Sustainability Lecture - Confronting Climate Change: Is it time to embrace a new role for climate science (and scientists)?

As the global movement towards coordinated and comprehensive climate policies grows, what is the role of climate science (and scientists) in supporting this work that is happening largely outside of traditional scientific realms? To meaningfully make progress towards the mitigation and adaptation targets called for by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we need to embrace alternative models for how science is conducted, redefine the legitimacy of the roles scientists can play in society, and critically evaluate what constitutes knowledge in the context of climate change science. This talk will explore different approaches that go beyond ‘basic research’ to support the application and use of climate science across sectors and examine the challenges and opportunities facing researchers, elected officials and the public as we work together to integrate climate science into decision-making at a range of local, national and international scales. 

Dr. Heidi Roop is Lead Scientist for Science Communication at the University Washington’s Climate Impact Group in Seattle, Washington. She is also an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the UW School of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and serves as an advisor to the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center.

The talk took place on 27 September 2019 and was moderated by Paul Vallelonga, Associate Professor at Ice, Climate and Geophysics, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen

The event was organised by the Sustainability Science Centre at the University of Copenhagen and the Niels Bohr Institute, ICAT PhD School, as a part of the Sustainability Lecture Series.