Associate Prof Stephenson, who directs the University of Otago Centre for Sustainability, was one of seven speakers who discussed ''2030 and Beyond'' at the Otago Museum this week.
Many councils faced uncertainties in interacting with the public over climate change, including that the exact nature of the changes and their timetable were not fully known.
However, the Dunedin City Council and the Otago Regional Council were working together, and she was encouraged by support from organisations such as Otago University and Dunedin businesses, in taking the carbon reduction challenge seriously.
DCC senior policy analyst Sean Jacobs said that by recently opting for a Net Carbon Zero 2030 target, the council faced a big challenge, but he saw a positive response from business.
Dr Sophie Bond, of the Otago geography department and the centre, said different approaches were needed to communicate with the community over climate change.
Other participants included Dr Jean-Luc Payan, of the ORC, Jared Oliver, of the DCC, Simon Cox, of GNS, and Tom Simons-Smith, of the DCC.
