44th TB Macaulay Lecture - Johan Rockström

44th TB Macaulay Lecture - In conversation with Professor Johan Rockström

Each year the Macaulay Development Trust, in partnership with the James Hutton Institute, hosts a world-renowned guest speaker for its annual TB Macaulay Lecture. This year we are Honoured to welcome Johan Rockström who is internationally recognized for his work on global sustainability issues.

“The science is clear: the rising frequency and amplitude of extreme events is just one consequence of overshooting 1.5 °C warming, which is a real biophysical limit, and beyond which multiple tipping points in the earth system are not only likely to be triggered, but run a risk of causing tipping cascades”. -Professor Johan Rockström

After 11.000 years of a remarkably stable climate which has formed the support for civilisation to evolve comfortably; activities of the last 70 years have moved us into a period where human activity has started to significantly impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.

We face multiple global crises, afflicting built and natural environments, health and well-being, wealth and economic development, social stability and security - culminating in the risk of a polycrisis - a cluster of related global risks with compounding effects whose overall impact exceeds the sum of each part.

Join globally renowned climate change expert Professor Johan Rockström at Scotland’s largest and longest running public lecture hosted by The Macaulay Development Trust and The James Hutton Institute.

Johan will discuss the latest scientific results of the health of the earth system, including the recent work of the Earth Commission and will also update on the "Earth for All" scenario, analysing pathways towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals within planetary boundaries.

His talk will reflect on where we stand shortly before the COP28 to be held in Dubai and his thoughts on the corrective action he believes is needed in order to keep the entire system in its current inter-glacial state.

Please check the website regularly for updates and announcements of other special guests. You can also follow us on twitter @MacaulayDvTrust and @JamesHuttonInst and use the hashtag #TBMacLecture.

EVENT DETAILS

The event is free to attend. Please register now on Eventbrite to reserve a seat.

Wednesday, 18th October 2023

McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh

6.00 – 7.30pm

Pre-lecture reception from 5pm for all ticket holders.

Register to attend

We look forward to welcoming you to The 44th TB Macaulay Lecture!

Background to the TB Macaulay lecture

The annual TB Macaulay lecture is held to honour the vision of Dr Thomas Bassett Macaulay, President and chairman of the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, whose benefaction founded the original Macaulay Institute for Soil Research in 1930. He was a descendant of the Macaulays from the Island of Lewis and his aim was to improve the productivity of Scottish Agriculture. This vision continues today in its successor the James Hutton Institute, a world-leader in land, crop, water, environmental and socio-economics science.

Accessibility note

We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or questions about how we can support you in attending our events, please contact the James Hutton Institute’s evet team at events@hutton.ac.uk.

Photography/filming

Please note that the event organiser and events partners will be taking photographs/filming during this event. The photographs/video recordings may be used for publicity, promotional and business development purposes in print and digital media formats including publications, reports, tenders, websites, promotional material and social media. If you have any concerns, please contact events@hutton.ac.uk