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Values in Science Advice: The Case of the IPCC

Date
Date
Wednesday 23 May 2018, 16:00 - 17:15
Location
School of Earth and Environment, 8.119 seminar rooms
Speaker
Arthur Petersen, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP), University College London (UCL)

SRI, Priestley & CCCEP hosted Seminar

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reviews scientific literature on climate change in an attempt to make scientific knowledge about climate change accessible to a wide audience that includes policy makers. Documents produced by the IPCC are subject to negotiations in plenary sessions, which can be frustrating for the scientists and government delegations involved, who all have stakes in getting their respective interests met. This seminar draws on the work of Bruno Latour in order to analyze the role of different values in science advice and the need for ‘diplomacy’ between these values.

Biography

Arthur Petersen is Professor of Science, Technology and Public Policy at University College London. He joined UCL’s Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) full time in September 2014 after more than 13 years’ work as scientific adviser on environment and infrastructure policy within the Dutch Government. Most recently he served as Chief Scientist of the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (2011–2014).