Panel B

Session B, April 22, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET
Risky Business: A Changing Paradigm of Managing Risks in a Changing World

Session Chairs: Paul Hubley, P.Geo. and Imran Khan, P.Geo.
A moderated Q & A will follow after the panel presentations.

PARTNER SPONSOR

Presentation 1: Geoethics in Natural Hazard and Risk Management

Speaker: Giuseppe di Capua, National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Rome– Treasurer and Co-Founder of International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) (Italy) - SEE SPEAKER'S BIO

SUMMARY
Giuseppe will describe the role of geoethics in natural hazard and risk management, highlighting the social role of geoscientists and the importance of preventive actions in risk reduction, with a focus on the 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake case study.

Presentation 2: Mainstreaming Climate Risk Management – Perspectives for Geoscientists

Speaker: Joanna Eyquem, P.Geo. CWEM, CEnv - Director, Climate Programs – Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation - SEE SPEAKER'S BIO

SUMMARY
In November 2020, Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, declared that “climate change and the transition to low-carbon growth will have profound impacts on virtually every sector of the economy”. Climate change is a top economic and social risk, rather than “just” an environmental issue. According to Canada’s Changing Climate Report, Canada is warming, on average, at a rate twice as fast as the global average and this warming is “effectively irreversible”. Addressing climate risks is therefore a critical part of responsible risk management, that needs to be mainstreamed within both the public and private sector. The Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, created by the Financial Stability Board, identifies two key types of risk: (1) risks related to the transition to a lower-carbon economy and (2) risks related to the physical impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, sea level rise and rising temperatures. This presentation will provide an overview of the different types of risks, approaches to risk management, key challenges and resources that geoscientists can use to keep informed of latest developments in this rapidly evolving area.

Presentation 3: Reshaping Geoscience to Help Deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Speaker: Joel Gill, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, Geology for Global Development (GfGD) and International Development Geoscientist, British Geological Survey (UK) - SEE SPEAKER'S BIO

SUMMARY
Joel will introduce the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the increasing expectation of geology/ geoscientists to integrate SDGs into project plans, the cross-cutting theme of risk reduction that sits across all these goals, and the implications for geoscience education and professional activities

Presentation 4: Reclaiming Canada’s Mine Sites: Managing Risk in a Changing World

Speaker: Sean Carey, Ph.D., McMaster University, Director of Watershed Hydrology Group - SEE SPEAKER'S BIO

SUMMARY
Mining companies have considerable environmental footprints and face challenges with regards to reclaiming ecosystems and managing water. Sean will discuss existing and unforeseen barriers that the resource industry faces as a result of changing physical and social expectations through a series of case studies.