From breakthroughs in climate science to new legal frameworks and climate actions: what are the potentials and pitfalls?

Background

Recent breakthroughs in climate science suggest that there is an emerging new discourse about how societies understand and take action on climate change. The new extreme event attribution science offers the potential to redress climate losses and damages through legal recourse, energising climate movements and just transformations.

The impacts of climate change already have severe consequences for people and groups in vulnerable situations. Recently seen across Europe, China and US from the extreme events in the summer of 2021. Despite mounting evidence of the impacts of climate change societies are falling short in mitigation and adaptation. Economic and technological solutions are not enough. There is a growing social mobilisation around climate equity and justice.

The new science of extreme event attribution can link specific greenhouse gas emissions from human activity to particular climate events such as torrential rains, extreme heat waves or hurricanes.

About the event

In a conversation between researchers from sustainability science, climate science and law we will discuss how the science can serve as evidence in court cases against governments and companies, spur social movements, and pressure politicians to take urgently required action on climate change.

Language: English