Ahead of global climate negotiations set to begin in Doha, Qatar later this month, Helen Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand and now the administrator of the UN Development Program (UNDP), will visit Stanford on Thursday to discuss climate change and poverty alleviation.
In her talk, “Why Tackling Climate Change Matters for Development,” Clark will explain why climate change is this century’s defining development challenge. She will outline measures necessary to safeguard development gains and curb global warming. Clark will argue that unless coordinated global action is urgently stepped up, climate change could reverse progress to reduce extreme poverty and improve the well-being of people around the world. She will also explore why political action has been ineffective so far.
The Nov. 26 – Dec. 7 Doha talks will be the eighteenth conference of the 192 signatory countries of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol – the only internationally legally binding regulations on climate protection.
Clark is the first woman to lead the UNDP, an organization which helps countries build and share solutions to achieve poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals, democratic governance, crisis prevention and recovery, as well as environment and energy for sustainable development. Clark oversees the UNDP's nearly $5 billion annual budget and more than 8,000 employees operating in 177 countries. Clark is also chair of the UN Development Group, a committee consisting of the heads of all UN funds, programs and departments working on development issues.
The talk is co-sponsored by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and Stanford’s Program in Human Biology
WHERE: Geology Corner, 450 Serra Mall, Braun Building 320, Room 105 (Map). Visitor parking is at Parking Structure 1 at Campus Drive West between Quarry Road and Roth Way.
Search for Braun Corner on this map of Stanford campus. (http://campus-map.stanford.edu/)
