Currently, anti-democratic disinformation to enforce power interests seems to dominate, especially in the sector of climate- and nature-destroying fossil and nuclear economic interests. On the other hand, the expansion of emission-free, clean climate protection technologies in the world is gathering pace.

The latter offers people the great opportunity to get involved as individuals or collectively and thus strengthen broad democratic participation.

Communication plays a central role here: how can truths rather than disinformation be communicated to the majority? How can democratically stable societies be supported?

One key also lies with ourselves: in personal civic engagement for a clean, climate-protecting environment and extensive democratic self-sufficiency.

In addition to the above considerations, the lecture will present outstanding and successful examples of civic communication activities.