Experts from the University of Waterloo are available to speak about COP23, the United Nations climate change conference, where leaders from around the world are meeting to discuss ways to implement the Paris Agreement. The summit is taking place this week in Bonn.
Sarah Burch — Department of Geography and Environmental Management
Sarah Burch is a professor in Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment. She is Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation. Her areas of expertise include climate change adaptation and mitigation in cities, subnational climate change policy, sustainability transitions and decarbonization.
“As Canada reiterates its commitment to deep decarbonization, it’s crucial to find creative, equitable, and inclusive pathways to a sustainable future. While global in focus, international climate change negotiations increasingly draw our attention to exciting opportunities for synergies between greenhouse gas reduction and climate change adaptation at the subnational level — in neighbourhoods, cities, and regions.”
Neil Craik — School of Environment, Enterprise and Development
Neil Craik is an associate professor in Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment. His expertise is in international climate law, with a focus on climate geoengineering governance and the use of carbon budgets as a regulatory approach.
“It is becoming increasing clear that as international community struggles to meet the two-degree goal, the issue of climate geoengineering can no longer be treated as peripheral — Canada needs a national research strategy as part of its broader approach to climate change.”
Jason Thistlethwaite — School of Environment, Enterprise and Development
Jason Thistlethwaite is an assistant professor in Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment. His research focuses on climate change risk management and innovative strategies designed to reduce the economic impacts of extreme weather. He explores the role of insurance and government risk-transfer in promoting climate change adaptation and reducing economic vulnerability.
“The Conference of the Parties needs to prioritize climate change loss and damage since the know the costs will threaten global economic growth for generations to come. Unlike the battle over who is responsible for mitigating emissions, the solutions for managing climate loss and damage are widely known and are already being implemented.”
