Climate change and paths to a sustainable future: Steven Chu

Multiple industrial and agricultural revolutions have profoundly transformed the world. The unintended consequence of these revolutions is that we are changing Earth's climate.

Professor Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize laureate and former U.S. Secretary of Energy during the Obama administration, will present new data on climate change that indicates that the Earth’s climate is more sensitive than previously thought.

In addition to the climate risks, we face many challenges such as how to provide enough clean energy, water, air and food to a world of 7.7 billion people, which will likely to grow to 11 billion by 2100.

How we can transition from where we are heading to where we need to be within 50 years is one the most pressing set of issues that science, invention and innovations needs to address. Professor Chu will discuss potential solutions that could provide a path to a sustainable and prosperous future.

This event is presented by the Sydney Environment Institute in partnership with the Net Zero Initiative and the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

Keynote speaker

• Professor Steven Chu is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics, of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, and of Energy Science and Engineering at Stanford University. From January 2009 to April 2013, Dr. Chu served as U.S. Secretary of Energy under President Barack Obama. As the first scientist Cabinet member in U.S. history, he recruited dozens scientists to join him at the Department of Energy. His current research is in biophysics, molecular and cellular physiology, medical imaging, nanoparticle synthesis, battery research and carbon capture. He has received numerous awards including the 1997 Nobel Prize for laser cooling and optical trapping of atoms.

Opening speakers

• Professor Emma Johnston is Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and a Professor of Marine Ecology & Ecotoxicology in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences. She is a leading authority in marine ecology, a sustainability and diversity champion and a Chief Author of the Australian State of Environment Report 2021.

• Professor David Schlosberg is Professor of Environmental Politics and Director of the Sydney Environment Institute. His work focuses on environmental, ecological, and climate justice; environment and everyday life; and climate adaptation planning and policy. He has worked extensively with local and state governments on just adaptation and resilience planning, the social impacts of climate change, and community-based food systems and policy.

• Professor Deanna D'Alessandro is a chemist and Professor at the Schools of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Chemistry, at the University of Sydney. She is also Director of the Faculty of Engineering’s Net Zero Initiative. This team aims to help government, industry and communities manufacture, deploy and adopt cost-effective, low emissions technologies at scale. Deanna has over 16 years’ professional experience in materials science. She is passionate about interdisciplinary efforts to address climate change through net zero and negative emissions technologies.