Key Notes 

The Programme Committee has succeeded in engaging top-flight speakers from home and abroad for the 3rd Dialogue on Science. We are pleased to offer you a brief over-view of the relevant topics.

Prof. Heinz Wanner, Institute of Geography and NCCR Climate, University of Berne, together with Prof. Christoph Schär, Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich

Past climate dynamics during the ice ages and the current interglacial are reasonably well understood. In the pre-industrial era orbital changes, solar irradiance variations, volcanic events and internal system variability were mainly responsible for climate variability and change. Present and future climate can only be understood and simulated by considering important anthropogenic forcing factors like greenhouse-gas and aerosol effect, strato-spheric ozone depletion and land-use changes.
Climate Variability and Change - Past, Presence and Future (pdf)

Ambassador Dr. Beat Nobs, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and Land-scapes (BUWAL), Berne

The adoption of the Climate Convention in 1992 has induced a tremendous dynamic to control greenhouse gas emissions. Although the Kyoto Protocol is not yet into force, industrialised countries have started implementing numerous mitigation measures aimed at de-coupling economic activity from emissions. Nevertheless, the effects of climate change will accompany us in the next century and adaptation and mitigation strategies have to be defined. New climate policies will have to be based on realistic assessments of the present situation and effective strategies for greenhouse gas emissions reduction
Where we are and where we are going in Climate Policiy (PDF)

Prof. Hans von Storch, Institute of Coastal Research, Geesthacht and University of Hamburg, Germany

What is the anthropogenic contribution to recent climate change? Beside natural science other disciplines like sociology, economy and politology are provoked to answer questions like: How do we manage climate change? What is the optimal ratio between ad-aptation and mitigation strategies?

Jennifer Morgan, Director Climate Change Program, WWF International, Berlin, Germany

Jennifer Morgan will present the latest information on climate change science in relation to the objective of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) "preventing dangerous climate change", coupled with future scenarios for emissions path-ways and a global framework for the post 2012 time period.
The Case for Urgent Action on Climate Change (pdf)

Prof. Dieter Imboden, Environmental Physics, ETH Zurich

Today, CO2 contributes 60% of the total climate forcing of all man-made green-house gases. Most of the anthropogenic CO2-emission is linked to the use of energy by man. Provided that the rate and extent of climate change are to be limited to a tolerable size, the global emission of CO2 has to be reduced by 50 to 70% during the next hundred years. In contrast, models predict that the global energy demand will be multiplied by 3 to 5 in the same period. Options for both the demand and the supply side will be explored which could lead the world away from these divergent developments.
"The Global Energy System of the Future - Key Determinant of Climate Change"(PDF)

Dr. Leena Srivastava, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India

The linkages between Climate change and sustainable development have been recognised since the drawing up of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. All subsequent major milestones of the Climate debate have endorsed this relationship and this is now finding increasing acceptance in the scientific community as well. Given the plethora of multilateral agreements, this presentation will discuss the most productive and participative ways of engaging developing countries towards climate action.