EU Climate Action: Mapping the maze of the policymaking process

The EPPA symposium is organized at the end of every year by the students of the European Public Policy Analysis option, on a policy area of their choice. This year the students have chosen the subject of EU Climate Policy.

Tackling climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time and the EU is a pioneer in designing policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this symposium, we will highlight the challenges of effective data-gathering and choosing the right policy instruments to allow the EU to reach its ambitious commitments under the Paris agreement and maintain its global leadership role. The conference will feature contributions from some of the principal institutional actors and stakeholders involved in EU climate policymaking.

Panel 1/ Getting the facts right: The challenges of data-gathering and projection of impacts in environment, climate and energy policies (11:00 - 12:30)

This panel will revolve around two major issues policymakers face when designing policies that impact the EU for the next 10 to 30 years.

EU policies are meant to be evidence-based. Thus, the first challenge for policymakers is gathering evidence and making projections of economic, social and environmental impacts. The panel will discuss the methods that can be used to make these projections.

Monitoring and evaluation of policies is now considered as an essential element of the policymaking process. Assessing the progress that has been made, and what has yet to be achieved, is particularly important in the domain of climate policy, which is mostly target-driven. 

Confirmed panellists:

• Megan RICHARDS (Director of Directorate A – Energy Policy, DG ENER, European Commission);

• Alex MASON (Senior Policy Officer, Renewable Energy, WWF European Policy Office).
   

Panel 2/ Making climate innovation happen: Designing EU policy instruments (14:00 - 15:30)

This panel will discuss how to design and implement policies to reduce GHG emissions. This includes the creation and shaping of markets in carbon permits like in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and policies to incentivise energy efficiency. In the framework of this discussion, the key issues to be addressed involve the formulation of effective policy tools to support, shape and finance innovation. 

Confirmed panelists:

• Radostina PRIMOVA (Director Climate & Energy Programme, Heinrich Böll Foundation EU);

• Guillaume GILLET (EU Business Unit Director, InnoEnergy).

Full Programme:

10.30-11.00  Welcome Coffee
11.00-12.30 – Panel 1
12.30-14.00 – Buffet lunch
14.00-15.30 – Panel 2
15.30: Coffee

This event is open to the public, but registration is required before 18 June 2018.

For more information please contact nick.reiners [at] coleurope.eu (Nick REINERS), fiona.dubernet [at] coleurope.eu (Fiona DUBERNET), rosario.parise [at] coleurope.eu (Rosario PARISE) or lukas.spielberger [at] coleurope.eu (Lukas SPIELBERGER).