Georgetown SFS-Q to host concluding lecture of highly successful Climate Change Lecture Series

With Qatar currently hosting COP18, Dr. Nathan Hultman, Director of Environment & Energy Policy Programs, University of Maryland, will put the complexities of the discussions central to this mega-conference into context and draw on his vast experience participating in the UN climate change process since the Kyoto meeting.

Dr. Hultman commented, "After a decade of slow and halting progress toward a global approach to climate change, there remains a very large gap between the low level of ambition in existing international agreements and the necessary major steps for managing climate risks at reasonable levels in the long run. Against this backdrop, delegates will soon be meeting for another round of international climate negotiations in Doha, Qatar to discuss key issues of financing and to lay the groundwork for a future treaty."

He went on to say, "But it's equally important to remember that emissions reduction depends on a mutually reinforcing set of domestic policies, international agreements, and technological innovations. In this talk I address how these can interact beneficially, focusing particularly on the prospects for embedding new approaches to innovation and development not only in the climate discussions but also in the development agenda."

Dr. Hultman will also address energy-climate challenges and opportunities specific to the GCC countries. Dr. Hultman's lecture is a valuable addition to the on-going discussions taking place as part of COP18, and gives the local community an opportunity to engage with thought leaders on these key issues affecting the local and global community.

The discussions make up part of a series of open lectures on climate change held from 11th November to 2nd December at SFS-Q.