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International Climate Symposium


Science-Based Choices for Climate Action: Insights from the IPCC 6th Assessment Report

October 24 – 26, 2022

WATCH FULL SESSION RECORDINGS HERE

Videos produced by students Dylan Yang '23 and Amiya Marbles '26 highlight key insights from the International Climate Symposium hosted by Dickinson College October 24 – 26, 2022.



Science-Based Choices for Climate Action – Insights from the IPCC 6th Assessment Report, hosted by Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, USA on October 24 – 26, 2022, celebrated awarding of the 2022 Sam Rose and Julie Walters Prize at Dickinson College for Global Environmental Activism to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in recognition of the IPCC’s important work.
 
The in-person and virtual symposium featured 50 speakers and moderators from a dozen countries, including IPCC Chair Dr. Hoesung Lee, IPCC Vice Chair Ko Barrett, IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Dr. Debra Roberts, authors of the newest reports from the IPCC, and Dickinson faculty members and other guests with expertise on climate change science, risks, policies, and actions. Over the 3-day symposium, the speakers and moderators engaged each other and the audience in conversations about findings from the IPCC reports, why they matter, and how they can be and are being used to mobilize more ambitious and equitable actions on climate change. 
 
Dickinson students were in the thick of it throughout, asking questions, voicing their concerns and sharing their perspectives on needed action. They were joined by hundreds of others who attended in person or watched the livestream from colleges, universities, high schools and other institutions across the United States and numerous other countries. (Over 3000 people from 52 countries registered in advance for the symposium).
 
Recordings of the sessions can be accessed through this webpage. You are welcome to use the recordings for non-commercial educational purposes, acknowledging the source of the recordings and the names of the speakers and moderators.

Thank you to our Symposium Planning Committee Members: Neil Leary (Symposium Chair), Michael Beevers, Todd Bryant, Rachel Echevarria, Errol Craig Layne, Jennifer Love, Lindsey Lyons, Emily Pawley, Pat Pehlman, Tara Renault, Richie Rice, Liz Toth, Sumaiya Quayum, Aisha Rodriguez, Ashlee Telep, Bill Trego, Dottie Warner, Neil Weissman, and Sonya Wright from Dickinson College, and Ko Barrett, Andrej Mahecic, and Nina Peeva from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Thank you to our supporting organizations: The Natural Resources Defense Council, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Citizens Climate Education, Global Council for Science and the Environment, ICLEI-USA, Intentional Endowments Network, Our Climate, Second Nature, South Mountain Partnership, START International, Stone House Group, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network – USA.

Dickinson College purchased carbon offsets from Cool Effect for travel emissions of all speakers and attendees of the symposium. Cool Effect is a non-profit organization that authenticates carbon offset projects to ensure that they are 100% additional and meet other standards. 

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

Supporting organization logos for the 2022 International Climate Symposium

 

SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM

Check out the biographies of confirmed speakers and moderators

* Indicates in-person speaker 
+ Indicates remote speaker 

All times are for U.S. Eastern Time (EDT) Zone


Monday, October 24, 2022

 


9:30-10:20 am: Opening Session: Science-Based Choices for Equitable Climate Action

WATCH RECORDING

Welcoming remarks, overview of the symposium program and purposes, and a panel conversation to provide a local perspective about the global challenge of climate change. Panelists will discuss why climate change matters for people in Pennsylvania, USA, why local action is needed to address this global challenge, and what are some local actions that are moving forward in Pennsylvania. 

  • President John E. Jones, Dickinson College*
  • Neil Leary, Dickinson College and Symposium Chair*
  • Hoesung Lee, Chair, IPCC*

Panel: A Local View of a Global Challenge 

  • Aisha Rodriguez ‘22, member of the Rose Walters Prize Committee*
  • Greg Czarnecki, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources* 
  • Christopher Nafe, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection*
  • Sean Shultz, Mayor of Carlisle, Pennsylvania*
  • Moderator: Neil Leary, Dickinson College and Symposium Chair*

10:30 – 11:20 am: Demystifying the Work of the IPCC

WATCH RECORDING


Who are the people who write the IPCC reports? How are they selected? What science gets assessed? What is the process? What is consensus and how is it reached? How are contending evidence and views represented in the reports? What are the limitations of the IPCC assessments?

