SEI-US Symposium
Taking Climate Change Seriously:
Research and Policy Directions for the Next US Administration
Friday, December 5, 2008, 9am – 5pm
Scientists are reporting with increasing urgency about the impacts of unabated climate change. With the new administration taking office there is a significant opportunity to reshape the US’ role in addressing the climate challenge.
A one day symposium of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at Tufts University will explore how sound science and policy research can lay a foundation for new climate policies – ones that will allow us to move beyond the current climate stalemate and which offer hope that a low carbon sustainable future is possible.
SEI has been working to address the challenges of climate mitigation and adaptation for more than two decades in both the US and all around the globe. SEI staff and invited speakers from NGOs and policy makers will present relevant projects and discuss how their experience and research can inform US policy makers.
Agenda (with links to PPT and materials):
| 9.00am | Welcome by Lawrence S. Bacow, Tufts President, and Charlie Heaps, Center Director, SEI |
| 9.15am | Introduction: Taking Climate Change Seriously: Symposium Overview, Framing the Discussions. |
| 9.30am | CLIMATE SCIENCE Urgent Findings of the Latest Climate Science Melanie Fitzpatrick, Union of Concerned Scientists Download presentation as pdf |
| 10.00am | CLIMATE ECONOMICS Needed Improvements in Economic Assessments of Climate Policies |
| 11.00am | Break |
| 11.15am | CLIMATE ADAPTATION Come Rain and Shine: Adaptation in the Modern Era |
| 12.15pm | Q & A |
| 12.30pm | Lunch |
| 1.30pm | US MITIGATION POLICIES Regional Climate Initiatives as a Pathway to a Federal Cap Climate Mitigation Under the Existing Clean Air Act |
| 3:00pm | Break |
| 3.15pm | INTERNATIONAL POLICIES The Greenhouse Development Rights Framework Applied to the US |
| 4.15pm | Update from COP14 |
| 4.30pm | Panel and Plenary Discussion Where do we go from here? Viable policy options for the US. Facilitator: Kenneth A. Colburn, Center for Climate Strategies Panelists: Frank Ackerman, SEI; Sonia Hamel; Charlie Heaps, SEI; William Moomaw, Tufts; Ralph Torrie, ICF International |
| 5.15pm | End |