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The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme and
the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Environmental Committee
Symposium
Planet under pressure: global changes, regional challenges
Thursday 24 September 2009
Beijer Hall, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Objectives
The symposium will highlight recent advances in global environmental change research, focusing on regional challenges at the science-policy interface. Themes on the Arctic, land-atmosphere-ocean interactions, and planetary boundaries will showcase some IGBP-led research and demonstrate how this research helps formulate policy.
This symposium aims to strengthen IGBP and the Academy’s role in global change research in Sweden, and to improve links with policymakers. The afternoon will include a panel debate on communicating risk and uncertainty, involving decision makers, industry and media representatives.
8:30 – 9:00 Registration
Opening
Chair: Henning Rodhe, Stockholm University
9:00 - 9:07 Gunnar Öquist, Permanent Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
9:08 - 9:15 Anders Wijkman, Tällberg Foundation
9:16 - 9:22 Elisabeth Lipiatou, Head of Unit, Climate Change and Environmental Risks, DG Research, European Commission
9:23 - 9:30 Sybil Seitzinger, Executive Director, International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme
The Arctic
Chair: Jonas Björck, Swedish Research Council, Vetenskapsrådet
09:30 – 09:45 Long-term trends in the cryosphere – Olga Solomina, Russian Academy of Sciences
09:45 – 10:00 Arctic sea ice in a changing climate – Göran Björk, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
10:00 – 10:15 Arctic Ocean Ecosystems – Marit Reigstad, University of Tromsö, Norway
10:15 – 10:45 Coffee Break
10:45 – 11:00 Biogeochemical cycling and dynamic global vegetation models in the Arctic – Almut Arneth, University of Lund, Sweden
11:00 – 11:15 Arctic climate feedbacks: global implications - Martin Sommerkorn, Senior Climate Change Advisor, WWF International Arctic Programme
11:15 – 11:30 Discussion
Land-atmosphere-ocean interactions
Chair: Sofie Björling, Swedish Research Council, Formas
11:30 – 11:45 Human atmospheric impacts on the ocean nitrogen budget – Robert Duce, Texas A&M University, USA
11:45 – 12:00 Carbon cycling in the coastal zone – Arthur Chen, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan
12:00 – 12:15 Vulnerable Siberian-Arctic carbon pools: process studies of carbon releases from tundra and permafrost in the land-ocean boundary region – Örjan Gustafsson, Stockholm University, Sweden
12:15 – 13:30 Lunch – see list of restaurants on the University campus
13:30 – 13:45 Ocean Acidification – Sam Dupont, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
13:45 – 14:00 Discussion
Planetary Boundaries
Chair: Lena Gipperth, University of Gothenburg
14:00 – 14:15 Planetary Boundaries – Johan Rockström, Stockholm Resilience Centre
14:15 – 14:30 Are we reaching limits to global biospheric productivity? – Steven Running, University of Montana, USA
14:30 – 14:45 Climate boundaries: are we asking the right questions? – Myles Allen, University of Oxford, UK
14:45 – 15:00 What is the core of the sustainability challenge? – Wolfgang Lucht, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany
15:00 – 15:15 Discussion
15:15 – 15:45 Coffee break
Panel debate: Communicating risk and uncertainty
Mediator: Henrik Ekman
Uncertainty is inherent in all science. But the media and policymakers struggle with uncertainty. Policymakers want definitive answers: What is dangerous climate change? What targets do we need to set? The media simply polarise the discussion at the most basic level: you either believe humans are causing the climate to change or you don’t. Meanwhile, the insurance industry succeeds or fails depending on how well it manages risk and uncertainty. This panel debate brings together politicians, scientists, the media and the insurance industry to discuss how to deal with the risk and uncertainty inherent in global change research.
16:00 – 16:05 Mediator: Henrik Ekman, SVT
16:05 – 16:10 Anders Wijkman, Tällberg Foundation
16:10 – 16:15 Elisabeth Lipiatou, Head of Unit, Climate Change and Environmental Risks, DG Research, European Commission
16:15 – 16:20 Matthew Foote, Research Director, Willis Research Network
16:20 – 16:25 Steven Running, University of Montana, USA
16:25 – 16:30 Karin Bojs, Head of Science Desk, Dagens Nyheter
16:30 – 16:35 Helena Ödmark, Swedish Senior Arctic Official
16:35 – 16:40 Myles Allen, University of Oxford, UK
16:40 – 17:15 Open Discussion
Closing
17:15 – 17:30 Closing Remarks – Leif Anderson, University of Gothenburg and Chair of the Environmental Committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
About the conveners
For over 20 years the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) has been at the forefront of global environmental change research and analysis. The programme brings together researchers from more than 70 countries to provide scientific knowledge to improve the sustainability of the living Earth. Its Secretariat has been based at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm since 1987.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, through its Environmental Committee, monitors and interprets scientific developments in areas of global environmental concern. The Environmental Committee is actively committed to addressing issues relating to human impact on global environmental sustainability including, e.g.; climate change, biodiversity loss, natural resource use and management, changes in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
The conveners gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of The Swedish Research Council Formas
Scientific Organising Committee
Leif Anderson, University of Gothenburg
Wendy Broadgate, IGBP
Melissa Chierici, University of Gothenburg
Owen Gaffney, IGBP
Elisabeth Kessler, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Joao Morais, IGBP
Kevin Noone, Stockholm University
Sybil Seitzinger, IGBP