  • Karen Seto, Yale School of the Environment and IPCC Working Group 3 author*
  • Alexander Ruane, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and IPCC Working Group 1 author*
  • Saleemul Huq, Independent University Bangladesh +

     

    • Moderator: Neil Leary, Dickinson College*

1:30 – 2:30 pm: Climate Change – Evidence and Causes

WATCH RECORDING


What is the evidence the climate is changing and the causes of the changes? How is climate projected to change in the future? Why are the changes cause for concern? How can climate projections be used to help inform climate action?

  • Linda Mearns, National Center for Atmospheric Research and IPCC Working Group 1 author+
  • Alexander Ruane, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and IPCC Working Group 1 author*
  • Jesse Abrams, University of Exeter+
  • Moderator: Kristin Strock, Dickinson College*

2:30 - 3:00 pm: Coffee Break

Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be served in the lobby of the Anita Tuvin Schlecter Auditorium.

Use the opportunity to talk with speakers and other symposium attendees.


3:00 – 4:00 pm: Pathways to Net Zero Carbon

WATCH RECORDING


What emission pathways are compatible with meeting the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement? What do these pathways require in terms of energy efficiency and conservation, energy sources, land use, and carbon capture and storage? How rapidly can these changes be made? What factors may facilitate or inhibit transition to net zero carbon?

  • Roberto Schaeffer, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and IPCC Working Group III author+

     

    • Anand Patwardhan, Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, College Park*
    • Steve Rose, EPRI and IPCC Working Group II author* 
    • Moderator: Anthony Underwood, Dickinson College*

4:10 – 4:45 pm: Keynote Address: Dr. Debra Roberts, Why Climate Resilient Development Matters in the Fight Against Climate Change

WATCH RECORDING


Dr. Debra Roberts, Head of Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa, and IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair*

This presentation will examine the findings of the recently released IPCC Working Group II report and what they tell us about enhancing our society’s adaptive capacity. The concept of  Climate Resilient Development will be explored as a way of achieving equitable, just and transformative change that leaves no one, no ecosystem and no place behind.


7:00 – 8:30 pm: Climate Change: Rising to the Challenge

WATCH RECORDING


Recognition of IPCC as 2022 Rose Walters Prize Recipient 
President John E. Jones, Dickinson College* 
Julie Walters and Sam Rose '58 (invited) 
Hoesung Lee, Chair, IPCC* 

Panel: Rising to the Challenge 
The panel will reflect on the first day of the symposium, explore the multiple ways that climate change is impacting and will impact our lives and world, and envision ways in which we can rise to the challenge.

  • Hoesung Lee, Chair, IPCC* 
  • Kit Kennedy, Natural Resources Defense Council* 
  • Armond Cohen, Clean Air Task Force* 
  • Karl Hausker, World Resources Institute* 
  • Moderator: Neil Leary, Dickinson College* 

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

 


9:00 – 10:00 am: Science and Policy Interface

WATCH RECORDING


What are the processes by which the IPCC and its assessments influence policy in international, national, and local contexts? How is climate science communicated and used in policy making? How do cognitive biases, culture and other factors affect communication, understanding, and application of scientific information in policy and other decision-making contexts?

  • Ko Barrett, Senior Advisor for Climate, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and IPCC Vice Chair*
  • Fatima Denton, United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa and IPCC Working Group 3 author+
  • Benjamin Preston, RAND and IPCC Working Group 2 author*
  • Moderator: Rachel Jacobs, Dickinson College *

10:00 - 10:30 am: Coffee Break

Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be served in the lobby of the Anita Tuvin Schlecter Auditorium.

Use the opportunity to talk with speakers and other symposium attendees.


10:30 – 11:20 am: Land, Ecosystems and Climate Change

WATCH RECORDING


Exploration of climate risks, adaptation, mitigation, resilience, and equity in the context of land and ecological systems.

  • Gillian Bowser, Colorado State University*
  • Andreas Fischlin, ETH Zurich and IPCC Vice-Chair+
  • Moderator: Heather Bedi, Dickinson College*

1:30 – 2:30 pm: Food, Agriculture, Water and Climate Change

WATCH RECORDING


Exploration of climate risks, adaptation, mitigation, resilience, and equity in the context of food, agricultural, and water systems.

  • Rachel Bezner Kerr, Cornell University and IPCC Working Group 2 author+
  • Toshihiro Hasegawa, National Agricultural and Food Research Organization and IPCC Working Group 2 author+
  • Aditi Mukherji, International Water Management Institute and IPCC Working Group 2 author+
  • Moderator: Margaret Douglas, Dickinson College*

2:30 - 3:00 pm: Coffee Break

Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be served in the lobby of the Anita Tuvin Schlecter Auditorium.

