The Age of Resilience

Jul 31, 2015

As momentum builds towards an international climate change agreement at the UN COP 21 conference in Paris, New Zealand and French experts discuss humanity’s capacity to adapt, become resilient and address the greatest challenge posed to human existence.

 The Royal Society has organised three public panel discussions in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch around the theme of climate change and society. These will be chaired by Kim Hill and recorded by Radio New Zealand for broadcast as part of the Talking Heads series. Motu Senior Fellow, Suzi Kerr is a panel member at the Auckland panel.

An economic conundrum

6pm, Wednesday 26 August
Events Centre, Auckland Museum, The Domain, Parnell

Economic production systems and consumption patterns are both the problem and the solution to climate change. A resilient economy is not just about reducing our ecological footprint through producing and consuming less – economics can be used to drive change: aligning incentives, sparking innovation and encouraging transformation throughout the production/consumption chain.

Human-kind has irrevocably altered the planet’s natural systems – can we use that same human power to unleash true “Green Growth” and achieve a high and sustainable level of human well-being? Panel members include Pierre Ducret, Dr Suzi Kerr, Professor Catherine Larrère and Fraser Whinerary with Kim Hill as facilitator. Tickets.

Climate in-justice?

6pm, Thursday 27 August
Paramount Theatre, 25 Courtenay Place

The age of the anthropocene has heralded inequity concerns both within and between nations. What is the tradeoff between development and high emissions? Who is responsible for the environmental disasters in impoverished countries caused by climate change? Should developing nations be expected to leap frog traditional growth to be green economies and who should help them?

For many experts, the way out of this gridlock involves proposing new models of climate justice. Panel members include Pierre Ducret, Sarah Meads, Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Lucile Schmid with Kim Hill as facilitator. Tickets.

The Anthropocene challenge

6pm Tuesday 1 September
Jack Mann Auditorium, College of Education Campus, Solway Avenue, University of Canterbury

Experts argue that we are living in the age of the Anthropocene – the epoch when humanity has irrevocably altered the planet. Predictions of climate change impacts are dire – mass extinction of species, acidic oceans and extreme weather events.

But can we turn our influence around and steer our global impact in a new direction towards a more sustainable future? Panel members include Professor David Frame, Professor Catherine Larrère, Dame Anne Salmond and Lucile Schmid with Kim Hill as facilitator. Tickets.

For more information go to The Royal Society of New Zealand website.