| European Policy Summit |
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| Climate change: Keys to a concerted policy shift |
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| Tuesday, June 23, 2009 |
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At a glance Programme
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DAY ONE: 23 June, Tuesday
| 16.00 - 16.30 |
Registration of participants |
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16.30 - 18.00 |
SESSION I
Can the media and society change climate attitudes? |
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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? |
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| Speakers: |
- Franny Armstrong, Director of The Age of Stupid, a film about climate change
- 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
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Co-moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe, and Anya Sitaram, Executive Producer of Rockhopper TV and Former Presenter at BBC World News |
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DAY TWO: 24 June, Wednesday |
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09.00 - 09.30 |
Registration of participants |
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09.30 - 11.00 |
SESSION I
Can a green business revolution bring us out of recession? |
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The EU’s leaders have committed to transforming Europe into a highly energy-efficient, low-carbon economy. Accelerating investment in this direction is seen by many as an opportunity to counter the current recession and spur innovation, economic growth and job creation for the future.
Are EU and Member States’ stimulus packages creating opportunities for structural industrial reform that will direct future investment into low-carbon growth? In which sectors have climate policies and green technologies already begun to create major business opportunities, and what has been the impact of climate change on companies’ investment strategies so far? How fast can we expect a green business revolution to deliver jobs and growth? |
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| Speakers: |
- Gerard van Harten, President of Dow Benelux
- Nick Mabey, Founding Director and Chief Executive Officer of Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G)
- Timo Mäkelä, Director of Sustainable Development and Integration at the European Commission Directorate General for the Environment
- 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 |
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Co-moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe, and Anya Sitaram, Executive Producer of Rockhopper TV and Former Presenter at BBC World News |
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| 11.00 - 11.30 |
Coffee break |
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11.30 - 13.00 |
SESSION II
What can be asked of emerging economies? |
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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? |
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| Speakers: |
- Jos Delbeke, European Commission Deputy Director General for the Environment and Director for Climate Change Strategy and International Negotiation
- Ashok Khosla, President of the 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 Global 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)
- Tony Surridge, Senior Manager for Advanced Fossil Fuel Use at the South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI)
- Christian Verschueren, Director General for the Alliance for Beverage Cartons & the Environment (ACE)
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Co-moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe, and Anya Sitaram, Executive Producer of Rockhopper TV and Former Presenter at BBC World News |
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| 13.00 - 14.30 |
Lunch |
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| 14.30 - 16.00 |
SESSION III
The EU, U.S. and China: Shared or competing interests? |
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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? |
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| Speakers: |
- Jason Anderson, Head of European Climate and Energy Policy at WWF European Policy Office
- Rosário Bento Pais, Deputy Head of Unit for Climate Change Strategy, International Negotiations and Monitoring of EU Action at the European Commission Directorate General for the Environment
- Peter Liese MEP, Member of the European Parliament formerly in Committees on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and Foreign Affairs
- Theodoros Skylakakis MEP, Member of the European Parliament and Former Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Development Cooperation and Special Representative for Climate Change of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006-2009)
- Taiya Smith, Visiting Scholar in the Energy and Climate Program for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC
- Michael Starbæk Christensen, Senior Advisor 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)
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Co-moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe, and Anya Sitaram, Executive Producer of Rockhopper TV and Former Presenter at BBC World News |
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| 16.00 |
End of summit |
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