Use the opportunity to talk with speakers and other symposium attendees.


3:00 – 4:00 pm: Cities and Climate Change

WATCH RECORDING


Exploration of climate risks, adaptation, mitigation, resilience, and equity in cities.

  • Karen Seto, Yale School of the Environment and IPCC Working Group 3 author*
  • Debra Roberts, eThekwini Municipality and IPCC Working Group 2 Co-Chair*
  • Timon McPhearson, The New School and IPCC Working Group 2 author*
  • Moderator: Wei Ren, Dickinson College*

4:15 – 5:15 pm: How Dickinson Achieved Zero Net Carbon Emissions

WATCH RECORDING


Dickinson College reached zero net carbon emissions in 2020, a goal set in 2009. What actions contributed to reaching this goal? What challenges were encountered? What were the financial consequences? What happens next?  

  • Ken Shultes, Dickinson College*
  • Larry Eighmy, The Stone House Group*
  • Matt Steiman, Dickinson College Farm* 
  • Lindsey Lyons, Dickinson College*
  • Moderator: Lindsey Lyons*

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

 


9:00 – 10:00 am: Climate Action in Higher Education

WATCH RECORDING


What are the responsibilities of colleges and universities for advancing responsible action on climate change? What have they done? What more is needed?

  • Tim Carter, President, Second Nature+
  • Debra Rowe, President, U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development+
  • Bryan Alexander, Georgetown University*
  • Moderator: Ken Shultes, Dickinson College* 

10:00 - 10:30 am: Coffee Break

Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be served in the lobby of the Anita Tuvin Schlecter Auditorium.

Use the opportunity to talk with speakers and other symposium attendees.


10:30 – 11:20 am: Teaching Climate Change in the Liberal Arts Curriculum

WATCH RECORDING


What are the purposes of educating undergraduate students about climate change? What knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions should our students learn? What are effective methods of learning that support engagement with positive actions? What challenges inhibit learning and engagement?

  • Jorden Hayes, Dickinson College*
  • Kristin Strock, Dickinson College*
  • Emily Pawley, Dickinson College*
  • Tony Underwood, Dickinson College*
  • Moderator: Emily Pawley, Dickinson College 

1:30 – 2:30 pm: Social, Economic and Technological Transformations

WATCH RECORDING


What social, economic, and technological transformations are needed and feasible for creating a low or zero carbon future? What policies and actions can help drive these changes?

  • Gabriel Blanco, National University of the Center of the Buenos Aires Province and IPCC Working Group 3 author+ 
  • Sivan Kartha, Stockholm Environment Institute – USA and IPCC Working Group 3 author+ 
  • Rachel Cleetus, Union of Concerned Scientists+ 
  • Moderator: Forrest Watson, Dickinson College*

2:30 - 3:00 pm: Coffee Break

Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be served in the lobby of the Anita Tuvin Schlecter Auditorium.

Use the opportunity to talk with speakers and other symposium attendees.


3:00 – 4:00 pm: Just Transitions

WATCH RECORDING


What are the characteristics of socially just transitions to a low-carbon, climate resilient future? What measures are needed to assure that social justice and equity are advanced through climate action?

  • Fatima Denton, United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa and IPCC Working Group 3 author+
  • Lisa Schipper, Environmental Change Institute and IPCC Working Group 2 author+
  • Benjamin Preston, RAND and IPCC Working Group 2 author*
  • Moderator: Neil Leary, Dickinson College* 

4:30 – 6:00 pm: Climate Action & Policy from Local to Global Scales

WATCH RECORDING


Keynote talk followed by a closing panel discussion. 

Keynote: Critical Findings from the IPCC for International Climate Negotiations
Ko Barrett, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Vice Chair of IPCC

The IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report presents updated scientific, technical and socioeconomic knowledge on climate change, its impacts, future risks, and response options that are relied upon by myriad actors working to limit climate risks and prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. Critical findings from the report that are important for the work of negotiators at November’s 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be highlighted.

Panel Discussion:  Climate Action and Policy from Local to Global Scales

What are the opportunities for ambitious and equitable climate action locally, nationally, and internationally? What are the roles of the scientific community, local and national governments, the private sector, and the international community for mobilizing meaningful action at these different scales? 

Panelists:

  • Ko Barrett, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Vice Chair of IPCC*
  • Fatima Denton, United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa and IPCC Working Group 3 author+
  • Sam Robinson, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania*
  • Will Bernstein, Climate & Energy Manager, City of Pittsburgh*
  • Moderator: Neil Leary, Dickinson College*