Civil society and the path to a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050

Civil society and the path to a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050

Public hearing – 28 February 2019 at 9:00 a.m. – Rue Belliard 99 – Jacques Delors building – JDE62

Just a few days ahead of last December’s climate summit COP24 in Poland, the European Commission published its long-term strategy “A clean planet for all” presenting its vision for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through a socially-fair transition in a cost-efficient manner. By drawing attention to a long-term perspective and highlighting the multi-sectoral, complex and fundamental transformation of Europe’s societies required to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the Strategy opens a thorough debate involving European decision-makers and citizens at large as to how Europe should prepare itself towards a 2050 horizon and the subsequent submission of the European strategy to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by 2020.

The EESC – in the context of the work on its opinion in response to the strategy – organises a public hearing to exchange views with experts, stakeholders, and decision-makers on the strategy. The hearing aims at discussing and evaluating the strategy from three specific angles, namely in terms of different sectors and their contributions, as regards cross-cutting challenges, and with regard to governance and the involvement of civil society.

Programme

8.30 a.m.  Registration and coffee

9.00 a.m.  Opening remarks

  • Toni Vidan, President of the subcommittee on “Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction” (SC/051), EESC member
  • Keynote speech: “The strategy “Clean Planet for all”
  • Dominique Ristori, Director-General, DG ENER – European Commission

09.15 a.m.   Panel 1 Carbon-neutrality by 2050 – sectoral ambitions and challenges

  • Moderator Pierre Jean Coulon, rapporteur of SC/051 “Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction”, EESC member
  • Giuseppe Montesano, President of “Electrification & Sustainability” Committee, Eurelectric
  • Lieze Cloots, Head of International Policy at OVAM – Public Waste Agency of Flanders and EU Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform
  • European Bioeconomy Alliance tbc

10.15 a.m. Panel 2 Key cross-cutting challenges – Technology, justice, and finances

  • Moderator Stefan Back, co-rapporteur of SC/051 “Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction”, EESC member
  • Tom Mitchell, Chief Strategy Officer, Climate KIC
  • Samantha Mason, Policy officer, Public and Commercial Services Union/Trade Unions for Energy Democracy
  • Hélène le Teno, Director, Groupe SOS

11.15 a.m. Panel 3 Grassroots/civil society as hotbed of innovation and driver of rapid transition – barriers and drivers

  • Moderator Toni Vidan, President of the subcommittee on “Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction” (SC/051),EESC member
  • Thomas Hale, Oxford University – Blavatnik School of Government and co-founder of Galvanizing the Groundswell of Climate Actions
  • Ronan Dantec, Climate Change Association
  • Kirsty Gogan, Executive director and co-founder of Energy for Humanity

12.15 p.m. Keynote speech: The contributions of civil society to achieving carbon neutrality in Europe

  • Raffaele Mauro Petriccione, Director-General, DG CLIMA, European Commission

12.25 p.m. – 12.30 p.m. Closing remarks

  • Pierre Jean Coulon, rapporteur & StefanBack, co-rapporteur of SC/051 “Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction”, EESC members