What is the current state of the planet? How do we move forward on a global climate deal? On March 25, The Earth Institute, Columbia University; The Economist; and Ericsson will bring together some of the world’s most influential thinkers to propose innovative solutions to these and other critical questions at our biennial State of the Planet conference. Each State of the Planet focuses on the most pressing issues of the day, so climate change will naturally be one of this year’s major discussion topics.
A new feature of the conference this year is that the conversation will be interactive on a global scale. Whether you attend the event in person at Columbia University or participate via the live webcast from anywhere in the world, you will be able to submit questions and comments to the panels. Comments submitted via the webcast portal or Twitter (use hashtag #SOP2010) will be displayed to thousands of others as they view the webcast.
The climate change session kicks off at 9:00 a.m. in New York, when The Economist’s American business editor and New York bureau chief Matthew Bishop will moderate as panelists answer the question “What Would it Take to Complete the Climate Deal?”
After a New York panel (including Columbia University experts Wally Broecker and Mark Cane as well as Stockholm University’s Johan Rockström) offers insights, panels featuring Chinese and Indian climate policy experts will weigh in live from Beijing and New Delhi, respectively, on China and India’s role in facing the climate challenge. HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco will also contribute to the discussion via satellite from Monaco. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full list of climate panelists.
Following the climate discussion, sessions will address, in order, poverty, economic recovery (with a live discussion from Nairobi, “Is Green Growth the Answer for Africa?”) and international systems. Keynote speakers include President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. For a complete list of speakers, session descriptions, recommended reading and more, be sure to check out the video below and the official State of the Planet web site.
Please join us live at Columbia or online, and tell us here via the comments section about your perspective on these interconnected planetary challenges.
Full list of climate session speakers:
- HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco (speaking from Monaco)
- Matthew Bishop, American Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief, The Economist (New York moderator)
- Wallace S. Broecker, Newberry Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University (speaking from New York)
- Mark Cane, G. Unger Vetlesen Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences and Professor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University (speaking from New York)
- Simon Cox, South Asia Business Correspondent, The Economist (New Delhi moderator)
- Jiang Kejun, Research Professor and Director, Energy Systems Analysis and Market Analysis Division, Energy Research Institute, National Development and Reform Commission (speaking from Beijing)
- James Miles, China Correspondent, The Economist (Beijing moderator)
- Devin Narang, Chairman and Managing Director, Freeplay Energy Group (speaking from New Delhi)
- Kirit Parikh, Former Member, Planning Commission, Government of India; Chairman, Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe) (speaking from New Delhi)
- Qi Ye, Professor of Environmental Policy and Management and Director of the Climate Policy Institute, Tsinghua University (speaking from Beijing)
- Leena Srivastava, Executive Director (Operations), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) (speaking from New Delhi)
- Johan Rockström, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute and Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University (speaking from New York)
- Xiao Geng, Director, Brookings Tsinghua Center for Public Policy; Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution (speaking from Beijing)
- Xu Jintao, Professor of Natural Resource Economics; Head of the Environmental Economics Program in China, Peking University (speaking from Beijing)
- Zha Daojiong, Professor of International Political Economy, School of International Studies, Peking University (speaking from Beijing)
It’s really great to see Columbia taking the lead and opening this important intiative – we need more universities and colleges to do the same – columbia really does lead by example. Hopefully students and lecturers alike will join this global conversation.