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UCLEI Public Lecture Series 2008-09

The UCL Environment Institute held a very successful Public Lecture Series throughout the 2008-09 academic year.  Below are some brief summaries of each talk. You may also download the presentation slides for each.

Prof. Victor Flatt / Sir David King / Prof. Sandy Thomas / Prof. John Beddington / Prof. Michael Kelly / Prof. Bob Watson / Lord Turner

US Federal Legislation Concerning Mandatory Controls of Greenhouse Gases: Probability and Parameters.
Professor Victor Flatt, Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, University of Houston Law Centre, October 2008

Professor Flatt’s presentation addressed both the politics surrounding climate change in the U.S. Presidential election, the U.S. Congress and the competing Bills addressing the issue.  Professor Flatt also discussed how likely US comprehensively climate change legislation will operate with the current EU system and future International climate change agreements.  Click here for the presentation slides.


21st Century Challenges
Sir David King, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Oxford University, November 2008

Sir David King outlined a number of 21st Century Challenges to facing all countries: Climate change; food production; conflict and terrorism; water resource; energy security and supply; health and education; biodiversity; and population, which he argued was the ddriver for all the other challenges. Click here for the presentation slides.


Science and the Future: Using Foresight in Government
Professor Sandy Thomas, Head of Foresight, Government Office for Science, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), December 2008

Professor Thomas’s presentation focused on three Foresight reports Powering Our Future, Obesity and Mental Capital.  She provided a breakdown of each project’s design, aims and results as well as the government’s response to these in terms of policy and planning. Click here for the presentation slides.

Climate Change: Science and the Way Forward
Professor John Beddington, Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government, January 2009

Professor Beddington outlined a number of global challenges including: urbanisation; population; alleviating poverty; energy demand; water demand; food security; infectious diseases; climate change. He argued that science and engineering solutions are needed for these complex and interrelated issues. Click here for the presentation slides.


Climate Change Resilience, Sustainable Consumption and Energy Efficiency; The Role of the Built Environment
Professor Michael Kelly, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), March 2009

Professor Kelly argued that in the UK alone, we are currently living a 'three planet lifestyle’ and it is time to make some vital choices, to enable people to enjoy a one planet lifestyle. The cities, power plants and homes we build today will either lock society into damaging over-consumption beyond our lifetimes, or begin to propel this and future generations towards sustainable, One Planet Living. Click here for the presentation slides.


The Scientific, Economic and Ethical Challenge of Climate Change
Professor Robert Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), February 2009

Professor Bob Watson argued that climate change links all environmental issues, including: stratospheric ozone depletion; air quality; desertification; water; forestry and biodiversity.  He concluded the there is no dichotomy between environmental protection and economic growth – indeed environmental degradation undermines development and the Millennium Development Goals. There are cost-effective and equitable solutions to address issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss, but political will and moral leadership is needed. Click here for the presentation slides.


Failed Markets, Irrational Markets and Environmental Policy
Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, Chairman of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), May 2009

Lord Turner discussed the challenges to neoclassical economics post credit crunch; focusing on the inherent uncertainty in social and economic relationships and the global economic impacts of climate change. He challenged the assumption that mitigating global warming will be expensive, instead highlighted the economic rationale of acting now for future sustainability. Click here for the presentation slides.