Dr Robert Watson is back in the UK after decades working in the US, most recently as World Bank's Director for Environment. Now based at the University of East Anglia (UEA), home to the trailblazing Tyndall Centre, he is to take up the post of Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) next month. He talks to Mel Poluck about both his new roles and lessons learned from previous posts as Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Associate Director for Environment during the Clinton White House.

 

Which sector is leading the way in energy efficiency?

"Industry is often a leader, because inefficient use of energy is just a waste of money to the private sector, so the private sector has done a good job of end use efficiency."

What is the solution to the sustainable energy question?

"We need a large range of appropriate technologies to make the transition to a low carbon economy. There are lots of options in producing energy. Energy transition is critical. There's no single silver bullet to solving the climate change issue, but without Carbon Capture and Storage, it'll be a real challenge to meet targets.

"There could be more use of renewables - but that's not going to be the solution, that's part of the solution - and more efficient use of biofuels. We've got to get the policy in. This isn't just a technology issue - policy is crucial."

Are we really ready for biofuels?

"First generation biofuel technology uses food such as maize, sugar and soya [but] with the exception of sugar for bioethanol in Brazil, most aren't as environmentally friendly as purported. One has to do a case by case study of the economic, environmental and social sustainability of all of them. The next challenge is second generation biofuel, cellulosic biofuel, where you use the whole plant."

Are European governments looking seriously at using biofuel?

"The European Commission said in a recent Energy Plan - which is very good - 10% of vehicle fuel should come from biofuels by 2020 and they noted first generation was not the way to go. The UK government, partly through Defra, is taking a very serious look at biofuels and bioenergy, looking at [undertaking] a study on the sustainability of second generation biofuels. The challenge is how to make it cost effective and environmentally sustainable."

Do worldwide, long term climate change targets work?

"In the World Bank climate change document, we agreed the need for a long term, equitable global regulatory framework to stimulate innovation in the private sector.

"Half of the challenge is: 'what is a long term target?' In terms of the distribution of responsibility, there's a huge amount of politics. There are only targets up to 2012 [as set by the Kyoto Protocol], but long term targets give predictability to the carbon market."

Are UK Government climate change targets realistic?

"The UK Government has been very proactive in making the climate change agenda. I believe they are in the right ball park. If we want to limit climate change to two to three degrees, we need to be on target of 50 - 60% reduction in emissions by 2050. This means today we have to put policies in place. We should keep examining those targets"

Is the cost of microrenewable technology putting potential customers off?

"In most cases, efficient technology is more expensive to start with. It puts consumers off. But over its lifetime, it pays for itself."

What forthcoming opportunities are there for organisations to showcase their carbon reduction work to the world?

"There's the Financial Times awards in September for entities reducing carbon (http://www.ftconferences.co.uk/environmentalawards/). It's a global competition and they've had a significant amount of applications. That can be a good selling point by saying to the public 'we walk the talk.'"

What was the biggest challenge you faced at World Bank?

"Convincing staff that climate change was a serious issue. The inevitable challenge is to limit further change and make water and coasts, for example, more resilient to changes in climate."

Does the International Panel on Climate Change still have an important role to play?
"The IPPC needs to rethink itself as it moves forward. In terms of the future impacts of climate change, what would happen in each country? They'll need to become more regional. Even within Africa, what happens in one country is different to what happens in another."

What key lessons did you learn from your role as Associate Director for Environment at the White House?

"You need good science and technology knowledge for informed policy. You need to invest in the public and private sector. The private sector must be fully involved with government and so must civil society. Understanding their needs and views and their participation is crucial.

"An informed media is absolutely crucial. The public gets their knowledge from the media, they don't go to scientific journals. The scientific community has to learn to communicate with politicians and the media."

What are you most looking forward to in your new roles?

"At the UEA and the Tyndall Centre, interacting with the academic community, working with students and academics to get them thinking about the solutions. The University has just established the first MBA in the world on Strategic Carbon Management. This will be an exciting project.

"At Defra, there's a great opportunity to work at the science/policy interface in the UK. Defra has responsibility for all environmental issues including food. This will be an opportunity to look at wide range of biodiversity issues including food sources; and how to integrate all these together. Within that, Defra is working with the public sector and civil society more. The issue of bringing the public into the debate is absolutely critical. It's crucial to have the public and the private sector on board. At the end of the day, it's the private sector that has the technology on the market."

Is the UK Government a climate change leader?

"I think the UK is in ascendancy; there's a positive attitude, it's economically strong. Climate change issues haven't changed much from one leader to another or one Party to another - where one leader has one view and the next another it's a disaster for policy.

"There's a very good interface between knowledge in the UK and policymakers. The fact Defra hired me says they want someone close to the academic community rather than a bureaucrat from the system."

Best Practice Tips

Please visit the Forum here and share a tip that you have for organisations to reduce their carbon emissions. Often the very simplest ideas can have the greatest effect:

• "Discuss end of life management - will the supplier take back and recycle?"
  (Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Buying Solutions, from their 'Top ten procurement tips for sustainability:')
  

• "The best way to incentivise staff is through education, information and meaningful incentives"
  (John Elkington, Founder and Chief Entrepreneur of SustainAbility, independent think tank and strategy consultancy.)