Mapping out a path to a more sustainable world
Sir Bob Watson
Former head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and world-leading environmental expert, Sir Bob Watson is this week chairing a national workshop on sustainable development goals at Monash.
Sir Watson, a Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Visiting Professor with the Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI), is the UK representative on an Open Working Group of the UN General Assembly that is driving the creation of Sustainable Development Goals. He is working closely with Australian representative Clare Walsh, from AusAID.
Monash was recently named a regional research hub for the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Sir Watson will spend three weeks at MSI, facilitating the workshop. He will also deliver public seminars.
“The issue of sustainable development is absolutely vital to the world,” Sir Watson said.
“We have to have a more equitable world. We have to get rid of hunger. We have to make sure people have access to affordable and nutritious food, clean water and modern energy. But we’ve got to make sure that when we supply that, it’s taking a wide range of social and environmental issues into account.”
Sir Watson said little progress has been made in the last twenty years to meet challenges such as climate change, maintaining biodiversity and stopping the degradation of global ecosystem services.
“We have significantly lost time to address these challenges. In some areas there have been minor gains, but greenhouse gas emissions are at an all-time high and we’re continuing to lose biodiversity and degrading our ecosystem throughout the world.”
“It’s quite clear that the world today is on an unsustainable path. But there’s also good recognition of that across the world. We have a real opportunity – challenging as it may be – to try and address these issues as we look to replace the Millennium Development Goals.”
Sir Watson said Monash was perfectly placed, through MSI, to lead the national and regional dialogue on this vital issue.
“MSI has demonstrated that it can stimulate debate – it has certainly stimulated the debate within Australia. And Australia is placed in the region of the world that is undergoing the most profound changes anywhere – and that’s Asia. So I’ve come here to work with Dave Griggs, John Thwaites and the Institute to see how we can move the conversation about sustainability in Australia forward – both in a national context, and a regional and global context.”
Sir Watson emphasised the interdisciplinary strength of MSI and it's extensive partnerships with connections with government, industry and civil society as key to the Institute's effectiveness.
Sir Bob Watson will deliver a seminar “Is there a sustainable future for our world?” at 12.00 pm, Monday, 20 May at the Menzies Theatre (H3, Building 11), Monash University Clayton campus; and at 6.30pm Wednesday, 22 May at Swanston Hall, Melbourne Town Hall.
For further information, see the Monash Events page.