IMPRESSIONS participated in a science-policy event hosted by DG RTD and DG CLIMA on 17 September 2015 at Scotland House Conference Centre in Brussels. The event focused on evidence of what might happen if the international agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit the expected global warming to 2° is not meet.
The mid-term findings from three projects (IMPRESSIONS, HELIX and RISES-AM) funded under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) to quantify impacts and vulnerabilities for a range of high-end scenarios were presented. DG RTD Head of Unit 'Climate Action and Earth Observation' Andrea Tilche and DG CLIMA Head of Unit 'Adaptation' Beatriz Yordi then framed a discussion in relation to:
- What are plausible worlds above 2°C global warming, both at the global scale and in Europe?
- What can be appropriate responses from both the mitigation and the adaptation side?
- How do decision-makers perceive high-end scenarios in specific places and for specific sectors?
- How do solutions to high-end climate link with sustainable development and to a number of transformative changes outside of the climate domain.
The event was well attended by over 60 people ensuring an active and interesting debate on the risks arising from exceeding the 2oC policy "guardrail" as well as the economic, social and political opportunities for Europe by responding to climate change through adaptation and/or mitigation.