St Andrews welcomes Professor Sir Jim Skea during Sustainability Week

Professor Sir Jim Skea, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told St Andrews audiences this week that the organisation faces increasingly complex challenges in today’s geopolitical landscape, making international collaboration more essential than ever.

Delivering the opening keynote lecture for the University of St Andrews Sustainability Week on Monday 16 March, Professor Skea offered a rare insider’s perspective on the IPCC, from how it operates to the evolution of global climate evidence and policy.

Earlier in the day, Professor Skea joined a panel discussion hosted by the St Andrews Global Research Centre for Changing Climates, speaking to a capacity audience in a packed lecture theatre.

Presentations from the Climate Dynamics Lab, led by Dr Mike Byrne in the School of Earth Sciences, Dr Andrea Brook in the School of Classics, and Dr Derek Ball in the School of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Film Studies emphasised the interdisciplinary and cross-programmatic approach taken at St Andrews in addressing the climate crisis.

Talks were followed by a panel discussion on the role of the IPCC at a time of changing physical and social climates. Attendees were treated to a masterclass from Professor Sir Jim Skea on how to answer tricky questions on climate – given that his role typically involves fielding questions from around 200 professional negotiators speaking on behalf of countries with a very diverse array of interests and positions.  

Professor Sir Jim Skea highlighted the particular political conditions the current report was being conducted within and the ways in which disagreements were dealt with – sometimes identifiable within the report in the form of a long and complex section title, when contributors couldn’t agree on a shorter one!  He also highlighted the need to bring all disciplines together to address our changing climate, and the ability of St Andrews over time to punch above its weight, by finding key areas of climate research in which to excel, very closely aligning with the aims of the Global Research Centre for Changing Climates. 

As Sustainability Week continued, Professor Sir Jim Skea’s visit concluded on Tuesday morning with a dedicated Q&A session for senior pupils from local high schools, including Bell Baxter High School and St Leonards School. The session gave pupils the opportunity to engage directly with one of the world’s leading climate experts, ask questions about climate change, and explore potential pathways into climate-related study and careers.

Professor Sir Jim Skea’s visit provided a valuable opportunity to engage diverse audiences, from school pupils to researchers and the wider public, on the science, policy, and lived realities of climate change, reinforcing the University’s commitment to climate leadership, education, and public engagement.