Climate Change: Keys to a Concerted Policy Shift, Brussel - Hoofdinhoud

23.06.2009 - 24.06.2009

Climate Change: Keys to a Concerted Policy Shift

Friends of Europe

Bibliothèque Solvay,Parc Léopold,Rue Belliard 137

1040 Brussels

Phone: +32 (0)2 737 91 45

Fax: +32 (0)2 73875 97

Email: info@friendsofeurope.org

Link to the organizer

URL of event

Type of Event

Conference / Convention

Policy Field of Event

Foreign & Security Policy

Limitation

Registration required, On invitation only/ for members only, Entrance fee

Location of event

Bibliothèque Solvay, Park Léopold

137, Rue Belliard

1040 Brussels

Infos

For our political leaders to take the revolutionary steps that the climate crisis will demand they need widespread support from society. Are opinion-forming institutions up to the job of reflecting the complex debate on climate change? Are both EU and national policymakers doing enough to address social and cultural obstacles to tough emission reduction measures, and to introduce climate change issues into such different aspects of life as education, diet, transport and leisure?

A popular grasp of climate change risks depends largely on media coverage of often complex issues and technical information. What messages are Europe’s media passing on to citizens on climate change, and what are the key messages now needed to bring about deep-seated reforms of mankind’s way of life? Is it time for radical change?

Developing countries are contributing more and more to global greenhouse gas emissions, helping to push the climate closer to its tipping point unless emerging economies join developed countries in stepping up their action. How can industrialisation and higher living standards in emerging economies be reconciled with achieving climate stability? Are there "win-win" climate and development strategies now becoming clearer, and how can developing economies best implement them? Can, despite the worldwide recession, the investment muscle of the industrialised world be harnessed to help developing countries meet the climate change challenge? What are the challenges that economic powers like Brazil, India and South Africa face as their countries implement and refine their national climate change strategies?

European leaders are pushing climate change to the top of the international agenda, but the full engagement of other big players such as the United States and China will also be key to getting the rest of the world to sign up to a new global climate deal.

Can the largest emitters and economies work together? How will the relationship between Beijing and Washington shape up, with both economies heavily dependent on coal and oil? How can we move from concerns about competition to public and private sector cooperation and the generation of new economic opportunities? What measures are needed to ensure that technology transfer is carried out in ways that protect companies’ intellectual property rights (IPR)? What role will the global carbon market play?

People

Franny Armstrong, Director of The Age of Stupid, a film about climate change; Bill Hare*, Physicist, Environmental Scientist and Co-founder of Climate Analytics at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK); Alain Hubert, Founder and Chairman of the Board for the International Polar Foundation and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador; Nurul, Climate Witness for "Children in a Changing Climate" Programme for Plan International in Indonesia; Claus Sørensen, European Commission Director General for Communication; Florian von Heintze, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of BILD Zeitung in Germany; Gerard van Harten, President of Dow Benelux; Nick Mabey, Founding Director and Chief Executive Officer of Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G); Jaroslaw Pietras, Director General for Environment at the Council of the European Union; Franzjosef Schafhausen, Deputy Director General for Environment and Energy at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety; John Vassallo, Vice President of EU Affairs at Microsoft EMEA; Jos Delbeke, European Commission Deputy Director General for the Environment and Director for Climate Change Strategy and International Negotiation; Ashok Khosla, President of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Chairman of Development Alternatives Group in India; Géraldine Kutas, Senior Advisor to the President on International Affairs for UNICA (the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association); Gavin Neath, Senior Vice President of Communications for Unilever; Kirit Parikh, Member of the Planning Commission for the Government of India and Chairman of Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe); Theodoros Skylakakis, Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Development Cooperation and Special Representative for Climate Change of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Tony Surridge, Head of the Centre for Carbon Capture & Storage at the South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI); Christian Verschueren, Director General for the Alliance for Beverage Cartons & the Environment (ACE); Jason Anderson, Head of European Climate and Energy Policy at WWF European Policy Office; Peter Liese MEP*, Member of the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (2004-2009); Artur Runge-Metzger*, Head of Unit for Climate Change Strategy and International Negotiation, Monitoring of EU Action at the European Commission Directorate General for the Environment; Michael Starbæk Christensen, Senior Adviser on Climate Change in the Office of the Prime Minister of Denmark; Wang Yi, Deputy Director-General of the Institute of Policy and Management of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).