Sir Bob Watson: Is there a sustainable future for the world?

Human activities are altering the Earth’s climate and degrading critical ecosystem services. Food and water security, and human well-being are all threatened. We can address these challenges and achieve a world that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. But to do so, we need to map out a more sustainable path.

In his public talk at the Melbourne Town Hall on 22 May 2013, Sir Bob Watson, one of the world’s leading experts on global environmental issues, discussed where we are now, where we are headed if we do nothing, and how we can act now to ensure a more sustainable future. The talk was hosted by the Monash Sustainability Institute with the support from the City of Melbourne.

Sir Bob is the former head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and is currently the UK’s representative to the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and has received many national and international awards and prizes for his contributions to science, including the 2010 Blue Planet Prize.

His slides can be downloaded here.