www.planetunderpressure2012.

net

Conference outline and themes

www.planetunderpressure2012.net
Deadline for session proposals: 18 March 2011

Theresearchcommunityhasaresponsibilitytoprovidetheknowledgeneededtomovesociety towardseffectivestewardshipoftheplanet.Scientistshaveadutytocommunicatetheurgencyof thischallengetosociety.Butsciencealoneisnotenough.The2012PlanetUnderPressure conferenceisintendedtobeamajoropportunitytolinkglobalchangescienceinatwoway engagementwiththewiderangeofotherstakeholdersworkingtowardsglobalsustainability.This requiresnovelpartnershipswithpolicyandindustrydecisionmakers. Background Scienceprovidestheknowledgetoassessthenatureandmagnitudeofglobalenvironmental change,itsdriversandtherisksitposestosociety.Thescientificcommunitymustalsohelpsociety mitigatedangerouschanges,copewithchangeswecannotavoid,andilluminateopportunities. Basedonthelatestscientificevidence,thePlanetUnderPressureconferencewillprovidea comprehensiveupdateofourknowledgeoftheEarthsystem,thepressureourplanetisnowunder andavisionforthefuture.Drawingonourknowledgeaboutthepast,thepresentandfuture,the conferencewillfocusattentiononthelatestresearchinclimatescience,ecosystemservices,land use,biodiversityloss,planetarythresholds,andfood,waterandenergysecurity. Thecoincidentdriversofthesechangesglobalization,urbanizationandconsumptioncontinueto intensify.Weneedamoreeffectiveglobalinnovationsystemtorespondtotheimplicationsofthe increasingratesofchangeinthedriversofglobalchange.Theconferencewillcontributetothis challengeandleavealegacyofnewpartnershipstohelpforgeasustainablefuture.Itwillexamine governanceacrosstemporalandspatialscales,linkswithpovertyalleviation,humanwellbeing,and engineeringandtechnologicalsolutions.

 Whowillattend? Theconferenceprogrammeisdesignedtoattractawiderangeofstakeholdersincluding: seniorpolicymakers privatesectorleaders(energy,water,food,finance,insurance,construction) NGOs developmentagencies media engineeringandtechnologysectors researchersandacademicsfrommanydisciplinesacrossthenaturalandsocialsciences. Thesponsorsarecommittedtostrongparticipationfromthedevelopingworldandfromyouth. Exploringsolutions Conferenceparticipantswillexploreoptions,barriersandopportunitiesforpolicy,theprivate sector,societyatlargeandresearchaswemovetowardsasustainablefuture.Delegateswilldiscuss andproposesolutionsacrossallscales,fromlocaltoregionaltoglobal,andneartermtolonger term.Thecorporateworld,engineersandtechnologistsareparticularlyencouragedtocontribute. Internationalpolicy ThePlanetUnderPressureconferencetakesplacesixweeksbeforetheUnitedNationsConference onSustainableDevelopment,Rio+20(RiodeJaneiro,May2012).During2011,inpreparationfor Rio+20,theglobalchangesciencecommunitywilldevelopaseriesofpolicybriefsandwhitepapers onselectedkeytopicsandtheirinterconnections.Thesewhitepaperswillbediscussedand developedatthePlanetUnderPressureconferenceandpresentedatRio+20andrelatedmeetings duringthepreparatoryprocess. Workingspace Theconferencewillincludeplenaryandparallelsessions,panels,workshops,posters,tradedisplays andinteractivesessions. Conference outline Thefourdayconferencewillfollowthisflow: Day1: Stateoftheplanet:thelatestknowledgeaboutthepressuresontheplanet Day2: Optionsandopportunities:exchangingknowledgeaboutwaysofreducingthepressureson theplanet,promotingtransformativechangesforasustainablefutureandadaptingto changesintheglobalsystem Day3: Challengestoprogress:clarifyingwhatispreventingorslowinghumanityfrom implementingpotentialsolutions Day4: Waysahead:avisionfor2050andbeyond,andexploringnewpartnershipsandpathways towardsglobalsustainability

Eachdaywillincluderelevantaspectsofeachconferencetheme(seebelow).Multidisciplinary, multisectorialdiscussionstoproposesolutionswillbuildupovertheconference.Thesewill culminateindiscussionofthepolicy,investmentandresearchenvironmentsandinteractions betweenthemneededforeffectivemanagementoftheplanetsincreasinglyscarceresources. Conference themes Keypressuresontheplanetarisefromincreasingglobalization,urbanizationandconsumptionina changingclimate.Globalsustainabilityscience,withitsviewoftheEarthasacoupledsocio ecologicalsystemoperatingatmanylevelsonlinkedscales,hasinsightstoofferforthe managementofallthesepressures.Itcannotdothisalone.Itmustdosoinpartnershipwith decisionmakersinpolicy,development,businessandthewidernongovernmentsector.Three broadthemeswillguidetheconference: A.Meetingglobalneeds:food,energy,waterandotherecosystemservices DemandsonEarthsterrestrial,marine,freshwaterandatmosphericsystemscontinuetorise,and societyhasfailedtostembiodiversityloss.Inaddition,adequatenourishmentandequitableaccess tocleanwaterisstillnotassuredfortheworldspopulations.Wemustmeethumanitysgrowing andinteractingneedsforfood,energyandwater,whilealsosafeguardingtheplanetscapacityto deliverabroadrangeofecosystemservicesincludingcarbonstorageandclimateregulation. Whatisthestateoftheplanetandwhatbiophysicalconstraintsandopportunitiesaffectthepursuit ofthisintegratedgoal?Whatisthefutureoftheplanetunderdifferentscenarios?Whatrolesdo socioeconomicandpoliticalfactorsplayinthiscontext?Howcanknowledgeproducersbestinteract withknowledgeuserssoastoinformchoicesandhelpsocietiesachievethenecessarybehavioural, technological,institutional,political,economic,andculturalchanges?

