28th IGBP Science Committee Meeting held in Bern
From the start to the transition to 'Future Earth'
The 28th Science Committee Meeting of the International Geosphere and Biosphere Program (IGBP) was held in Bern from 17–19 April 2013. Bern plays a symbolic role for IGBP, since IGBP was founded in Bern in 1986. This year’s meeting was marked by the transition to «Future Earth». IGBP will stop its operation at the end of 2015.
The meeting was launched on Monday, April 15 by a welcome address from the rector of the University of Bern, Prof. Martin Täuber, and by the president of the Swiss Scientific Academies, Prof. Thierry Courvoisier. A delegation of the IGBP Steering Committee then met with science funding, policy and networking agencies. During the apéro in the ice labor of the university’s climate physics group, Kathy Riklin, President of the Advisory Body on Climate Change (OcCC) and Vice Chair of the parlamentary group on Climate Change, stressed the importance of profound international cooperation, which is especially important for a small country such as Switzerland. As parlamentarian she very much welcomes the dialog with the science community.
This year's Swiss Global Change Day was imbeded into the IGBP program and offered the opportunity to learn more about IGBP and its scientific highlights.
The excursion to the top of the Schilthorn mountain on Saturday offered a great surprise, as the participants penetrated the clouds and had a beautiful view on the high mountains and on a fog bank covering the lower parts of Switzerland.