cc: Malpede Diego <dma@mrecic.gov.ar>, lsaid-moshiro@agu.org
date: Tue Oct  5 17:47:49 2004
from: Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Re: COP10 Event on Science in Support of Adaptation
to: Neil Leary <nleary@agu.org>, "Osvaldo F. Canziani" <ocanz@ciudad.com.ar>, "Vicente Barros" <barros@at.fcen.uba.ar>, "Walter E. Baethgen" <baethgen@undp.org.uy>, nobre@cptec.inpe.br, richard.klein@pik-potsdam.de, lindam@atd.ucar.edu, suruchib@teri.res.in, sowandiga@iconnect.co.ke, ian.burton@ec.gc.ca

   Dear Neil,
   Thank you for the invite.  It sounds a good initiative and I feel honoured to be asked.
   In principle I would like to say yes, but my constraints may be availability.  I have a
   prior speaking engagement in London at the Science Museum on the evening of 7th December
   and there is a possibility that I may have to be back in the UK for the w/e of 11/12th
   Dec.  If not, the other constraint is our own side-event which is still emerging - we have
   requested from the UNFCCC a slot during the first week, but don't know yet when.  If we get
   one in Week 2, then I couldn't stay for the both weeks.
   So it's a rather conditional 'yes' I'm afraid.  By the way, my three key messages would be:
   - well-designed and quantitative climate scenarios can be a powerful mobilising force for
   action (cf. our UKIP98 and UKCIP02 scenarios)
   - however, adaptation in reality needs a much greater diversity of tools and incentives
   than 'better and better' climate predictions
   - and in the end, what matters as much as, or more than, good climate science alone is an
   'enabling environment' which comprises at a national level a mixture of political
   leadership, a commitment to climate-proofing all levels of regulatory policy, sound science
   (yes), and a receptive and sensitised public.
   Where these conditions come together - e.g. the UK - then real progress on the ground is
   measurable.
   Mike
   At 14:09 22/09/2004 -0400, Neil Leary wrote:

     Dear Friends,
     The Government of Argentina, START and TWAS are co-sponsoring a side event at the
     upcoming UNFCCC 10th Conference of the Parties in Buenos Aires on science and
     adaptation. The program will include two panel discussions and the event is intended to
     produce a paper that will outline a plan of action for science in support of climate
     change adaptation that will be submitted to the COP.
     You are invited to participate as a member of the panel and to contribute to the paper.
     START and TWAS, through the AIACC Project, can offer financial support for your travel
     to attend the event if you do not have other means of support for your travel.
     The date of the event is not yet decided, but it will most likely be during the week
     6-10 December.
     Please reply promptly, but no later than 08 October, to inform us if you will accept the
     invitation. If there are any dates that you are not available during the period 6-17
     December, please let us know.
     A draft copy of the program is attached.  Please note that panel members are requested
     to provide a very short paper (1 or 2 pages) in advance of the COP. Guidance for the
     papers is provided in the attached program.
     Also attached is a draft informal paper that has been prepared by a small group of
     countries, including Argentina. This paper will be an input to the event and to the
     paper that we will produce.
     We look forward to your response.
     With warm regards,
     Neil Leary, START
     Diego Malpede, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Argentina