B.Transformingourwayofliving:developmentpathwaysunderglobalenvironmentalchange Whilematerialconsumptionrisesinaffluentsocieties,thefateoftheplanetspoorest12billion remainsbleak.Wemustfinddevelopmentpathwaysthatcanimprovethequalityoflifeforthe worldsgrowingpopulationinthefaceoftheinteractingpressuresofglobalization,urbanization, unsustainableproductionandconsumptionandlargescaleenvironmentalchanges. Howwilltheseenvironmentalchangesaffecteffortstoalleviatepoverty?Whatothermetricsfor assessinghumanwellbeingareneededbeyondincomeandGDP?Whatkindsofcultural,social, technological,economicandpoliticalchangeshavebeensuccessfulinmovingsocietiestowards sustainability,whataresomenewfeasiblestrategies,andwhatconstraintsandopportunitieswill emergefromanactiveengagementbetweentheglobalchangeresearchcommunityand stakeholderswhoseprimaryconcernisimprovinghumanwellbeing?Howaretheengineeringand technologysectorsrespondingtotheglobalsustainabilitychallenge?

C.Governingacrossscales:innovativestewardshipoftheEarthsystem Whileglobalforcessuchasclimatechangeandtradeaffectwelfareatalllevels,localactionsare havingglobalconsequences.Weneedmoreeffectivesystemsformanaginghumanactivitiesthat affectandareaffectedbyEarthsystemprocesses.

Howdohumanusesofnaturalresourcesandwastedisposalpracticesaffecttheoceans,polar regions,freshwater,biodiversity,theatmosphereandotherglobalcommons?Howcanwebetter manageurbandevelopmentanddeviseeffectivesystemstomanageorgovernresourceuseand ecosystemservicesfromlocaltogloballevels,respondingsimultaneouslytotheglobalizationof problemsandthegrowingpressureforlocalempowerment?

Callforconferencesessions

TheScientificOrganizingCommitteeinvitesproposalsforparallelsessions duringthePlanetunderPressureconference.
Theflowforthefourdayconferenceanditsthreethemesareoutlinedabove.Theconferenceisintendedasa uniqueopportunitytolinkglobalchangesciencewithdecisionmakersinpolicy,development,resource management,industryandothernongovernmentorganizations.Engineeringandtechnologyarealso importanttargetsectors. Wewelcomesessionsproposedfromanyoftheseviewpoints,particularlywithinteractionsamongthem. Whilsttherewillbestateofthesciencesessions,othersessionswilllinkacrossresearchdisciplines,including thehumanities,socialandnaturalsciences,economicsandengineering,andlinkwithdecisionmakers. Theorganisingcommitteewillbeseekingabalanceofscienceanddecisionorientedsessions.Sessionsco designedbyresearchersandotherstakeholderswillbeparticularlyattractive. Thecommitteeiskeentoincludedevelopingworldissuesandyouth.Itisaimingtoraisesubstantialfundsfor developingcountryparticipationandearlycareerresearcherswithacceptedabstracts. Sessionscouldtakeanumberofforms,butwillmostlyoccurwithin90minuteperiods,witharound200400 attendeespersession,andwithanassociatedpostersession.Averysmallnumberoflongersessionswitha moreinteractiveworkshopnaturearealsoenvisaged;thesecouldrunovermorethanone90minuteperiod (thereispotentialforonedayandhalfdayworkshops),andcouldinvolvebreakoutgroupsbutwillneedtobe attractivetoalargeraudience.90minutesessionscouldinvolvefive15minutetalksfollowedbydiscussion,a paneldiscussion,amixtureofspokenandposterpapers,ormanyotherdynamicformats;innovationthatis inclusiveandhelpscreateadialoguebetweenscienceanddecisionmakersisstronglyencouragedbutnot obligatory. Forkeysessionstargetedataverybroadaudience,wherepossiblesessionproducerswillmanagethesession, madeupofaconvenor,ajournalistorothercommunicationsspecialist,andadatavisualisationexpert. Proposalsmustprovideatleasttwoconvenersforasession,bothofwhommustplantoattendthe conference;onceconfirmed,theseconvenerswillberesponsibleforreviewingabstractssubmittedtothe sessionthroughtheopencallanddefiningafinalprogramforthesession.Remainingabstractswillforma relatedpostersessionforwhichconvenorsareaskedtobeabstractreviewers.Abstractsmaybeactively solicitedtoobtainawellroundedsession.Pleasebeawarethatthiswillrequiretheconvenerstobeavailable aroundAugSep2011torespondquicklyoncethecallforabstractsclosesandweareseekingtofinalisethe program. Pleasesubmityourproposalsusingtheonlineformby18 March2011. TheoutcomewillbeannouncedApril2011.
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 Informationrequiredtosubmitaproposal Pleaseuseouronlineformtosubmitasessionproposal.Youwillbeaskedforthefollowinginformation,which itwouldbeusefultoprepareinadvanceofusingtheonlinesystem: Sessiontitle Coconveners(atleasttwo).Names,affiliation,countryandemail(anymixofconvenorsfrom industry,policy,science,NGOs,communicationsorothersectorsareencouraged) Descriptionofproposedsessioncontentandtargetaudience(<250words) Descriptionofproposedsessionformat(e.g.talks,panel,posters,workshop,durationetc.;<100 words Descriptionofhowthissessionwillcontributetotheconferenceobjectivesincludingprimary alignmentwithwhichtheme(AC)andday(14)andlinkswithdevelopingcountries,youth,etc.(<100 words). http://www.planetunderpressure2012.net/themes.asp