Climate Challenges Seminar
Feedback from participants:
Thank you, I though it went exceptionally well. The diversity of participants really adds value through hearing alternate perspectives from outside of one’s usual echo chamber. Mark Taylor, Founding Supporter
The Aspen Institute provides an opportunity to step out of your network and critically discuss relevant issues with incredible minds that you would otherwise not have a chance to engage with. In doing so, we’re empowered to explore diverse perspectives and have thought-provoking conversations that will help shape the way we respond to these issues going forward. Joanna Borzecki, Phd Student, Victoria University of Wellington
The Climate Challenges seminar was held online starting 14th April over three consecutive, 2.5 hour sessions. Participants from public and private sectors including agriculture, medicine, farming, finance and law, from students to experienced CEO’s, were led by three experts in systems sciences, values-based leadership, climate change, and policy formation.
Neil Jacobstein - Director Aspen Institute NZ, Aspen Crown Fellow, Chair AI Robotics Singularity University and MediaX Distinguished Scholar Stanford University, 6 years on the US National Academy of Sciences Division of Earth and Life Studies Committee, and decades of environmental systems consulting.
Associate Professor Sara Walton - Associate Professor University of Otago Business School with extensive expertise in business and environmental innovation, sustainability, transitions and stakeholder conflicts.
Professor Tim Naish - Professor in Earth Sciences, Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington. His research focuses on past, present and future climate with specific emphasis on how the Antarctic ice sheets respond to climate change.
A carefully set of readings formed the basis of discussion each day:
Day 1: Climate Change Values and Systems Dynamics
Day 2: The Science of Climate Change
Day 3: Climate Change Policy Trade-offs, adaptation, avoidance, mitigation strategies
