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How on Earth: Christiana Figueres and Ross Garnaut on Climate Solutions Now

When

Event Status

This event has been cancelled, and will be offered as a live-stream instead. The stream will include Auslan interpreting.

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Christiana Figueres, the architect of the 2015 Paris Agreement, sees the 2020s as a critical moment of opportunity – the ‘golden decade’ – in the future of our species and our planet. 

Earlier this year, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change said: ‘If we do the right thing this decade, we can continue to design the future but if we don’t, we are really condemned to a world of increasing destruction, conflict and pain … It is a golden ten years in the history of humankind.’

At this special event in March, Figueres will be joined by distinguished Australian climate economist Ross Garnaut. With his new book, Superpower, about energy economics in Australia, Garnaut brings a message of optimism, opportunity and urgency, too. ‘We have unparalleled renewable energy resources,’ he writes. ‘We also have the necessary scientific skills.’

After the chaos and failure of the Copenhagen talks in 2009, Figueres spearheaded a historic agreement of 196 nations at Paris – an achievement few believed was possible. Garnaut has been a household name in Australia since his prescient report on the economics of climate change to the Commonwealth Parliament in 2008.  

Hear these two peerless heavyweights in conversation at the Athenaeum Theatre, as they discuss reasons for hope and roadmaps for change, with host Andrew Wear.

This event will be Auslan interpreted.

Presented in partnership with WOMADelaide’s Planet Talks Programme. 

Featuring

Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres is a Costa Rican citizen and was the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2010–16. During her tenure at the UNFCCC, Ms. Figueres brought together national and sub-national governments, corporations and activists, financial institution... Read more

Ross Garnaut

Professor Garnaut is a Professor of Economics at The University of Melbourne. He was previously distinguished Professor of Economics at the Australian National University, the Director of the ANU Asia Pacific School of Economics and Management and was the longstanding Head of the Department of Econo... Read more

Andrew Wear

Andrew Wear is a senior Australian public servant. He has degrees in politics, law, economics and public policy, and is a graduate of the Senior Executive Program at Harvard Kennedy School. A fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, he is also a director of Ardoch Ltd, a childrenâ... Read more

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