Public lecture: defining dangerous climate change

Australian scientist, leading figure in the international climate debate and an advisor to Greenpeace International Bill Hare talks about the meaning of dangerous climate change.

Where: ANU Centre for Climate Law and Policy Public Lecture

When: Wednesday 12 March 2008, 1pm Manning Clarke Centre, Theatre 5, ANU Campus.

RSVP: rsvp@law.anu.edu.au this event is free and open to the general public

Lecture topic

Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) states that the ultimate objective of the Convention is to achieve ‘stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system’.

The meaning of this phrase is unclear and debate about what concentration levels should be considered dangerous has raged since the Convention was opened for signature in May 1992.

As negotiations continue on the post-Kyoto I regime and nations seek to reach a consensus on a unifying goal for global climate policy, attention is once again focusing on stabilisation targets and the meaning of ‘dangerous climate change’. In this lecture, Bill Hare will provide an update on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) work on dangerous climate change and the evolving nature of the debate.

Speaker background

Bill Hare is an Australian scientist and a leading figure in the international climate debate. He was a lead author of the contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC and the Synthesis Report and is a Visiting Scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Previously, Bill worked as director of climate policy at Greenpeace International and he continues to do work for the organisation.

The views expressed in this seminar are those of the presenter and do not necessarily represent the views of The Australian National University.