Lecture by Professor Sabine Schlacke
"World in Transition: A Social Contract for Sustainability"
Published by the German Advisory Council on global Change (WBGU)
Date: Thursday, 23 February 2012
Time: 11am - 11.50am
Venue: S.1.03, S Block, University of Waikato
Professor Schlacke will provide an overview and welcome discussion on the following:
"In its flagship report, the WBGU elaborates explicitly on the fact that the technological potential for comprehensive decarbonisation is available, outlines business and financing models for the transition, and points out that the political instruments needed for a climate friendly transformation are widely known. The council also describes how the requisite transformation encompasses profound changes to infrastructures, production processes, regulation systems and lifestyles, and extends to a new kind of interaction between politics, society, science and the economy. Various multi-level path dependencies and obstacles must be overcome. Furthermore, the transformation can only succeed if nation states put global cooperation mechanisms before their own short-term oriented interests, in order to make a trend reversal, particularly as far as the global economy is concerned, towards climate-friendliness and sustainability possible. And not least, from a global perspective, this is also about issues of fairness – issues that need resolving."
Sabine Schlacke is a Professor of Public Law, specialising in German, European and International Environmental and Administrative Law at Bremen University.