Thursday 10th October 2019 – 17.30 hours to 20.30 hours – Huxley Foyer and H300

Organised by: United Nations Association (London and South East), Centre for Aquatic Environments (University of Brighton) and Sussex Wildlife Trust 

 

 

 

 

 

The Paris Agreement, convened by the United Nations, marked a decisive global and historic event by calling for all governments to keep global temperature rise as close as possible to 1.5 C and therefore calling for a drastic reduction of greenhouse emissions.   However, global warming and Climate Change keep having disastrous consequences around the World and more is needed, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  In October 2018 the IPCC released a special report that highlighted the importance of limiting global warming to 1.5 C in order to prevent some of the worst-case scenarios.  The report was clear that greenhouse gas emissions need to come down by 45 per cent by 2030 and reach zero emissions by 2050 to keep the crucial target.

 

This important Conference on Climate, Oceans and Coastal Communities aims to help understanding the environmental, economic and social consequences of global warming and climate change among coastal communities, at global and local level. We will have experts in the fields of the Environment, Social Sciences and Economics, providing analysis, sharing their perspectives and offering crucial potential solutions, encompassing a holistic approach to climate action. The Programme will allow for the audience to raise questions to the Panellists in order to engage with the different topics.

 

We will aim to strengthen existing and new Climate Action Networks, enabling potential coordinated regional actions in our Coastal Communities.

 

The Conference will also include a networking session, wine and nibbles.

Programme:

17.30	Registration and networking – Huxley Foyer
18.00	Opening of Conference –Professor Chris Joyce & Rt. Hon Stephen   Lloyd MP – Huxley 300
18.10	Keynote speaker: Professor Andrew Church – Huxley 300 “How We Damage Nature and What We Might Do About It”
18.30	Film – Dr Corina Ciocan – “Microplastics in Chichester Harbour” – Huxley 300
18.45	Networking and nibbles – Huxley Foyer
19.25	Film – Sarah Ward – Sussex Wildlife Trust  – “Help Our Kelp” – Huxley 300
19.35	Keynote speaker: Dr Adriana Ford – Huxley 300 “Climate Change – the Consequences for the Blue Economy”
19.55	Panel discussion – Huxley 300 – Panellists : Andrew Church, Stephen Lloyd, Corina Ciocan, Adriana Ford, Tim Coxon
20.30	End of conference

Keynote Speakers:

 

 

 

Professor Andrew Church, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise)
University of Brighton

Professor Andrew Church is the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) at the University of Brighton. He is also Professor of Human Geography focusing on human-nature relations and especially water and cultural ecosystem services. Andrew works on international collaborative research projects and was a Coordinating Lead Author on the UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

“How we damage nature and what we might do about it”

Since 2000 a number of major assessments of the state of the global environment have been undertaken by The United Nations. The latest assessment has focused on identifying recent changes in biodiversity and has revealed some major declines in a whole range of marine and terrestrial species. Climate change has been at the heart of these assessments that reveal how society is dependent on the benefits we get from nature whilst at the same time human activity is rapidly degrading key parts of the natural environment on which we depend. This lecture will outline the findings of the latest UN assessments completed by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in 2018 and 2019. It will consider what politicians, business and all of us might do to limit the damaging impacts of human society on nature.

 

 

Dr Adriana Ford
Centre Manager, Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society
Imperial College London/King’s College London

 

Adriana is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist and project manager who has worked on a variety of environmental issues, including fisheries and coastal communities, wetlands, invasive species, ecosystem services, environment and health, and community-based environmental management. In 2019 she joined Imperial College and King’s College to manage their new wildfires research centre. Prior to this, Adriana was coordinator of the Greenwich Maritime Centre at the University of Greenwich, and worked with Natural England and the Marine Conservation Society on the Living Coast project. She maintains a strong interest in marine social sciences and is on the committee of the RGS Coastal and Marine Research Group.

“Climate Change, the consequences for the Blue Economy ”

Dr Ford will discuss the above as her keynote presentation.

Stephen Anthony Christopher Lloyd

Stephen Lloyd MP for Eastbourne & Willingdon; was born and brought up in Mombasa, Kenya. He was in business for over 25 years before entering politics. Elected as the Member of Parliament in 2010, narrowly losing his seat by 1.5% in 2015, and then re-elected in 2017, Stephen is known to be a very hard-working local MP who puts his constituency before party politics. Campaigns over the years have included helping secure £85m private money for the Arndale shopping centre regeneration, being the first MP to launch the 100 apprentices in 100 days initiative, playing a leading role in protecting services at the local hospital, persuading the Morrisons supermarket chain to recruit a significant percentage of its 350 new staff from people who had been long-term unemployed. Such a successful model the group have continued to do this ever since!
Stephen leads campaigns in parliament to bring down the age of bowel cancer screening, to implement a police Royal Commission and secure from the finance sector easier accessible interest-only mortgages for people in their 70’s. Like many issues these were first brought to his attention locally and he’s successfully taken them up to parliament to ensure a national outcome. His experience in parliament and focus on cross-party working ensures a level of success which has been recognised by the media. The Independent newspaper said of Stephen “a political system that can produce elected representatives like this may well be as good as it gets.”

Dr Tim Coxon, Principal Lecturer, University of Brighton

Tim Coxon is a principal lecturer in the School of Education working with undergraduate trainee teachers and students studying the subject of education. A teacher and education advisor for 20 years in the UK and overseas, Tim joined the university in 2010 working in areas such as international education and global citizenship. Inspired by other teachers who had achieved accreditation from the United Nations Climate Change Teacher Academy, Tim embarked on the training over the summer with the twin aims of developing his understanding of the impact of climate change on children and young people and a wish to contribute to bringing climate change education to the classroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Coxon is a principal lecturer in the School of Education working with undergraduate trainee teachers and students studying the subject of education. A teacher and education advisor for 20 years in the UK and overseas, Tim joined the university in 2010 working in areas such as international education and global citizenship. Inspired by other teachers who had achieved accreditation from the United Nations Climate Change Teacher Academy, Tim embarked on the training over the summer with the twin aims of developing his understanding of the impact of climate change on children and young people and a wish to contribute to bringing climate change education to the classroom

Sponsors:

 

 

We are very pleased that RS Aqua have agreed to sponsor our conference.   If you would like to become a sponsor please e-mail s.m.armsden@brighton.ac.uk for further details.

Please register to attend the conference here