Climate Change and Social Justice: the importance of building a fast and equitable pathway to a safe climate future

This seminar will address the question, to what extent are current Australian community sector climate change arguments, policies and strategies an adequate response to the threat of catastrophic climate change?
The presentation will begin with an overview of recent evidence on the social impacts of global and Australian climate change trends with a particular focus on impacts on disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. This evidence suggests that while a wide range of adaptation strategies are essential, there are clear and finite limits to the capacity of any society to adapt to runaway climate change. Designing and building a fast and equitable path to a low carbon, safe climate future is therefore a crucial task for anyone concerned with ensuring a socially just response to climate change. Effective action to restore a safe climate will require first a rapid transition to a zero net carbon economy, seondly drawing down existing atmospheric carbon, and finally actions to ensure an equitable, democratic and sustainable transition process. The seminar will conclude with some reflections on political, policy and advocacy implications and priorities for the Australian community sector.
Professor John Wiseman is Director of the McCaughey Centre, Melbourne School of Population Health, University of Melbourne. John has worked in a wide range of public sector, academic and community sector settings. He has published widely on social justice and public policy issues with a particular focus on the role of local communities and civil society in responding to the challenges of globalisation. The major focus of his current work is on the actions needed to achieve a rapid and equitable transition to a low carbon, safe climate economy and society.