Inaugural Lecture of Chancellor’s Lecture Series: From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience
From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience: Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan
Bending the Curve and Bouncing Back to Climate Resilience
Climate Change morphed into Climate Crisis this year, giving us a peek into a world warmer
than 1.5C. The warming will cross the 1.5C threshold by early 2030s and most likely get worse
for at least another few decades even assuming the most optimistic solutions for bending the
emissions curve.
A new trans-disciplinary approach is needed to make people and ecosystems resilient to climate
stress. The new approach, developed in partnership with the Vatican’s science academies, is built on three pillars: Mitigation, Adaptation and Societal Transformation. The approach will be field-
tested in partnership with Mayors and Governors from around the world, who will be
convened at the Vatican in a summit. Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco of University of
Massachusetts Boston and Dr. Ramanathan are co-leading this effort on behalf of the Vatican
science academies.
Professor Ramanathan has been conducting original research in Climate and Atmospheric
Science since the 1970s.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Climate Sustainability at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Climate Solutions Scholar at Cornell University
Council Member, Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Member, US National Academy and the Royal Swedish Academy
United Nations Champion of the Earth
Organized by the School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston
Questions: Allison.Novelly@umb.edu