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SEI Oxford event addresses the future of climate change adaptation

SEI marked the 20th anniversary of the Oxford Centre and the 15th anniversary of weADAPT with an event that addressed goals for adaptation, barriers to adaptation, and ideas to achieve greater progress.

Published on 5 October 2022
SEI Oxford's 20th anniversary event at Oxford Museum of Natural History

Photo: Marcus Rose for SEI.

Watch the recording

Video: SEI / YouTube.

The event featured diverse and leading voices in adaptation from around the world. In the opening session, panellists presented diverse ideas about the main goals for adaptation, the key barriers to adaptation and ways to achieve progress on the agenda.

Participants included:

  • Youssef Nassef – Director of the UNFCCC Adaptation Division
  • Lisa Schipper – Affiliated Researcher, SEI, (Incoming) Professor of Development Geography, University of Bonn
  • Nathalie Seddon – Professor of Biodiversity and Senior Associate, International Institute for Environment and Development, University of Oxford; Senior Fellow, the Oxford Martin School
  • Magnus Benzie – Research Fellow, SEI Stockholm
  • Sukaina Bharwani – Senior Research Fellow, SEI Oxford.

Another group held a lively, intergenerational chat around the “electronic campfire”. The voices of experience were represented by two experts who have been working on adaptation-related causes globally throughout their careers; the voices of the up-and-coming generation were represented by two young people who have been active in research and in championing both social justice and greater inclusion of youth in climate change-related decision-making globally.

Participants included:

  • Arame Tall – Senior Adaptation and Resilience Specialist, Climate Change Group, World Bank
  • Richard J. T. Klein – SEI Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Geography, Climate Policy and Development at Linköping University
  • George Carew-Jones – UN COP Working Group Member and Press Officer, UK Youth Climate Coalition
  • Inès Bakhtaoui – Research Associate, SEI Oxford.
SEI Oxford Research Associate Inès Bakhtaoui, UN COP Working Group Member and Press Officer, UK Youth Climate Coalition George Carew-Jones, Senior Adaptation and Resilience Specialist, Climate Change Group, World Bank Arame Tall and SEI Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Geography, Climate Policy and Development at Linköping University Richard J. T. Klein

Bakhtaoui, Carew-Jones, Tall and Klein. Photo: Marcus Rose for SEI.

Other expert panellists participated in the event through pre-recorded interviews. They are:

  • Kathryn Brown – Director of Climate Action, Wildlife Trusts; former Head of Adaptation, UK Climate Change Committee
  • Gilbert Siame – Associate Professor of International Urban Development Planning, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • Albert Salamanca  – SEI Senior Research Fellow, SEI Asia

In the video, they respond to questions about the main goals for adaptation, the key barriers, and ways to achieve progress in adapting to climate change.

Watch the recording

Video: SEI / YouTube.

Word cloud of barriers to adaptation as offered at the event by the audience. Source: Robin Hocquet for SEI.

Word cloud of ideas offered at the event by the audience as ways to achieve progress in climate change adaptation. Source: Robin Hocquet for SEI.

More information

SEI participants

Ruth Butterfield
Ruth Butterfield

Centre Director and Senior Research Fellow

SEI Oxford

Karen Brandon
Karen Brandon

Senior Communications Officer and Editor

Communications

SEI Oxford

Lisa Schipper
Lisa Schipper

SEI Affiliated Researcher

Profile picture of Magnus Benzie
Magnus Benzie

Senior Research Fellow

SEI Oxford

Sukaina Bharwani

Senior Research Fellow and weADAPT Director

SEI Oxford

Richard J.T. Klein
Richard J. T. Klein

Senior Research Fellow

SEI Headquarters

Albert Salamanca
Albert Salamanca

Senior Research Fellow

SEI Asia

Kathryn Brown

SEI Affiliated Researcher

SEI Oxford

Åsa Persson
Åsa Persson

Research Director and Deputy Director

SEI Headquarters

Robert Watt
Robert Watt

Engagement Director

SEI Headquarters

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