Speakers Profile - Dr Graeme Pearman










Travels From:
Melbourne

Fee Range: A


Graeme joined CSIRO in 1971, establishing a research program on atmospheric chemistry and was a prime influence in the establishment of the Cape Grim Baseline Observatory in Tasmania, 1976 and the CSIRO climate research program. His personal research focused on the global distribution of carbon dioxide. He became Chief of the Division of Atmospheric Research, 1992�2002. He contributed over 200 scientific journal papers primarily on aspects of the global carbon budget. After leaving CSIRO in 2004, he established a consultancy. In the period 2004-2014 he gave over 500 briefings on climate-change science and sustainability to governments, peak industry bodies, public groups, and companies, as part of their climate-change risk assessments. These included presentations to the PM's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council: Bob Hawke, 6 October 1989; Paul Keating, 18 May 1992; John Howard, 4 December 1998. He has been Australian science-advisor to the Hon. Al Gore during Mr. Gore's visits to Australia and participated in the Kevin Rudd 2020 Summit, April 2008.

He is now a Professorial Fellow at the Australian-German Climate and Energy College at the University of Melbourne and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Monash University. He was awarded the CSIRO Medal (1988), a United Nations' Environment Program Global 500 Award (1989), Australian Medal of the Order of Australia (1999) and a Federation Medal (2003).

Pearman has served on an number of boards including those of the Climate Institute (Sydney), START International (Washington) and Greenfleet Australia (Melbourne). He is a Science Advisory Panel member of the Australian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (Canberra) and until recently, advisor to the Singapore National Research Foundation (Singapore) and the German Council of Science and Humanities (Berlin).

Current interests include: the quality of solar radiation, its changes over time and influence on plant photosynthesis and the global carbon budget; describing holistic strategies that build resilient energy futures; emissions reductions appropriate for specific nations or communities; transport technologies; limitations and risks associated with bio-fuels and other alternative energy sources; dimensions of human behaviour in the climate-change issue; and the role of science in modern societies.