Climate Policy and Planning, and the Role of Science and Scientists

Colloquium
Prof. Amanda Giang; Tom-Pierre Frappé-Sénéclauze; Fiona Beaty
Thursday, February 10, 2022 · 4:00 pm
ESB 5104 | Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83293392969?pwd=WmJ2ZU5xMUd6dFVkSkNJckdvbVduUT09
Hosted by
Colin Rowell, Cole Lord-May

This week we are hosting a panel of three experts with varied perspectives on climate policy and planning:

Tom-Pierre Frappé-Sénéclauze, B.C. Regional Director of the Pembina Institute and EOAS Alumni. 
Dr. Amanda Giang, Assistant Professor in UBC's Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability and the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Fiona Beaty, PhD Candidate in the UBC Department of Zoology

1) Tom-Pierre is an EOAS geophysicist-turned-climate policy planner and consultant. He will start us off by bringing us into the world of climate policy, with comments on how scientists and citizens can drive systemic change from wherever they work and live, and how to get the soft skills needed for the task. As a bonus, he can provide hot takes on the latest B.C. Climate Plan!

2) Amanda is a researcher and educator at the intersection of quantitative science, policy, and education in sustainable systems. She will tell us how to create effective tools for informing policy design and implementation. She provides great insight on how to effectively merge science with policy and planning. She is also engaged in training the next generation of climate thinkers and problem solvers.

3) Fiona conducts research to support resilience and adaptation to climate change for marine ecosystems and coastal communities. She will place the final cornerstone of our discussion by addressing the importance of place-based, bottom-up solutions, collaborating with local and Indigenous communities and using a combination of natural and social sciences.

SPECIAL NOTE: This event is in panel-discussion format. Each speaker will give introductory remarks, followed by extended discussion. Please jump right in!

Speaker's Bio: 

Tom-Pierre Frappé-Sénéclauze is the regional director of British Columbia at the Pembina Institute, Canada’s leading clean energy think tank. Until 2022 he served as director for buildings and urban solutions at the Institute. Tom-Pierre has provided consulting services to local, provincial and federal governments agencies on topics ranging from energy labelling, PACE financing, to building codes and market transformation. He sits on resource planning and demand-side management advisory bodies for BC Hydro and FortisBC. He is an alumnus of EOAS, with a master's degree in geophysics (glaciology), and completed his undergraduate in physics at L'Université Laval.

Dr. Amanda Giang is an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Her research addresses challenges at the interface of environmental modelling and policy through an interdisciplinary lens, with a focus on air pollution and toxic chemicals. She is interested in understanding how modelling and data analytics can better empower communities and inform policy decision-making. She is also engaged in educating the next generation of systems-thinkers and problem solvers, integrating case-based learning into interdisciplinary education on sustainable energy systems.

Fiona Beaty is a settler marine conservationist, researcher, and community leader. She is currently a PhD Candidate in the Zoology department at the University of British Columbia, studying how coastal ecosystems and communities in British Columbia are responding to climate change and other anthropogenic pressures. In addition to graduate school, Fiona works with regional non-profit organizations on marine spatial planning, restoration, and conservation projects based in the Salish Sea. Fiona is a strong advocate for pairing research with actions that advance our capacity to protect people and nature.