The University of East Anglia (UEA) was praised for its "outstanding" work on climate research by Sir James Bevan, the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, in a speech given at the university on January 16th. Sir James highlighted the need to focus on tackling climate change, rather than letting fear and doom deter action.
The UEA has been producing world-class analysis on climate change for nearly 50 years, thanks to the work of its Climatic Research Unit and the Tyndall Centre. Sir James recognized the scale of work yet to be done within the research space and building international consensus on action.
In his speech, Sir James stated: "In my view, this climate doomism is almost as dangerous as climate denial. Indeed, doomism might even be the new denial. And it’s equally misplaced. It’s not justified by the facts. And it risks leading to the wrong outcome: inaction."
He went on to explain that the solutions to tackle climate change are technically simple, stating "we need to reduce and as far as possible stop entirely the emissions of carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases: what the experts call mitigation. And second, we need to adapt our infrastructure, our economies, and our lifestyles so we can live safely, sustainably, and well in a climate-changed world."
The UEA has worked with councils and partners to develop a 25-year environmental plan to mitigate the impact of climate change on water security and sea-level rise in the region. The Climate Research Unit on the UEA campus plays a leading role in producing global temperature figures and the university's Leverhulme PhD programme is training a new generation of 21st century climate thought leaders.
Prof Konstantinos Chalvatzis, Professor of Sustainable Energy Business and ClimateUEA Academic Director, said: “I’m thrilled that ClimateUEA has hosted Sir James Bevan on our campus. His talk engaged on a range of topics, and I am looking forward to exploring where UEA’s and the Environment Agency’s expertise can jointly address environmental challenges.”
Sir James ended his speech by mentioning that the Environment Agency is always looking for talented people who are committed to creating a better planet and invited attendees to consider joining the agency to help tackle the climate emergency. Sir James highlighted the need to focus on tackling climate change, rather than letting fear and doom deter action.
The UEA has been producing world-class analysis on climate change for nearly 50 years, thanks to the work of its Climatic Research Unit and the Tyndall Centre. Sir James recognized the scale of work yet to be done within the research space and building international consensus on action.
In his speech, Sir James stated: "In my view, this climate doomism is almost as dangerous as climate denial. Indeed, doomism might even be the new denial. And it’s equally misplaced. It’s not justified by the facts. And it risks leading to the wrong outcome: inaction."
He went on to explain that the solutions to tackle climate change are technically simple, stating "we need to reduce and as far as possible stop entirely the emissions of carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases: what the experts call mitigation. And second, we need to adapt our infrastructure, our economies, and our lifestyles so we can live safely, sustainably, and well in a climate-changed world."
The UEA has worked with councils and partners to develop a 25-year environmental plan to mitigate the impact of climate change on water security and sea-level rise in the region. The Climate Research Unit on the UEA campus plays a leading role in producing global temperature figures and the university's Leverhulme PhD programme is training a new generation of 21st century climate thought leaders.
Prof Konstantinos Chalvatzis, Professor of Sustainable Energy Business and ClimateUEA Academic Director, said: “I’m thrilled that ClimateUEA has hosted Sir James Bevan on our campus. His talk engaged on a range of topics, and I am looking forward to exploring where UEA’s and the Environment Agency’s expertise can jointly address environmental challenges.”
Sir James ended his speech by mentioning that the Environment Agency is always looking for talented people who are committed to creating a better planet and invited attendees to consider joining the agency to help tackle the climate emergency.
