Transcript DECC Presentation

The appliance of science – a policy
perspective
Moscow 19 March 2015
David Warrilow
Head of Science
DECC
Questions, science and policy
“The
important thing is not to stop questioning.
Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
Albert Einstein
“There does not exist a category of science to which
one can give the name applied science. There are
science and the applications of science, bound
together as the fruit of the tree which bears it.”
Louis Pasteur
Is the climate changing?
Is climate change
happening?
Are humans
responsible?
How will it change
in the future?
How will that
affect us?
IPCC WG1 5th Assessment Report 2013
Does climate change cause
extremes?
Is the extreme event we
experience due to climate
change?
Will extremes be worse in
the future?
Dangerous Climate Change
3 broad policy relevant questions underpin the AVOID Programme:
– What are the characteristics of ‘dangerous’ climate
change?
– What greenhouse gas emissions pathways will avoid
‘dangerous’ climate change?
– What is the feasibility of such pathways?
Carbon limits – how?
Climate Change and Energy
6
Possible shared questions
What are the downstream impact of such changes. GHG
emissions, ecosystems, socio-economic changes?
What are the adaptation options?
What are the local benefits of global mitigation measures?
Regional examples:
What will the impact of Arctic ices loss be on the global
circulation, sea currents, weather in mid and high latitudes?
When will the Arctic become navigable for enough time for
commercial routes to develop. What impact will that have?
What are the risks of massive methane releases from permafrost
and hydrates?
To future collaboration
The hardest problems of pure and applied science
can only be solved by the open collaboration of the
world-wide scientific community.
Kenneth G. Wilson