Bjerknessenterets mål er å forstå klima
til nytte for samfunnet.

Westcoast of Greenland. Photo: Øyvind Paasche 

SDG Conference 2019: Does climate mitigation trump other concerns?

Dilemmas in implementing rapid transformation of the energy system to reach the Paris targets are many. An expert panel will present and discuss major challenges and possible conflicts between the SDG goals at February 6, at the 2019 SDG Conference.

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It is urgent for society to reduce CO2-emissions, and to achieve the Paris targets. The available remaining carbon budget which needs to be kept to be within the Paris targets of 1.5 or 2 degrees warming above pre-industrial levels is very limited.

This calls for unprecedented and extremely rapid changes in energy production and consumption, as well as other mitigating efforts. The urgency of the energy transformation requires a major restructuring and a quest for alternatives to fossil fuel based energy.

 

Join in on the Day Zero of the 2019 SDG Conference at the University of Bergen
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Does climate thus trump other concerns in balancing mitigation actions and their impacts? Does this imply that all renewable energy production should be welcomed? Can renewable energy sometimes come with a too high cost with respect to biodiversity, food supply and health? Do we need nuclear energy to meet the Paris targets?

 

Balancing mitigation actions and their impacts

When strong mitigation policies are implemented, we experience conflicting concerns. The event will discuss such conflicting issues. How far can we go to reach the climate mitigation goals, and how can we balance concerns and impacts while working towards SDG Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG Goal 2 - Zero Hunger, SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 13 – Climate Action?

The speakers are leading academics working on the climate change and mitigation areas with broad expertise in energy systems, climate action, biodiversity and ecosystems, energy transition, climate policies in Europe, USA and China and nuclear energy.

The speakers will present major challenges and possible conflicts between the SDG goals, followed by a moderated panel discussion and questions from the audience.

 

Participants:

Professor Matthias Kaiser – UiB

Professor Jeroen van der Sluijs – UiB

Professor Vigdis Vanvik – UiB and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research

Professor Helge Drange – UiB and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (tbc)

Professor Miranda Schreurs - TU Munchen

Moderator: Hans-Kristian Ringkjøb, PhD student in UiBs renewable energy programme.

 

The meeting and the light lunch is free of charge, and open to all interested. Please register here.

 

Schedule

12:15-13:00 - Mingling and a light meal (requires registration)

13.00-13:05 - Welcome by the organizers

13:05-14:50 - 20 min presentations by the speakers

14:50-15:10 - Break coffee/tea

15:10-16:10 - Panel discussion between speakers

16:10-17:00 - Panel discussion and Q/A with audience