21 May 2013
MILE Professor Andrew T. Guzmán Addresses Global Governance and Climate Change in Chile
On 9 May 2013, Andrew T. Guzmán, Professor of Law and Associate Dean, International and Graduate Programmes at Berkeley Law, University of California and a faculty member of the MILE Programme, held a lecture to open the academic year at the International Studies Institute of the University of Chile.
A renowned scholar in the field of international trade, international regulatory matters, foreign direct investment and public international law, Guzmán presented on the topic: “International Order without Law: The Power of Soft Law in Global Governance” to university authorities, academics and postgraduate alumni as a part of the SECO / WTI Academic Cooperation Programme.
During his visit to Chile, Guzmán also held meetings with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and with Direction of Multilateral Economic Affairs (DIRECON), part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chile. With the purpose of persuading governments to create policies that help mitigate climate change, Guzmán shared the findings of his book, “Overheated: The Human Cost of Climate Change” with government officials from the departments of international affairs, economics, the environment and energy. One of the challenges he outlined is how to educate the general public that climate change is a real problem that affects us all.
Guzmán elaborated that “the public debate totally neglects the fact that billions of people are affected by climate change. At the same time, we have to impose detailed and concrete measures like carbon emissions taxes, cap and trade systems and mitigation agreements, while investing in geo-engineering projects with the potential of helping us cool down the earth.”