Dundee University to host first global climate conference

Dundee University is hosting world-leaders in climate change law and science, at an inaugural event.

On September 27 and 28, experts from Australia, Germany, the United States, Singapore, and Ireland are expected to speak, with a focus on the relationship between the law and changes to climate policy.

Organiser, Dr Petra Minnerop, said: "Initially, the idea was to have a small workshop, but the interest in climate change has grown so much over the last few months, and now this workshop has grown into a large, international conference, which is amazing.

“Climate change is happening now and not only in a far-away future.

"We must take the science seriously if we want to play an active role as lawyers in preventing the worst-case scenarios for future generations.

“We hope that by bringing together experts from geoscience, climate science and law, we can clarify crucial concepts that have so far stalled affirmative climate action.

"The scientific consensus must be tracked in law, to ensure our international and domestic laws are better equipped to tackle climate change.

"This is not just an academic conference, we are looking to teach and educate the next generation of climate leaders."

Professor Otto, lead scientist at the World Weather Attribution project and acting director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, said, “This conference will be a crucial step to determine how the science of attribution can be utilised as a litigation tool.

“It is by enhancing conversations between lawyers, judges and scientists that we can open a new avenue to speed up the world into achieving the temperature target of the Paris Agreement.”