ABSTRACT

Climate change loss and damage is known as the “third pillar” of international climate governance in addition to mitigation and adaptation. Although there is no agreed upon definition, loss and damage is typically considered residual slow and sudden-onset climate change impacts beyond social and natural adaptation limits. Australia is both a major emitter of greenhouse gases and highly vulnerable to climate change, especially in relation to extreme events. The science of  extreme event attribution, in which specific climate extremes are mathematically determined to be exacerbated by climate forcing or not, has matured over the last decade and was central to the IPCC’s AR6 WG1 report. Whilst climate change is considered an ojective truth, culture, values and lived experiences mediate people’s perceptions of weather and climate. For example, what may be considered a climate-extreme driven loss for one may be viewed as inconsequential by another. This seminar will discuss my recent ethnographic research on the perceptions and experiences of climate change loss and damage amongst a purposeful range of actors in northern Australia, focusing on Cairns, Darwin and Townsville. I will discuss, among other things, whether people are experiencing economic or non-economic losses and damages, the limitations and benefits of the concept, and situate the findings within broader international climate research, policy, and politics.

BIOGRAPHY