IPCC Scientist Dr Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, Vice Chair, IPCC takes Penny Wong to task about when the scientific message on climate change and the need for action become clear. He spoke shortly after Penny Wong's keynote speech at the opening plenary 2010 International Climate Change Adaptation Conference on the Gold Coast.
1.1 Opening Plenary: Jean-Pascal van Ypersele & Martin Parry from NCCARF on Vimeo.
Jean-Pascal van Ypersele started with a quote which called for immediate action to stabilize carbon emissions and to reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. Dr van Ypersele then apologised to the audience - that he had prepared his speech in a hurry and the quote he had given was actually from the first IPCC assessment report done in 1990. He then stated to the audience and the Minister he had to slightly disagree with the Minister that scientists up until recently had not been clear with their message.
He then briefly summarised the importance of both mitigation and adaptation measures. "Adaptation is clearly needed if we want to avoid some of the unavoidable impacts" said Jean-Pascal van Ypersele "the IPCC has as a whole the message that mitigation and adaptation are complementary".
The small number of errors found in the last report will generate a review of the processes in the IPCC and of writing the next IPCC report to be published in 2013.
Listen to the rest of his speech, or find other videos of plenary speakers at NCCARF's videos at Vimeo. PDF presentations of many of the speakers are available for download at the Conference program website
