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European Climate Law: How to reach climate neutrality?

09-09-2020

European Climate Law: How to reach climate neutrality?

Watch the recording here



With its Climate Law, Europe will be the first continent in the world to have a climate neutrality target for 2050. Whilst this will produce a positive environmental impact, it is expected that some sectors will suffer economically with job losses. Other sectors will see a shift in how they produce goods, requiring reskilling and upskilling of the workforce. And some regions will be more affected than others. Trade unions argue that the European Green Deal risks deepening economic and social divisions between Member States in the east and west.

The European Commission was criticised by some when it was confirmed the Climate Law would not include an updated overall benchmark for 2030 – currently set at 40% emissions cuts. The Commission’s impact assessment will reportedly try to demonstrate that a 55% cut in emissions will cost the same or close to the 40% target, by updating investment costs in green technologies such as wind turbines, and re-evaluating the costs of building renovations.

Industry groups claim that the EU regulatory framework should not focus on “one-size-fits-all” solutions as this approach could undermine the efficiency of the transition. The new framework should take into account different starting points of Member States, and provide them with a range of solutions available to tackle climate change and to protect their economies’ competitiveness, they argue.

EURACTIV invites you to this Virtual Conference to debate whether the European Climate Law will create winners and losers. Questions will include:

- Should transition technologies be used in order to achieve immediate CO2 reductions in all Member States, or can EU countries leapfrog to zero-emission technologies, like renewables?
- How best to take advantage of all existing technologies in order to realise the full decarbonisation potential of the EU economy, leaving no one behind?
- How to make sure that Member States struggling with transition challenges benefit from additional financial support from EU funds - Modernisation Fund, Just Transition Fund, and other mechanisms of financial solidarity?

Watch the recording here

Supported by:

Location

Online

Panellists

KEYNOTE SPEECH
Adam Guibourge-Czetwertynski, Deputy Minister of Climate, Poland

PANELLISTS
Clara de la Torre, Deputy Director – General, DG Clima, European Commission
Ville Niinistö MEP, Member ENVI Committee, European Parliament
Clotilde Armand MEP, Member BUDG Committee, European Parliament
Matthias Buck, Head of European Energy Transition, Agora Energiewende
Pawel Cioch, Vice-President, PKEE

Moderator

Frederic Simon, Energy Editor, EURACTIV

Schedule

09:30 – 09:35 Welcome
09:35 – 09:40 Keynote speech
09:45 – 10:00 Opening statements from speakers
10:00 – 11:00 Discussion and Q&A


Contact

Simona Ovesea
simona.ovesea@euractiv.com
+32 (0)2 788 36 86

Related article

Warsaw says ‘committed’ to EU’s climate neutrality goal

Warsaw says ‘committed’ to EU’s climate neutrality goal

Poland moved a step closer to formally endorsing the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal this week when its climate ministry presented an update of the country’s 2040 energy roadmap during an online event hosted by EURACTIV.

Highlights video