Concurrent Panel Sessions, Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Priority Focus Areas/Topics:
Science and Diplomacy and Multilateral Mechanisms
Water and Resilience
Disproportionality and Policy
Climate Technology, Solutions, and Innovations
The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | 11:00 AM EDT: GCSE - NASA Science of Actionable Knowledge Part 1
To address complex planetary challenges, such as climate change and sustainability, researchers, funders, and practitioners have come collectively to appreciate that the mere accumulation of knowledge and information is not enough. To advance the use of knowledge and evidence to inform decisions requires intentionality in research design, early identification of beneficiaries of that knowledge, plans for knowledge exchange, and pathways to impact. Against this backdrop, a new ‘science of actionable knowledge’ is emerging, an area of inquiry that aims to understand and catalyze transitions in scientific knowledge-making and use.
It is in this context, NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) and Global Council for Science & Environment (GCSE) have joined hands to support a cohort of 11 NASA sponsored projects working broadly on NASA ESD focus areas of: Atmospheric Composition, Weather, Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems, Water and Energy Cycle, Climate Variability and Change, and the Earth Surface and Interior. This pilot study aims to support researchers in developing strong skills in user engagement and application development, along with individualized impact pathways for research uptake by relevant decision-makers.
Moderator: Matma Mehra, PhD | Research Director, Global Council for Science and the Environment
Dr. Zhong Lu | Professor, Shuler-Foscue Chair, Southern Methodist University (USA)
Dr. Leila Farhadi | Associate Professor, George Washington University (USA)
Dr. Cinzia Zuffada | JPL Associate Chief Scientist (USA)
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | 11:00 AM EDT: Financing the Environment for a Sustainable Future
This panel focuses on quantifying environmental parameters as triggers for financial flows to help governments and markets assess and price environmental risks in real-time. We will discuss means to advance “sustainable finance” areas via financial instruments (e.g., catastrophe bonds, weather derivatives) in the context of an Everglades restoration initiative.
Moderator: Dr. Todd Crowl | Director of the Institute of Environment, Florida International University (USA)
Matt Coleman | Director, Strategic Partnerships, Nephila Climate (USA)
Tina Kirby | Head Underwriter North America, Europe, and RoW Epidemic Risk Solutions, Munich Re (United Kingdom)
Kathy Baughman McLeod | Director and Senior Vice President, Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center (USA)
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | 11:00 AM EDT: Build Resilience With Gender Empowerment, Sustainable Food and Reuse Policies
Climate action plans often overlook strategies that not only reduce emissions but create equitable, healthy communities. The Center for Biological Diversity & Upstream Solutions will share resources on why and how to include gender empowerment, food systems and reuse in climate planning.
Kelley Dennings | Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity (USA)
Stephanie Feldstein | Director, Center for Biological Diversity (USA)
Marcel Howard | Policy Analyst, Upstream Solutions (USA)
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | 11:00 AM EDT: The Future of Carbon Neutral Energy Storage Technologies
Carbon-neutral solutions for large-scale and long-term storage of renewable energy that can help meet climate goals to reduce CO2 emissions. Increased storage capacity can also help to increase disaster resilience and accelerate the retirement of high-emission power plants that disproportionately impact the health of marginalized communities.
Moderator: Dr. Amber Mace | Executive Director, California Council on Science and Technology (USA)
Dr. Joan Casey | Assistant Professor, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health (USA)
Robert Cormia | Chemistry Faculty, Foothill College (USA)
Jacqueline Dowling | graduate student. CalTech (USA)
Dr. Grace Wu | Assistant Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara (USA)
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | 12:30 PM EDT: Multilevel, Multilateral Governance DR3 Social-Technological Solutions with Stakeholders' Validation from Islands and Coastal Cities
The fair implementationof the SDGs, Climate change agenda and Sendai Framework requires multilevel and multilateral social-technological solutions with tight stakeholders’ engagement across governance levels. We present our multidisciplinary scientific research approach for the latter and insights into its application and validation in islands (Mauritius, Bahamas) and coastal cities (Rio, Accra).
Dr. Catalina Spataru | Professor Global Energy and Resources, UCL (United Kingdom of Great Britain)
Dr. Priscila Carvalho | Research Fellow Environment Law & Sustainability, UCL (United Kingdom of Great Britain)
Dr. Manta Nowbuth | Associate Professor Environmental Engineering, University of Mauritius (Mauritius)
Dr. Yaw Agyeman Boafo | Senior Research Fellow Climate Change and Sustainability, University of Ghana (Ghana)
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | 12:30 PM EDT: GCSE Sustainability Education Community of Practice: Updates on Progress and Pathways Forward
In the session, leaders of the community of practice will share updates on their efforts to secure grant funding to support sustainability-related programs in higher education and ways for GCSE members to get involved with upcoming projects and research. Specifically, the grant helps to set up a pathway for sustainability-oriented programs to establish and achieve learning objectives for students, drawing on the framework of key competencies in sustainability. The framework emphasizes two of the eight competencies, namely, values thinking and intra-personal competencies, highlighting the normative nature of sustainability problem-solving while centering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as how the ability to engage in such collective problem-solving depends on capacities for inner sustainability.
Katja Brundiers Ph.D. | Clinical Associate Professor, School of Sustainability & College of Global Futures, Arizona State University (USA)
Jordan King | PhD Candidate, Arizona State University (USA)
Rod Parnell Ph.D. | Senior Fellow, Global Council for Science and the Environment, Professor Emeritus of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University (USA)
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | 12:30 PM EDT: 17 Rooms-U: Catalyzing Action for Sustainability to Address the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Ed
The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals often seem abstract, removed from university-based research and educational activities. We highlight an approach here that encourages university personnel to frame their ongoing work and future activities in terms of the 17 goals. We share actionable research and curriculum priorities for reaching the goals.
Moderator: Jacob Taylor | Fellow - Global Economy and Development, Center for Sustainable Development, Brookings (USA)
Dr. Jason Ens | Executive Director, Academic Policy, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, Concordia University (Canada)
Drew Cutright | Program and Portfolio Manager, Strategic Consulting, Georgia Institute of Technology (USA)
Judit Ungvari | Research Innovation Officer, George Mason University (USA)