A Social Contract for Sustainability. But what if we fail?University of Copenhagen is pleased to inviteyou to the seventh CopenhagenSustainability Lecture of the year withProfessor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber whowill give the lecture: “A Social Contract forSustainability. But what if we fail?” It takesplace on the 18thof November from 10 - 11am“The world as we know it, i.e., the globalizedindustrial metabolism that emerged afterWorld War II, is destined to end. Thequestion is how and when. The GermanAdvisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)has recently outlined a scientific, economicand political program that can bring aboutthe necessary transformation in a proactiveand participatory way (Worldin Transition –A Social Contract for Sustainability.WBGUReport, 2011). Much is at stake. In particular,three crucial challenges have to beaddressed: (i) avoiding dangerous climatechange, (ii) building an efficient andrenewable energy system, and (iii) managingthe global demographic transition. Meetingthese challenges requires an unprecedentedlevel of worldwide innovation andcooperation.” H. J. SchellnhuberProfessor Schellnhuber founded the PotsdamInstitute for Climate Impact Research in 1991and has been its director since. He iscurrently chair of the German AdvisoryCouncil on Global Change, governing boardchair of the Climate-KIC of the EuropeanInstitute of Innovation and Technology andchair of the standing committee on climate,energy and environment of the GermanNational Academy.Prof. Schellnhuber is a long-standing memberof the Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange. He served as chief governmentadvisor on climate and related issues duringthe German G8/EU twin presidency in 2007and as a principal advisor to the EuropeanCommission President Barroso for severalyears. He is a member of numerous nationaland international panels addressing scientificstrategies and sustainability issues.Schellnhuber has authored, co-authored oredited more than 250 articles and more than50 books in the fields of condensed matterphysics, complex systems dynamics, climatechange research, Earth System analysis, andsustainability science.In other words: He is a capacity, and theSustainability Science Center is proud to hosthis lecture in Copenhagen.

Practical details

Date:

18thNovember 2011 at 10 – 11 am

Place:

Faculty of Life Sciences, Auditorium 1.01“Festauditoriet”, Bülowsvej 17, Frederiksberg C

Moderator

during the debate: Prof. KatherineRichardson

Host:

Sustainability Science Centre, University ofCopenhagen.The lecture and debate will be in English.Participation is free of charge. Sign up before the17thof November 2011 at 15 pm athttp://klima.ku.dk/sustainability_lectures/tilmeldinger/Hans Joachim Schellnhuber. Photo: Hollin