Communicating Climate Change Conference - February 2007

Over 45 meteorologists and television weather presenters from across the European Union met in Brussels for the Communicating Climate Change Conference - (List of participants).

The Conference provided an opportunity for the participants to share their experience on communicating climate change and also provided a platform to discuss latest developments in this field with scientists and policy makers.

Expert presentations
Key policy experts from the Commission and the World Meteorological Organisation and lead authors of the new climate change assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change addressed the group.

The topics included (click to see presentations):

• Role of the World Meteorological Organisation
  by Mr. J. Lengoasa, World Meteorological Organisation
• The Physical Science Basis - IPCC 4th Assessment Report
  by Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
• Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability - IPCC 4th Assessment Report

by Prof. Dr Pavel Kabat, Science & Climate Change Group, Wageningen UR
• Communicating Climate Change as an NGO
  by Dr Stephan Singer, World Wildlife Fund
• European Research in Climate Change
  by Ms E. Lipiatou, European Commission, DG Research
• EU Domestic and International Policy
  by Mr A. Runge-Metzger, European Commission, DG Environment
• European Commission Climate Change Campaign
  by Ms Renita Bhaskar, European Commission, DG Environment
• Communicating Climate Change as a Meteorologist
  by Mr M. Hedberg, Swedish Weather Institute

See also the conference video

Invited to form a network
As both meteorologists and media personalities in their home countries, weather presenters are well placed to help raise public awareness about climate change and what individuals can do to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission invited the group to form a network to support these goals.

With this in mind a Core Group (composed of 5 to 6 conference participants) will be set up to reflect on the role of such a group and the appropriate organisational framework for future cooperation.