– Identifying Challenges, Developing Solutions

 

Second International Conference on Climate Services (ICCS 2)

September 5-7, 2012

Conversation with the media, 5th August, 12:30 pm, Salle Jules Bordet

 

Climate variability affects many aspects of life. Departures from seasonal rhythms can mean the difference between feast and famine, health and disease, even life and death. More often and more subtly, climate variability contributes to slight variations in profit and loss.

In this context, learning to better manage climate related risk is a priority for many segments of society. By providing timely, tailored, decision-relevant information to those who need it, climate services help societies to cope with current climate variability and build resilience to future change.

While other international efforts continue their pursuit of a framework for managing a changing global climate, private and public sector leaders are already working on the operational elements for predicting and preparing national and international infrastructure for the decades ahead. This work will be showcased at the second International Conference on Climate Services (ICCS 2), being held September 5-7 in Brussels, Belgium. The conference is presented by the Climate Services Partnership (CSP), and organized by the Climate Service Center Germany (CSC), which is part of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht. The ICCS 2 provides a forum for business, government, and scientific organizations at the forefront of developing medium- to long-term forecasts, decision-making and planning (climate services), to come together to share their latest innovations. The event will be attended by around 200 leading thinkers in climate services, from more than 40 different countries.

The conference will address current progress, challenges, and opportunities in climate services development. We will give special attention to the issue of developing public-private partnerships, targeting both adaptation to, and mitigation of, climate change. For journalists, the conference provides a rich environment in which to interact with leading scientists, entrepreneurs, administrators and other decision-makers, with leadership from national weather services, including the World Meteorological Organization.

On the first day, delegates will review and discuss results from projects and working groups that have been ongoing for the past year. While on the second day of the conference the needs and opportunities associated with climate services will be addressed, including breakout sessions exploring the climate services partnership concept in sector-specific contexts. The third day of the conference will be devoted to the reporting of results from the working groups, synthesis, and development of a roadmap towards future action. The full conference agenda is available here: http://iccs2.iri.columbia.edu/agenda.html

We would be delighted to be able to meet you in Brussels, and cordially invite you to join us on 5-7 September. Following the press conference on Wednesday 5th August, 12:30 pm, there will be the opportunity for informal discussions with representatives of the scientific and business communities over lunch.

 

Prof. Guy Brasseur

Director

Climate Service Center

Hamburg

 

Dr. Stephen Zebiak

Senior Research Scientist

International Research Institute for Climate and Society

Columbia University, New York

 

More information is available here: iccs2.iri.columbia.edu

Please register here: iccs2.iri.columbia.edu/media-registration.html

 

Rüdiger Braun, Associate Director, Head of Communications

Climate Service Center Germany (CSC), Hamburg (www.climate-service-center.de)

Email: ruediger-h.braun@hzg.de

Phone: up to 31/08/2012: +49 (0)40-226 338-415;

from 03/09/ to 07/09/2012: +49 (0)171-5100 337

 

ICCS 2 is held in conjunction with the Climate Services Partnership

 

 

Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique