The series, consisting of six talks, has been organised jointly by Cambridge University's Centre for Sustainable Development in the Department of Engineering and the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership. These events are free public lectures open to all, held in Lecture Theatre 0 in the Department of Engineering, Trumpington Street, Cambridge. They take place on Wednesday evenings, 5:30 for 6:00 p.m.
These public lectures, organised for the benefit of MPhil students, are designed to attract speakers of international standing and repute to give their views on Sustainable Development.
The 2012 series
1st February
Sustainable Materials – with both eyes open
Dr Julian Allwood (Reader in Engineering, Cambridge University Engineering Department; Lead Author of the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
The world target is to reduce industry’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2050. However, projections are that world demand for materials will DOUBLE by 2050, so to meet our emissions target, we have to achieve a 4-fold reduction in emissions per unit of material used. Dr Julian Allwood will present a practical, evidence based vision for change based on scientific detail. His lecture will not be about climate change—but about using materials wisely, and getting more for less.
Julian Allwood is a Reader in Engineering at the University of Cambridge where he leads the Low Carbon Materials Processing research group and is a fellow of Gonville and Caius College. He worked for 10 years for the aluminium industry and currently holds an EPSRC Leadership Fellowship which funds the WellMet2050 project. He is a lead author for the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
8th February
The power of markets to protect nature
Ian Cheshire (Group Chief Executive, Kingfisher Group; Member of the UK and EU Corporate Leaders Groups on Climate Change)
Appointed to the Board in June 2000 and as Group Chief Executive in January 2008 Ian was previously Chief Executive, B&Q UK from June 2005. He was appointed Chief Executive International and Development in September 2002, Chief Executive of e-Kingfisher in May 2000 and was Group Director of Strategy & Development.
He is a non-executive director of Whitbread plc and lead non-executive member on the Department for Work and Pensions Board. He is also a member of the Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change and a Member of the Employers’ Forum on Disability President’s Group.
15th February
Making Progress Toward Sustainable Societies in the Context of Global Climate Change
Professor Don Huisingh (Sustainable Development Centre for Clean Products and Clean Technologies;Energy, Environment and Resources Centre, University of Tennessee)
Many people regard Don Huisingh as the father of the Cleaner Production concept. He is dedicated to interdisciplinary education and integrated approaches to defining and solving society’s problems. He has addressed topics ranging from toxic substances and hazardous waste in industry and the home to the philosophical, ethical, and political implications of improper land-use management, human population growth and control, and energy use.
His work has focused on Pollution Prevention/Waste Reduction approaches to managing toxic substances and hazardous wastes. He has developed policies, concepts, and technologies to help government and industry identify sustainable approaches to pollution prevention and waste minimization. He seeks to improve environmental quality by integrating these preventive approaches with traditional pollution-control approaches.
Dr. Huisingh is active in many national and international organizations, including UNEP , UNIDO, WHO , Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank. He holds part-time faculty positions at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (Lund University, Sweden), the University of Massachusetts (Lowell), and Monterrey Tec (Technological Institute of Monterrey, Mexico).
29th February
Sustainable capitalism: if not now, when?
Jonathon Porritt CBE (Forum for the Future;Co-Director of the Prince of Wales’s Business & Sustainability Programme)
In 1996, Jonathon helped set up Forum for the Future, which remains his ‘home base’ in terms of all the different things he is involved in today. He is Co-Director of the Prince of Wales’s Business & Sustainability Programme, and was Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission between 2000 and 2009.
He is author of “Capitalism as if the World Matters”.
7th March
Making peace with the Earth
Dr Vandana Shiva (Navdanya International, India; International Forum on Globalisation)
Vandana Shiva’s work highlights the fundamental connection between human rights and the protection of the environment. Dr.Shiva offers solutions to some of the most critical problems posed by the effects of globalisation and climate change on the poorest and most populous nations. She is a philosopher, environmental activist, and eco feminist.
Her first book, “Staying Alive” helped redefine perceptions of third world women, and she has since authored more than 20 books and over 500 papers in leading science and technical Journals. Time Magazine identified Dr. Shiva as an environmental “hero” in 2003 and Asia Week has called her one of the five most powerful communicators of Asia.
14th March
The next 40 years
Professor Jorgen Randers (Professor of Climate Strategy at the Norwegian Business School; Co-author of Limits to Growth)
Randers is currently (2008) Professor of Climate Strategy at the BI Norwegian Business School, where his work is concentrated on climate issues, scenario planning and system dynamics.
Randers serves on the board of several companies, such as Tomra in Norway, and on the sustainability boards of British Telecom in England and The Dow Chemical Company in USA . In 2005-06 he headed the Norwegian Commission on Low Emissions, which presented a report demonstrating how Norway could reduce her greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
He served as deputy director general of the World Wildlife Fund International in Switzerland from 1994 to 1999 and as president of the BI Norwegian Business School from 1981 to 1989. He has authored and co-authored several books and articles, notably the controversial The Limits to Growth (1972) with updates in 1992 and 2004.
Details of this year's lectures and the lectures of previous years can be found on the Centre for Sustainable Development website.
Reproduced courtesy of University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering