This forum is the third in the 2014 Fenner Fora Series "Energy, Fire, Climate, Water - Fenner Fora 2014". 

For more than a decade, an overwhelming amount of scientific work has revealed the current impacts and future risks that climate change poses to human and natural systems. The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows there is a high degree of scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is happening. However, public understanding of subject is relatively poor and public support to climate change action remains volatile. As a result, there lacks a political consensus and commitment to addressing this imminent threat. 

This begs the question of whether there exists a disconnect between scientists, policymakers and the general public and what can be done to bridge the gap. The panel will discuss the challenges of communication climate change science, particularly evaluating how scientific facts on climate change are delivered and perceived by the public as well as implications for policy. The forum also intends to explore strategies to improve public understanding and public support for action.

The speakers include:  

Professor Michael Raupach (Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute)

Dr Will Grant (Centre for Public Awareness of Science, ANU)

Dr Mike Smithson (Research School of Psychology, ANU)

Ms Heather Bruer (Australian Youth Climate Change Coalitian, Master of Climate Change (Research Student)