Articulating science and education to face the challenge of Global Climate Change

UNESCO is participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 13th Conference of the Parties, on 3-14 December 2007 in Bali, Indonesia.

UNESCO is participating in the UNFCCC's 13th Conference of the Parties, sometimes referred to as the Bali Conference on global climate change. UNESCO will be represented at COP-13 by Mr Patricio Bernal, Assistant Director General for the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC); Mr Hubert Gijzen, Director of the Jakarta Office; Mr Jan Henning Steffen, of Natural Sciences at the Jakarta Office; Ms L. Anathea Brooks, of the Natural Sciences’ Executive Office and by guest speakers Prof. Johan Hattingh, Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa and Prof. J. Timmons Roberts, co-author of "A Climate of Injustice" and Director of the Mellon Environmental Studies Program at the College of William and Mary, USA.

The organization is also hosting a side event on 14 December from 1 to 3 p.m., during the high-level negotiation segment of the meeting. The side event is entitled Articulating science and education to face the challenge of global climate change: a UNESCO dialogue. The challenge of climate change calls for understanding vulnerability, enhancing resilience and promoting positive behavioural change. This cannot be achieved without the strong articulation between the sciences - natural and social - and education that constitutes UNESCO's distinctive contribution.

The side event will be a dialogue between several social scientists on what basic questions need to be asked in order for the physical science basis of global climate change to be integrated into policies at the national level to address climate change adaptation and mitigation. This will include an attempt to come to an agreement on a common vocabulary, and on what the specific needs of less developed countries will be in order to successfully participate in the dialogue towards solutions. Education will be paramount to achieving outcomes based on consensus.

For more information about this conference, please contact Ms Anathea Brooks (a.brooks@unesco.org).

Related website:
:: UNESCO & Global Climate Change
:: Gateway to the UN System's Work on Climate Change 

 

• Source:UNESCO SC
• 03-12-2007