Planet Under Pressure 2012 Call for Session Proposals

8/4/2019 Planet Under Pressure 2012 Call for Session Proposals

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Conference outline and themeswww.planetunderpressure2012.net

Deadline for session proposals: 18 March 2011

Theresearchcommunityhasaresponsibilitytoprovidetheknowledgeneededtomovesociety

towardseffectivestewardshipoftheplanet.Scientistshaveadutytocommunicatetheurgencyof

thischallengetosociety.Butsciencealoneisnotenough.The2012PlanetUnderPressure

conferenceisintendedtobeamajoropportunitytolinkglobal‐changescienceinatwo‐way

engagementwiththewiderangeofotherstakeholdersworkingtowardsglobalsustainability.This

requiresnovelpartnershipswithpolicyandindustrydecision‐makers.

Background

Scienceprovidestheknowledgetoassessthenatureandmagnitudeofglobalenvironmentalchange,itsdriversandtherisksitposestosociety.Thescientificcommunitymustalsohelpsociety

mitigatedangerouschanges,copewithchangeswecannotavoid,andilluminateopportunities.

Basedonthelatestscientificevidence,thePlanetUnderPressureconferencewillprovidea

comprehensiveupdateofourknowledgeoftheEarthsystem,thepressureourplanetisnowunder

andavisionforthefuture.Drawingonourknowledgeaboutthepast,thepresentandfuture,the

conferencewillfocusattentiononthelatestresearchinclimatescience,ecosystemservices,land

use,biodiversityloss,planetarythresholds,andfood,waterandenergysecurity.

Thecoincidentdriversofthesechanges–globalization,urbanizationandconsumption–continueto

intensify.Weneedamoreeffective‘globalinnovationsystem’torespondtotheimplicationsoftheincreasingratesofchangeinthedriversofglobalchange.Theconferencewillcontributetothis

challengeandleavealegacyofnewpartnershipstohelpforgeasustainablefuture.Itwillexamine

governanceacrosstemporalandspatialscales,linkswithpovertyalleviation,humanwell‐being,and

engineeringandtechnologicalsolutions.



Whowillattend?

Theconferenceprogrammeisdesignedtoattractawiderangeofstakeholdersincluding:

• seniorpolicymakers

• privatesectorleaders(energy,water,food,finance,insurance,construction…)

• NGOs

• developmentagencies

• media

• engineeringandtechnologysectors

• researchersandacademicsfrommanydisciplinesacrossthenaturalandsocialsciences.

Thesponsorsarecommittedtostrongparticipationfromthedevelopingworldandfromyouth.

Exploringsolutions

Conferenceparticipantswillexploreoptions,barriersandopportunitiesforpolicy,theprivatesector,societyatlargeandresearchaswemovetowardsasustainablefuture.Delegateswilldiscuss

andproposesolutionsacrossallscales,fromlocaltoregionaltoglobal,andneartermtolonger

term.Thecorporateworld,engineersandtechnologistsareparticularlyencouragedtocontribute.

Internationalpolicy

ThePlanetUnderPressureconferencetakesplacesixweeksbeforetheUnitedNationsConference

onSustainableDevelopment,Rio+20(RiodeJaneiro,May2012).During2011,inpreparationfor

Rio+20,theglobal‐changesciencecommunitywilldevelopaseriesofpolicybriefsandwhitepapers

onselectedkeytopicsandtheirinterconnections.Thesewhitepaperswillbediscussedand

developedatthePlanetUnderPressureconferenceandpresentedatRio+20andrelatedmeetings

duringthepreparatoryprocess.

Workingspace

Theconferencewillincludeplenaryandparallelsessions,panels,workshops,posters,tradedisplays

andinteractivesessions.

