The world-renowned environmental scientist, Professor Robert Watson, will deliver the Scottish Research Institutes’ annual ‘Science for Life’ lecture at the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen on Thursday 5 June 2008. The talk will address the ‘Science, economics, politics and ethics of climate change’.

Professor Watson has been at the forefront of climate change research, debate and publicity for the last four decades. He was chair of the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change, and shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the IPCC and Al Gore for their combined work on combating climate change. He has worked for the White House, NASA, and the World Bank, and recently chaired one of the most wide-reaching and important investigations into the world food situation (IAASTD).

Speaking ahead of his lecture, Professor Watson, who is now Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), said: “Climate change is a serious environmental issue that has been at the forefront of conversation, dominated the news and newspaper headlines, and certainly made an impact on British weather.

“However, for the 850 million people who go to bed hungry every night, and the two billion others exposed to insect-borne diseases and water scarcity, climate change threatens to bring more suffering in its wake. Climate change may undermine long-term development and the ability of many poor people to escape poverty.”

In his talk, Professor Watson will address the challenge of meeting the energy needs of the world, without causing a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions. He will also comment on the UK Government’s scientific work on minimising the effects of climate change and improving sustainability by promoting consistency across DEFRA and working together with other Government departments.

“Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, which cannot be achieved with continued reliance on today’s technologies and policies, must be achieved while improving access to affordable energy in developing countries, which is critical for poverty alleviation and economic growth.

“Reduced emissions of greenhouse gases will require energy sector reform, appropriate pricing policies, and a technological evolution in both the production and use of energy.

“Given that many industrialised countries will not meet their reduction targets with domestic actions alone, this provides significant opportunities for carbon trading, which is likely to provide sustainable development benefits for many developing countries.”

Professor Watson concludes: “The challenge is to simultaneously limit the magnitude and rate of human-induced climate change, by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from all sectors, including agriculture. We can increase the amount of energy in the world in very different ways from the ways we do it today.”

Professor Watson’s lecture will take place at the Macaulay Institute on Thursday 5 June at 2:00pm.

Ends

Any media wishing to attend the ‘Science for Life’ lecture on Thursday 5 June at 2:00pm, should contact Kylie Maebus of Tricker PR on 01224 654 082 or email kmaebus@trickerpr.com.

The Scottish Research Institute’s annual Science for Life Lecture is given by a high profile scientist on a key topical issue relating to science in society. The lecture is hosted in turn by the Macaulay Institute, Mordeun Research Institute, Rowett Institute, Royal Botanic Garden’s Edinburgh, Scottish Agricultural College, Scottish Crop Research Institute and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

The Macaulay Institute is the premier land use research institute in the UK. Two hundred and seventy staff are based at the Macaulay Institute at Craigiebuckler in Aberdeen. The Macaulay Institute aims to be an international leader in research on the use of rural land resources for the benefit of people and the environment and is involved in research across the globe; from Scotland to Chile and China. More about the Macaulay Institute can be found at www.macaulay.ac.uk

For more on the IAASTD, chaired by Professor Watson please visit www.agassessment.org

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