Programme
Wednesday 30 March
Registration/Reception Mac's Brewery - 6.00pm
Thursday 31 March
Day 1: "Climate Change and society's challenge"
Registration Te Papa, Oceania Room from 8am
All plenary sessions in Soundings Theatre
Theme 1 - Climate Change and society's challenge
To set the scene around the challenges, what is at stake and what alternative paths forward could look
like for NZ society in a global context, including the impact of external factors on NZ and the risks and
consequences, time-scales and uncertainties.
Speakers:
Professor Martin Manning - Director, NZCCRI
Professor David Karoly - Climate scientist, Melbourne University
Sir Paul Reeves - Chancellor, Auckland University of Technology and former NZ Governor-General
Theme 2 - Communicating the issues
To discuss issues around communicating climate change, its uncertainties and what is at stake e.g.
communication of uncertainties; framing of the issues; use of different media and how society can
engage in a better informed dialogue without locking horns; issues about communicating the evidence,
educating the public, managing risk and uncertainty and dissent and scepticism of scientific evidence and
findings.
Speakers:
Dr Erik Conway - NASA historian
Fred Pearce - Science Writer, UK
Brian Fallow - Economics Editor, NZ Herald
Café session - 6.00pm to 7:30pm
Title: What might we aspire to as individuals and as a society?
A cafe style dialogue with three 8 minute perspectives and a discussion to synthesise the issues from the
first day and to energise discussion on Day 2, facilitated by Ian Wedde, noted NZ poet, novelist and critic.
Café theme: Society taking the lead with a focus on what we can do as individuals (in terms of changing
our thinking and taking actions) and collectively to address climate change.
Panelists:
Gareth Renowden - Writer, NZ
Sir Lloyd Geering - Theologian/Writer, NZ
Professor Robert Gifford - Psychologist, Victoria University, BC, Canada
Dr Bronwyn Hayward- Geographer/Political Scientist, Canterbury University
Friday 1 April
Day 2: "Pathways for society"
Breakfast session - 7.00am to 8.30am
Title: Identifying pathways for a resilient society to survive future climate-induced turbulence.
A conversation with Radio NZ interviewer, Chris Laidlaw, and a panel of speakers from the previous day,
recorded for later broadcast with a live audience over breakfast.
Panel theme: Responding to big risks, focusing on opportunities and building organisational and business
resilience.
Panelists:
Fred Pearce - Science writer, UK
Professor David Karoly - Climate scientist, Melbourne University
Martin Kreft - Munich Reinsurance
Colin James - Political Journalist and Analyst
Theme 3 - Human behaviour and the capacity to change
Understanding how humans behave when faced with uncertainty and future climate change. Social
psychology, and behavioural and ecological economics approaches that can help humans to make
decisions for the future and whether and how behaviour might be changed to do so.
Speakers
Professor Robert Gifford - University of Victoria, BC, Canada
Dr Bronwyn Hayward- Geographer/Political Scientist, Canterbury University
Professor John Thwaites - Monash University
Theme 4 - Toward durable decision making
The challenges of dealing with climate change in a democracy. The limitations of current democratic
institutions and processes to address certain kinds of long-term issues -- such as climate change,
planetary bio-physical constraints. Approaches to policy making in uncertainty e.g. new institutions;
consensus conferences, scenario workshops, alternative framing, including ethical, economic and social
perspectives for collective decision-making.
Speakers
Dr David Frame - University of Oxford
Sacha McMeeking - Ngai Tahu
Conclusion
Professor Jonathan Boston - Institute of Public Policy, Victoria University of Wellington
Jinty MacTavish and Simon Tegg - Youth perspectives
Forum Secretariat
Conferences & Events Ltd
PO Box 24 078
Manners Street
Wellington 6011
Ph: +64 4 384 1511
email: CFF@confer.co.nz
Click here to
view/ download
the Forum Flyer
Click here to view/download the detailed programme.
Sponsored by:
We are grateful for the extremely generous support of Dr Lee Seng Tee, Singapore
Also supported by Wellington City Council.
Convenor
Professor Martin Manning
Organising Committee
Dr Morgan Williams (Chair)
Professor Peter Barrett
Judy Lawrence
Supported by
Liz Thomas
Glenda Lewis
Professor Jonathan Boston
Professor John McClure
Dr Taciano Milfont
Forum Secretariat
Conferences & Events Ltd
Level 41-47 Dixon Street
Wellington
Email: cff@confer.co.nz
Tel: +64 4 384 1511