Rising to the Global Climate Challenge: Australia's Leadership

As increasingly extreme weather events swept the country – such as the devastating wildfires of early 2020 – local advocates and activists contested widespread climate disinformation and mobilized people power to achieve meaningful governmental action. These efforts helped to bring about the groundbreaking Climate Change Bill, expected to become law in Australia in the coming weeks, which pledges to cut the country’s emissions 43% by 2030.

Climate change remains a highly divisive issue across the globe, but Australia’s gradual move toward this progressive new law is an example of cohesion in a fracturing world. It demonstrates that national governments are acknowledging the extent of this shared global problem and are enacting policies that make a difference.

Join Perry World House and the Annenberg Public Policy Center for a conversation on these developments with former Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull and Penn’s Michael E. Mann, moderated by Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Turnbull will share how his government gained traction on critical climate issues, such as the development of new renewable energy projects like the Snowy Hydro 2.0 hydroelectricity scheme, and together they will examine how to make progress on climate change by tackling rampant disinformation and moving governments toward effective action.

This keynote conversation, part of Perry World House’s 2022 Global Order Colloquium, “A Fracturing World: The Future of Globalization,” also serves as the launch event for the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM), which will be led by Professor Mann and housed at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. University of Pennsylvania President M. Elizabeth Magill will provide introductory remarks for the program. 

This will be a hybrid event, with virtual access provided via Zoom – details of how to take part, either virtually or in-person, will be found in your order confirmation email. 

INTRODUCTION

M. Elizabeth “Liz” Magill is the University of Pennsylvania’s ninth president. A legal scholar and inspiring leader, Magill came to Penn after serving as Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of Virginia; prior to her role at UVA, she was the Richard E. Lang Professor and Dean of the Stanford Law School. A scholar of administrative and constitutional law, Magill is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Law Institute. She has been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, held a fellowship in the Law and Public Affairs Program at Princeton University, and was the Thomas Jefferson visiting professor at Downing College, Cambridge University.

SPEAKERS

Michael E. Mann is Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, with a secondary appointment in the Annenberg School for Communication. He is director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM). He is also a co-founder of the award-winning science website RealClimate.org and the author of five books, including The Tantrum that Saved the World and The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet. 

Malcolm Turnbull was the 29th prime minister of Australia. Prior to entering politics, he enjoyed successful careers as a lawyer, investment banker, and journalist. He entered the Australian Parliament in 2004 and during that time served as minister for the environment and water resources, minister for communications, and as prime minister from 2015-18. Mr. Turnbull has a deep interest in energy issues and renewable energy. He recognized the urgent need for large-scale storage to make intermittent renewables reliable and started the construction of the Snowy Hydro 2.0 pumped-hydro scheme. Mr. Turnbull is the author of several books including The Spycatcher Trial(1988), Fighting for the Republic (1999) and his memoir A Bigger Picture (2020).

MODERATOR