Public Event: Reality of Climate Change Globally and in Latvia

Climate change is one of the most serious challenges Humanity has been facing. The exact impacts in the long run are still under discussion within the scientific community, but the reality of the phenomenon is indisputable. The effects are already perceptible in terms of extreme climate events, average warming, and so forth.

During this lecture, Ilze Prūse will offer a general panorama of the meaning of climate change globally before discussing the details of the implications and risks for Latvia. The context of her talk is the recent publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) special report. The question for consideration will be 'what might be the significance of extra +0,5oC for Latvia?'

Ilze Prūse has a Ph.D in economics. She is the Director of Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia. She has been representing Latvia in International Emissions Trading under the framework of the Kyoto Protocol. She is the co-developer of Latvia's largest climate investment scheme (Climate Change Financial Instrument). She developed and coordinated Latvia's largest ever environmental information campaign for schools (on ozone layer protection). In 2013 Ilze coordinated initial preparations of the Ministry for the Latvia's Presidency of the EU Council and at the first half of 2015 she chaired the EU Council Working Party on international environmental issues (WPIEI) regarding climate change.