Conference outline

Thefour‐dayconferencewillfollowthisflow:

Day1: Stateoftheplanet:thelatestknowledgeaboutthepressuresontheplanet

Day2: Optionsandopportunities:exchangingknowledgeaboutwaysofreducingthepressureson

theplanet,promotingtransformativechangesforasustainablefutureandadaptingto

changesintheglobalsystem

Day3: Challengestoprogress:clarifyingwhatispreventingorslowinghumanityfrom

implementingpotentialsolutions

Day4: Waysahead:avisionfor2050andbeyond,andexploringnewpartnershipsandpathways

towardsglobalsustainability



Eachdaywillincluderelevantaspectsofeachconferencetheme(seebelow).Multidisciplinary,

multi‐sectorialdiscussionstoproposesolutionswillbuildupovertheconference.Thesewill

culminateindiscussionofthepolicy,investmentandresearchenvironments–andinteractions

betweenthem–neededforeffectivemanagementoftheplanet’sincreasinglyscarceresources.

Conference themes

Keypressuresontheplanetarisefromincreasingglobalization,urbanizationandconsumptionina

changingclimate.Globalsustainabilityscience,withitsviewoftheEarthasacoupledsocio‐

ecologicalsystemoperatingatmanylevelsonlinkedscales,hasinsightstoofferforthe

managementofallthesepressures.Itcannotdothisalone.Itmustdosoinpartnershipwith

decision‐makersinpolicy,development,businessandthewidernon‐governmentsector.Three

broadthemeswillguidetheconference:

A.Meetingglobalneeds:food,energy,waterandotherecosystemservices

DemandsonEarth’sterrestrial,marine,freshwaterandatmosphericsystemscontinuetorise,andsocietyhasfailedtostembiodiversityloss.Inaddition,adequatenourishmentandequitableaccess

tocleanwaterisstillnotassuredfortheworld’spopulations.Wemustmeethumanity’sgrowing

andinteractingneedsforfood,energyandwater,whilealsosafeguardingtheplanet’scapacityto

deliverabroadrangeofecosystemservicesincludingcarbonstorageandclimateregulation.

Whatisthestateoftheplanetandwhatbiophysicalconstraintsandopportunitiesaffectthepursuit

ofthisintegratedgoal?Whatisthefutureoftheplanetunderdifferentscenarios?Whatrolesdo

socioeconomicandpoliticalfactorsplayinthiscontext?Howcanknowledgeproducersbestinteract

withknowledgeuserssoastoinformchoicesandhelpsocietiesachievethenecessarybehavioural,

technological,institutional,political,economic,andculturalchanges?

B.Transformingourwayofliving:developmentpathwaysunderglobalenvironmentalchange

Whilematerialconsumptionrisesinaffluentsocieties,thefateoftheplanet’spoorest1‐2billion

remainsbleak.Wemustfinddevelopmentpathwaysthatcanimprovethequalityoflifeforthe

world’sgrowingpopulationinthefaceoftheinteractingpressuresofglobalization,urbanization,

unsustainableproductionandconsumption and large‐scaleenvironmentalchanges.

Howwilltheseenvironmentalchangesaffecteffortstoalleviatepoverty?Whatothermetricsfor

assessinghumanwell‐beingareneededbeyondincomeandGDP?Whatkindsofcultural,social,

technological,economicandpoliticalchangeshavebeensuccessfulinmovingsocietiestowards

sustainability,whataresomenewfeasiblestrategies,andwhatconstraintsandopportunitieswill

emergefromanactiveengagementbetweentheglobalchangeresearchcommunityand

stakeholderswhoseprimaryconcernisimprovinghumanwell‐being?Howaretheengineeringand

technologysectorsrespondingtotheglobalsustainabilitychallenge?

C.Governingacrossscales:innovativestewardshipoftheEarthsystem

Whileglobalforcessuchasclimatechangeandtradeaffectwelfareatalllevels,localactionsare

havingglobalconsequences.Weneedmoreeffectivesystemsformanaginghumanactivitiesthat

affectandareaffectedbyEarthsystemprocesses.



Howdohumanusesofnaturalresourcesandwastedisposalpracticesaffecttheoceans,polar

regions,freshwater,biodiversity,theatmosphereandotherglobalcommons?Howcanwebetter

manageurbandevelopmentanddeviseeffectivesystemstomanageorgovernresourceuseand

ecosystemservicesfromlocaltogloballevels,respondingsimultaneouslytotheglobalizationof

problemsandthegrowingpressureforlocalempowerment?

