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Policy Forum Pod

Will COP26 be a turning point?

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, climate experts Mark Howden and Frank Jotzo join us to discuss Australia’s climate policy, energy transitions, and the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.


In just over a week’s time, world leaders and climate negotiators will gather in Glasgow, Scotland for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference - or COP26. It’s been billed as a critical moment in global efforts to tackle climate change, with this year’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change saying urgent action is required if global temperature rises are to be kept at 1.5 degrees Celsius. But as we approach the summit, there have been worrying signs, with domestic politics and the COVID-19 pandemic acting as obstacles for a number of countries. On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Mark Howden and Professor Frank Jotzo join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss the science, the prospect for stronger national contributions, and whether COP26 can lead to major progress in the global fight against climate change.


Frank Jotzo is Professor of Environmental Economics and Climate Change Economics at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, where he directs the Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, and Head of Energy at ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions.


Mark Howden is Director of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions. He was a major contributor to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, for which he shares a Nobel Peace Prize.


Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.


Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow for the ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for the ANU Medical School.


The podcast series, COP26: we got this, produced by ANU Centre for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions and King's College London, is available on Acast.


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