The evidence is indisputable. The impacts of climate change are already a fact of life for many of Australia’s near neighbours in Asia and the Pacific.

What do you do when you lose your land and risk losing your nation to climate change?
What are the consequences when you become a refugee in your own country?
What will be the effects on women and children who are often the most vulnerable?
What responsibility does Australia have towards our neighbours?
What are Australia’s options for responding to the present and future impacts of climate
change on neighbouring countries?
What action should we all take?

Venue

The Great Hall, UTS, Sydney, NSW

Date & time

Thursday, 20 August 2009 6:00 PM

Background issues paper
Climate Change and Development (PDF 5.20MB)
Prepared by The Institute for Sustainable Futures

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MODERATOR

Professor Stuart White - Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures

Stuart has worked and undertaken research in sustainability for over twenty years, with a focus on sustainable infrastructure, sustainable cities and improved decision making. This includes specialising in the use of least cost planning for utilities and the advocacy, design, implementation and evaluation of programs for improving resource use efficiency. At the Institute, and previously as Director of Preferred Options (Asia-Pacific) Pty Ltd, he designed or implemented three of Australia’s largest water efficiency programs, in Kalgoorlie Boulder in Western Australia, in northern New South Wales and in Sydney. In 1998 he was appointed as a member of the NSW Task Force on Water Conservation and in 2001 as a member of the Expert Panel on Environmental Flows for the Hawkesbury Nepean. In 2000 he was requested by the NSW Minister for the Environment to undertake an Independent Review of Container Deposit Legislation and has written and presented widely on sustainable futures including taxation, participatory decision-making and public policy.

SPEAKERS

Deepa Gupta – Executive Director, Indian Youth Climate Network

Deepa is the co-founder and an Executive Director of the Indian Youth Climate Network, which is working to build India’s youth movement on climate change. In 2008, Deepa coordinated the first Indian Youth Delegation at COP14. She also launched IYCNs climate leadership program, and since then has trained hundreds of youth in India to take action on climate change, resulting in the launch of many eco-action groups and grassroots projects. She aims to ensure that Indian youth voices, especially those from climate affected communities, are heard and seen nationally and internationally. Deepa is also currently working with Green Economy India on green jobs, green businesses and green courses to support India’s transition into a greener economy. Deepa previously worked with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) where she worked on religion and climate change and has continued her interaction with faith groups in India. She has also previously worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she joined their Business Assurance division and moved on to work with their climate change practice; and also worked in project management with Saviom. Deepa is currently a studying bachelor of commerce at UTS. She is of Indian background and has grown up in Australia, therefore envisions the two countries working closer together in combatting climate change.

Dr Frank Jotzo – Deputy Director, Australian National University Climate Change Institute

Frank Jotzo is one of Australia’s leading environmental and resource economists, specialising in the economics and policy of climate change. He has worked and published on these topics and other aspects of international and development economics since 1998. His regional specialisation is Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, in particular Indonesia. He has worked and consulted for several governments and international organisations - career highlights include Economic Adviser to Garnaut Climate Change Review, Consultant to the World Bank, Researcher for Stanford University project, Research Economist with ABARE, and work with economics and environment think tanks in Indonesia and Germany. His research and teaching interests include Development and environment, international climate policy, economic mechanisms for greenhouse gas control, and adaptation to climate change, resource and environmental management in Indonesia and other countries of the Asia-Pacific. Frank is a Research Fellow at the Resource Management in Sia-Pacific Program and The Arndt-Corden Division of Economics.

Akka Rimon –Senior Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Education, Republic of Kiribati

Akka has been able to observe, first hand, the effects of climate change on her country – a nation very vulnerable to climate change. She is currently on an Australian Leadership Award scholarship from AusAID pursuing studies for a Master of Public Administration Degree. Her first degree was in Journalism, History and Politics and she has worked with the Government of Kiribati since 2004 – first with the Ministry of Communications, then the President’s Office and finally before taking up studies, the Ministry of Education. She aspires to a senior leadership role in Government when she returns to Kiribati upon completion of studies.