Transcript Professor Dean Forbes

NOW THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS
RECOGNISED AS A MAJOR RISK TO
BUSINESS, HOW DO YOU ELEVATE
FROM BELIEF TO ACTION?
Corporate Social Responsibility 2007 Summit
State Library of NSW, Sydney
30 October – 1 November 2007
Professor Dean Forbes
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International)
Flinders University
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Elevating from Belief to Action
Mick Kelty: ‘climate change, with the threat of water and food shortages
and refugees fleeing rising sea levels, is the greatest security risk of this
century’ (The Australian, 25/9/07)
Contrasting opinions on the science of climate change in The Great Global
Warming Swindle (UK) and The Denial Machine (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
A comprehensive scientific project, capped by a Nobel Prize
Act locally and act globally
Woody Allen: Some people drink from the river of life. Others just gargle
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Acting Locally: How University’s Contribute
Setting an Example
Taking responsibility, and setting an example, both nationally and globally
Working with Business
University of East Anglia
Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Club
CRED, which stands for carbon reduction
BRASH – Business and Research Alliances for Sustainable Habitats
BRASH links Flinders University’s environment expertise with enterprises
wanting to enhance their sustainability practices
Assistance with an environmental audit of your workplace
Showing how to develop an environmental management system
Preparing environmental reports to demonstrate improvements
Introduce more energy efficient plant or water use or deal more effectively
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with waste systems
Acting Locally: How University’s Contribute
Working with the Media
‘Cool Aid: The National Carbon Test”
Global warming and its consequences. How individuals and the community
could reduce GHG emissions
Household GHG audits were undertaken by researchers from the Institute for
Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney
University-media cooperation
Eco Heroes
Who are the most prominent ‘eco heroes’ and how significant are they in
shaping attitudes and public policy on the environment?
Leave it to Bono?
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Acting Globally: The Policy Levers
What is the tipping point for serious action on climate change?
Carbon Emissions Trading
Government Task Group on Emissions Trading
On 3 June 2007 the Prime Minister announced that the Government
would introduce a ‘cap and trade’ emissions trading scheme
Working with Asia
Australia must cooperate with Asian Pacific countries on reducing
carbon emissions, and managing the inevitable consequences of our
past behaviour
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Acting Globally: The Policy Levers
Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
The six governments to sign on are Australia, China, India, Japan,
Korea and the US
Australia’s proposed carbon emissions trading system must be part
of a global arrangement
A significant amount of work that needs to be done on the
inevitable impact of environmental change upon Asian Pacific
societies
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