May 26: Towards COP21 in Paris: What Next – Radical emissions reductions or risky false solutions?


Warmly welcome to a seminar with

Kevin Anderson, Tyndall Centre and University of Manchester
Pat Mooney, ETC Group
Neth Daño, ETC Group
Niclas Hällström, What Next Forum

Presenters portraits

Tuesday 26 May, 2015, 13.15-16.00
Venue: Kungl. Myntkabinettet, Slottsbacken, Gamla stan
Free admission
Register by 24 May at info@whatnext.org

We are pleased to invite you to an informal seminar that will tackle some of the key issues at stake as the world is gathering for climate negotiations towards COP21 in Paris later this year.

Kevin Anderson, professor at University of Manchester and Deputy Director of Tyndall Centre, UK’s premier climate change research institution will challenge us all with his analysis of the remaining carbon budget and its implications on emissions reduction trajectories and need for radical transformation across all sectors of society.

Pat Mooney, Executive Director of ETC Group and Right Livelihood Award recipient 1985, will expose how the Paris meeting risks locking us into risky, planetary-scale technological ‘false solutions’ such as geo-engineering.

Neth Daño, Asia Director of ETC Group, will reflect on the progress towards the establishment of a global UN-based mechanism for technology assessment to be paired with vibrant, civil society monitoring to ensure real rather than false solutions are favoured.

Niclas Hällström, Director of What Next Forum, will discuss the bold idea of a global renewable energy support programme that could enable countries in both the North and South to quickly embark on a transformation towards 100% renewable energy and provide a positive boost to the climate negotiations.

Following the brief initial presentations, we look forward to a stimulating conversation among all presenters and participants.

As we approach COP21 in Paris, it is clear that much is at stake. The new agreement may be designed to allow for rapid scaling up of ambition, but may also lock us into low ambition and even false solutions. It is thus of utmost importance that both civil society and progressive governments are clear on what are both opportunities and potential traps.

This seminar seeks to explore this terrain in as frank and open-minded ways as possible, recognising that Sweden can play a tremendously important role. The idea of international technology assessment and operationalising of the precautionary principle has been championed by Sweden for decades, and Sweden has also been supportive of the recent African-led call for a Global Renewable Energy Support programme.

The seminar largely builds on contributions by authors of the publication What Next Vol III: Climate, Equity and Development. This publication was published in late 2012 and circulated widely in international climate negotiations circles and well as within academia and civil society. The seminar will offer updated presentations, but in particular stimulating interaction between the authors and participants.

[Download here: www.whatnext.org/Publications/Volume_3/Volume_3_main.html]

The structure of the seminar is very informal – we will begin with short introductory presentations by all the speakers. The latter part of the seminar will be fully participatory with open discussion on the way forward.

Please register in advance (latest 24 May) by sending an e-mail to info@whatnext.org.

The seminar is free.

The seminar is organised by the What Next Forum, CEMUS (Centre for Environment and Development Studies at Uppsala University and SLU), the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, The Church of Sweden, and Klimataktion.

More information at: www.whatnext.org/Publications/Volume_3/Volume_3_main.html