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Analysis: Climate change on agenda

3 July 2006

Over 150 business leaders, risk managers and insurance executives will gather at the Lloyd's building in London on 5 July 2006 to hear a series of lectures on climate change.

Professor Bill McGuire Among the experts speaking at the event will be Professor Bill McGuire, Director of UCL's Benfield Hazard Research Centre.

Professor McGuire will give a talk on the science of climate change, and will join captains of industry, economists and the managing director of a smelting and power company on the podium. Professor McGuire will discuss what the latest science says about the scale and speed of climate change, and how much humanity is to blame for the change.

Professor McGuire has written extensively on climate change and is in no doubt about its potential for misery: "Climate change due to human activities is the greatest threat our race has ever faced and it is happening now. Things are going to get bad whatever we do, but if we do nothing we will consign our children and their children to a life of hell."

The event will be chaired by news presenter Sir Trevor McDonald and promises to instigate some lively debate. Among the topics up for discussion are: 'Is Kyoto having any impact on the problem?' 'Does America now accept climate change is happening and what is the sceptic's argument?' and 'What is the role of government in finding solutions? Don't their special programs just encourage irresponsible development in many of the country's most vulnerable areas?'

To find out more about the Benfield Hazard Research Centre and Professor McGuire's work, use the links at the bottom of this article.