Callforconferencesessions

TheScientificOrganizingCommitteeinvitesproposalsforparallelsessions

duringthePlanetunderPressureconference.

Theflowforthefour‐dayconferenceanditsthreethemesareoutlinedabove.Theconferenceisintendedasa

uniqueopportunitytolinkglobal‐changesciencewithdecision‐makersinpolicy,development,resource

management,industryandothernon‐governmentorganizations.Engineeringandtechnologyarealso

importanttargetsectors.

Wewelcomesessionsproposedfromanyoftheseviewpoints,particularlywithinteractionsamongthem.

Whilsttherewillbe‘state‐of‐the‐science’sessions,othersessionswilllinkacrossresearchdisciplines,including

thehumanities,socialandnaturalsciences,economicsandengineering,andlinkwithdecision‐makers.

Theorganisingcommitteewillbeseekingabalanceofscienceanddecision‐orientedsessions.Sessionsco‐

designedbyresearchersandotherstakeholderswillbeparticularlyattractive.

Thecommitteeiskeentoincludedeveloping‐worldissuesandyouth.Itisaimingtoraisesubstantialfundsfor

developingcountryparticipationandearly‐careerresearcherswithacceptedabstracts.

Sessionscouldtakeanumberofforms,butwillmostlyoccurwithin90minuteperiods,witharound200‐400

attendeespersession,andwithanassociatedpostersession.Averysmallnumberoflongersessionswitha

moreinteractiveworkshopnaturearealsoenvisaged;thesecouldrunovermorethanone90minuteperiod

(thereispotentialforone‐dayandhalf‐dayworkshops),andcouldinvolvebreak‐outgroupsbutwillneedtobeattractivetoalargeraudience.90minutesessionscouldinvolvefive15minutetalksfollowedbydiscussion,a

paneldiscussion,amixtureofspokenandposterpapers,ormanyotherdynamicformats;innovationthatis

inclusiveandhelpscreateadialoguebetweenscienceanddecision‐makersisstronglyencouragedbutnot

obligatory.

Forkeysessionstargetedataverybroadaudience,wherepossiblesessionproducerswillmanagethesession,

madeupofaconvenor,ajournalistorothercommunicationsspecialist,andadatavisualisationexpert.

Proposalsmustprovideatleasttwoconvenersforasession,bothofwhommustplantoattendthe

conference;onceconfirmed,theseconvenerswillberesponsibleforreviewingabstractssubmittedtothe

sessionthroughtheopencallanddefiningafinalprogramforthesession.Remainingabstractswillforma

relatedpostersessionforwhichconvenorsareaskedtobeabstractreviewers.Abstractsmaybeactively

solicitedtoobtainawell‐roundedsession.Pleasebeawarethatthiswillrequiretheconvenerstobeavailable

aroundAug‐Sep2011torespondquicklyoncethecallforabstractsclosesandweareseekingtofinalisethe

program.

Pleasesubmityourproposalsusingtheonlineformby18thMarch2011.

TheoutcomewillbeannouncedApril2011.



Informationrequiredtosubmitaproposal

Pleaseuseouronlineformtosubmitasessionproposal.Youwillbeaskedforthefollowinginformation,which

itwouldbeusefultoprepareinadvanceofusingtheonlinesystem:

• Sessiontitle• Co‐conveners(atleasttwo).Names,affiliation,countryandemail(anymixofconvenorsfrom

industry,policy,science,NGOs,communicationsorothersectorsareencouraged)

• Descriptionofproposedsessioncontentandtargetaudience(<250words)

• Descriptionofproposedsessionformat(e.g.talks,panel,posters,workshop,durationetc.;<100

words

• Descriptionofhowthissessionwillcontributetotheconferenceobjectivesincludingprimary

alignmentwithwhichtheme(A‐C)andday(1‐4)andlinkswithdevelopingcountries,youth,etc.(<100

words).

http://www.planetunderpressure2012.net/themes.asp

Documents

Planet Under Pressure 2012 Call for Session Proposals