Giving Future Generations a Voice public forum

The interests of young people and future generations are ignored in policy responses to the existential threat of climate change. Systemic short-termism and institutional bias are key barriers to effective, just and inclusive action. Panellists look at the case for reform and real world political options for institutions that give future generations a voice and so could be part of the solution not the problem.

This session will also see the launch of the new book Giving Future Generations a Voice, with contributions from UTAS and Australian and international experts.

Moderator:

Robin Banks, former Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner

Panellists:

• Professor Jonathan Boston (Professor of Public Policy, Wellington School of Business and Government, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)
• Associate Professor Bridget Lewis (School of Law, QUT)
• Dr Peter Lawrence, (Senior Lecturer, UTAS Faculty of Law )
• Jan Linehan (Adjunct Researcher, UTAS Faculty of Law)
• Dr Phillipa McCormack (post-doctoral researcher Adelaide Law School, Adjunct Lecturer UTAS Faculty of Law)
• Nicky van Dijk (PhD-candidate, UTAS Faculty of Law)
• Cleo Hansen-Lohrey (PhD-candidate, UTAS Faculty of Law)

Participants are welcome to submit questions in advance for the panel’s consideration. Questions can be emailed to [email protected]

Professor Jonathan Boston, ONZM, is Professor of Public Policy in the Wellington School of Business and Government at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. During 2021 he is also serving as a principal adviser to the Ministry for the Environment in New Zealand. He is a leading authority on governance (especially anticipatory governance) and his research includes climate change policy (both mitigation and adaptation), child poverty, public management, and tertiary education. Recent books and major reports include: Governing for the Future: Designing Democratic Institutions for a Better Tomorrow (2017); Safeguarding the Future: Governing in an Uncertain World (2017); and Foresight, Insight, and Oversight: Enhancing Long-Term Governance through Better Parliamentary Scrutiny (with David Bagnall and Anna Barry) (2019).

Associate Professor Bridget Lewis (School of Law, QUT) is an expert in human rights whose work explores the protection of human rights in various contexts. Bridget is an internationally recognised scholar in the field of environmental human rights, which aims to transform the legal relationship between the environment and human rights. Her work in this area focuses on environmental rights and climate change, with a particular emphasis on protecting the rights of future generations and ensuring intergenerational justice.

Dr Peter Lawrence is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania Faculty of Law where he teaches international law and is co-convener of the Climate Justice Network. Peter has written extensively in the field of international environmental law and is author of Justice for Future Generations, Climate Change and International Law (2014) and a contributor to the Oxford Handbook on International Environmental Law. Peter is a singer with a YouTube channel which includes climate activist songs: see ‘Peter Lawrence baritone climate songs’.

Jan Linehan is an honorary adjunct researcher in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tasmania and co-convenor of the UTAS Climate Justice Network. She is a former government international lawyer and negotiator, with experience in several fields, including climate change. Her research interests include climate justice, human rights law, and policy-making and public engagement.

Dr Phillipa McCormack  is a postdoctoral researcher at the Adelaide Law School, The University of Adelaide, and Adjunct lecturer at the University of Tasmania. She researches in the areas of environmental law and public governance, with a particular focus on climate change adaptation. Phillipa’s recent work focuses on legal aspects of climate-driven species translocation, ecological restoration and bushfire, accountability mechanisms for government decision-making, and the application of international conservation laws to invasive species management.

Nicky van Dijk is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tasmania, Australia. She has a research master degree in Philosophy from the Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Nicky’s research interests are interdisciplinary, combining her background in philosophy with law, and focus on climate ethics, environmental law, policy-making, and intergenerational justice. Nicky is also the convenor of activism group Fossil Free UTAS, runs support groups for queer people, and owns a dance school, for which she has recently been awarded the Premier’s Volunteer of the Year Award.

Cleo Hansen-Lohrey is a current doctoral candidate in the University of Tasmania Faculty of Law working in the field of public international law. Cleo's research spans international refugee, human rights, humanitarian and treaty interpretation law, with a special emphasis on displacement in the context of climate change.

Robin Banks has worked in government, private and not-for-profit legal roles, including as Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and CEO of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (NSW), which has a particular interest in the operation of international human rights law for Australians. Robin also worked at the Canadian Human Rights Commission and has a strong background in disability rights. She is a PhD candidate at UTAS researching discrimination law reform.

Check-in: Arrival at 5:15pm is encouraged to allow for health screening and check-in via the Check-in Tas App.

About the Venue:

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Aurora Lecture Theatre, IMAS Building, 20 Castray Esplanade, Hobart, Australia