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[Episode #116] – Climate Science Part 12a – Improving Climate Modeling

Are the climate change scenarios used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) accurately representing our likely futures, or are they rooted in outdated perspectives that don't represent the progress we’re already making on energy transition? Is the world on a “business as usual” path to climate doom in a planet that’s 5°C warmer, or are we actually within reach of limiting warming to 2°C by the end of this century?

In this episode, we ask two experts to debate these questions in the very first extended three-way conversation on this podcast. Representing the energy analyst’s critique of the IPCC models is Bloomberg New Energy Finance founder Michael Liebreich. And representing the modeling work that informs the IPCC process is Dr. Nico Bauer, an integrated assessment modeler with the Potsdam Institute who has helped develop the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways used in the IPCC framework.

This episode is part one of that three-hour conversation. Part two will be featured in Episode #117. Together, those two episodes make Part 12 of our mini-series on climate science.

Guest #1:

Michael Liebreich is Chairman and CEO of Liebreich Associates, but he is perhaps best known as Founder and Senior Contributor to Bloomberg New Energy Finance – the world’s leading provider of information and research on clean energy and transport. He is a Visiting Professor at Imperial College, a member of the UK Department for International Trade’s Capital Investment Advisory Board and most recently joined Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL) as a Senior Adviser. Previously, he was a board member of Transport for London and a member of the high-level group for the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Michael currently serves on numerous advisory boards, is speaker, writer, philanthropist, and occasional angel investor. Michael also skied for Great Britain at the 1992 Albertville Olympics.

On Twitter: @MLiebreich

On the Web:  Liebreich.com

Guest #2:

Dr. Nico Bauer is a climate modeler with the Potsdam Institute, based in Potsdam, Germany. Since 2000, he has worked on and with various major climate models, including DICE, MIND, and REMIND. Since 2007 he has worked on Integrated Assessment Modeling. He has a broad publication record on energy and integrated assessment modeling, with one focus on fossil fuel markets. He took part in the process to develop the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, particularly the SSP5.

On Twitter: @NB_pik

On the Web: Nico Bauer’s page at Potsdam Institute

Recording date: February 10, 2020

Air date: March 4, 2020

Geek rating: 10