IPCC Conference 2007

What’s Next? Policy Responses to the IPCC IV Assessment Report
Berlin, November 23, 2007

According to the 4 IPCC Assessment Report (AR4) Greenhouse gas emissions are projected to increase unless further policy measures are put in place. The warming of the planet is now unequivocal and it is almost universally accepted that human activities are responsible for it. If current trends of temperature increase are not stopped, major, adverse changes in the climate system with potentially dangerous impacts on ecosystems, food supply security and water resources are to be expected.

With the policy instruments currently available for mitigation, emissions will continue to increase with severe consequences for humans, entire ecosystems and the economic development.

In view of this report a major effort needs to be made to extend, advance and implement policies and instruments capable of substantially reducing emissions. Due to the urgency of the problem a global, inclusive agreement should be negotiated to provide confidence and direction for the business community and for developing countries.

The adoption and approval of the synthesis report of the 4. IPCC Assessment Report (IPCC AR 4 SYS) is scheduled for November 16, during the 27th session of the IPCC in Valencia.

On November 23rd the BMU, the German IPCC Coordination Office and ECF are pleased to convene climate experts, policy makers, NGOs and business representatives to identify the necessary steps needed to avoid dangerous climate change and to favor a sustainable transition towards a decarbonized economy.

More specifically, we will discuss the implications of the synthesis report for policy approaches. Further on we aim at identifying key elements for the negotiations in Bali and the post 2012 process.

The conference is an initiative of:

        

Conference Outline

The conference will be opened by the German State Secretary Michael Müller. An introduction by Prof. Klaus Hasselmann, the vice chairman of ECF, will follow. He will introduce Dr. Pachauri, the chairman of the IPCC who will provide an overview of the IPCC AR4 and some personal remarks about implications for policy and business in view of the negotiations in Bali and the post 2012 process. The Opening Session will be followed by four different panels. The panels with presentations by IPCC Lead Authors and panel responses given by international experts will guide us through the day.

Panel I:

“What level of climate change is to be avoided?” is the theme for the first panel. A presentation by Lead Author Dr. William Hare about the key findings of IPCC AR4 will lead us to the first panel discussion.

Panel II:

To define common future goals is the aim of Panel II: “How can dangerous climate change be avoided?” In response to the presentation of Lead Author Dr. Bert Metz, experts from different countries and sectors will speak from their regional perspectives.

Panel III: 

Early afternoon Panel III will tackle the strategic options: “How can global greenhouse gas emissions peak in the next 10-15 years?” Technological options and policy directions will be discussed in relation to costs, benefits and risks after the presentation of Lead Author Prof. Nebojsa Nakicenovic.

Panel IV:

The current political agenda and the need to develop first steps towards a roadmap for the post 2012 process will be the topic of the last panel, entitled “Bali and the post 2012 process: What needs to be achieved in Bali and beyond?”

A concluding sessions with remarks from policy and science will close the day and leave the floor to the artist and photographer Mark Edward and his photo show “The Dark Rain.”

Additional Information:

Presentations: