The MSc Environmental Management alumni from the National University of Singapore is organising its annual public seminar on 7 May 2016. This year, in light of climate change related issues and corresponding changes to international policy and local governance, the seminar is themed: 'Climate Change Negotiation Landscape - The Road from Paris and Beyond'. A highly relevant seminar for all!
The speakers and their topics:
Mr Sandeep Chamling Rai, Senior Advisor on Global Adaptation Policy for WWF International - "International Climate Change Negotiations: COP21 Outcomes and the Way Forward"
Ms Nor Lastrina Hamid, Co-Founder of Singapore Youth for Climate Action - "Paris Agreement: What it means for Singapore and Asia"
Mr Jose Raymond, Vice President of Corporate Affairs (Singapore), Asia Pulp and Paper - "Landscape Management in Indonesia – Why the Future has to be Now?"
All are invited to attend this seminar, ask questions during the panel discussion and to make new friends over lunch thereafter, at no cost.
Event Details
Venue of the climate change seminar: Shaw Foundation Alumni House
Date: Saturday, 7 May 2016
Time: 0900 - 1230 hrs
Venue: Auditorium, Shaw Foundation Alumni House, National University of Singapore , 11 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119244
Entrance Fee: Your smile!
Come and hear of the current issues, stumbling blocks, various organisational commitment and policy directions towards climate change mitigation and adaptation. Register here for the seminar.
There will also be a book exchange at the event, swapping nature and environmental materials. It is a great time to give away your old books, mags, CDs and DVDs.
MORE ON THE SPEAKERS AND THEIR PRESENTATIONS
1. "International Climate Change Negotiations: COP21 Outcomes and the Way Forward"
Climate change is an unprecedented challenge facing humanity today, both politically and technically. The primary international legal response to climate change is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),which started in 1992. For more than two decades, climate scientists and politicians have worked toward achieving agreements on the best way to address climate change. At the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to UNFCCC in Dec 2015, more than 196 countries adopted the landmark Paris Agreement. This agreement is the result of 9 years of intense negotiations. This presentation will focus on the path of achieving the Paris Agreement, unpacking the agreement and what the way forward is for its implementation. This seminar should be attended by anyone interested in the climate change negotiation landscape leading up to COP21 and what the new agreement means for climate actions.
Speaker: Mr Sandeep Chamling Rai is a Senior Advisor on Global Adaptation Policy for WWF International based in Singapore. He leads WWF’s effort on adaptation policy work within the UN Climate Change negotiations process, SDG, IPCC and other international processes. Sandeep is a graduate from the NUS MSc Enviornmental Management programme.
2. "Paris Agreement: What it means for Singapore and Asia"
Singapore announced in February 2016 that it would sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on 22 April 2016 at a high-level signature ceremony convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in New York. This presentation will examine how Singapore intends to achieve its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution of reducing its emissions intensity by 36% by 2030, as well as how business and civil society sectors can get more involved in this effort. The presentation will further examine if the Paris Agreement and Singapore's effort in tackling climate change will be eroded given that Asia as a region is still largely dependent on fossil fuels.
Speaker: An environmentalist, Ms Nor Lastrina Hamid has attended COP20 in Lima, Peru and COP21 in Paris, France. She co- founded Singapore Youth for Climate Action, a platform for young Singapore residents to join hands in action in response to climate change, as well as #LepakInSG, a one-stop calendar listing environmental events and activities in Singapore.
3. "Landscape Management in Indonesia – Why the Future has to be Now?"
Between about June and October 2015, more than 100,000 fires burned down millions of hectares of fragile forest lands in Indonesia. There were human and animal fatalities, and the economic damage was estimated to be more than US$15bn. For more than 20 years these fires have been an annual occurrence, as farmers and agricultural companies clear Indonesia's forests and carbon-rich peatlands to make way for pulpwood, palm oil and rubber plantations, or for smaller scale subsistence farming. Can a landscape management approach to land governance in Indonesia bring about an end to the issue of haze?
Speaker: Mr Jose Raymond is Vice President of Corporate Affairs (Singapore) at Asia Pulp & Paper. He was formerly the CEO of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) from 2011 to 2015. He was also the Press Secretary to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources
About the organiser:
The alumni of MSc (Environmental Management) program (also known as the MEM program) is a vibrant group of professionals who get together to organise a number of activities each year on a voluntary basis. The activities include public educational seminars on social and environmental topics, musical events and overseas trips. The MEM, a multi-displinary post-graduate program, was inaugurated in 2001 by the School of Design and Environment faculty of the National University of Singapore. After more than a decade, this program continues to attract high calibre students from around the world. For more information on MEM, visit the website at http://www.mem.nus.edu.sg. For inquiries or partnerships with MEM alumni, contact the president Albert Sin.