Securitising the Green Deal? The Challenges of Aligning EU Climate and Security Policy

Lecture

Monday, May 2, 2022, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a geopolitical turning point for the European Union, with implications on the energy market. The Hertie School will host a conversation between researchers and experts on the European Green Deal and the impact of the new geopolitical challenges on climate action.

Speakers will talk about the implications of the security developments on the “Fit for 55” package – a set of proposals to cut emissions and achieve climate neutrality by 2050 –, which EU institutions and member states are due to finalise over the next months. This raises the question if and how the altered context will change the EU’s approach to tackling climate change.

The peaking energy prices and the rising defence expenditures affect the affordability and social cohesion of the Green Deal’s emission reduction targets. Complementarities between climate and security policies exist, for example in speeding up the deployment of renewables, but there are also trade-offs in the use of coal power plants to substitute natural gas in the short term.

Join us to discuss and learn more on the future of EU climate and security policy with researchers, practitioners and experts from CIVICA universities and beyond!

SPEAKERS

Christian Flachsland is Professor of Sustainability at the Hertie School and Director of the School's Centre for Sustainability. He is also a Research Fellow at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), where he previously worked as a group leader. His research focuses on the design, governance and political economy of climate, energy and sustainability policy. He was a contributing author to the Fifth Assessment Report on the Mitigation of Climate Change by the IPCC.

Mauro Petriccione has been serving as Director-General of the European Commission's DG CLIMA since 2018. He has worked in trade policy, covering a wide range of activities and negotiations from trade defence to investment, competition, WTO, dispute settlement, relations with Member States and European institutions. As Deputy Director-General of DG TRADE from 2014 to early 2018, he was responsible, among others, for trade and sustainable development. Mauro also served as Chief Negotiator for CETA, the EU-Vietnam FTA and the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.

Geneviève Pons is Director General and Vice President of Europe Jacques Delors. She was in charge of environmental and climate matters in Jacques Delors' Cabinet during his last mandates as President of the European Commission (1991-1995). She is an Honorary Director of the European Commission, where she held several management positions before becoming Director of the ILO's Legal Service in 2013 and Director of the WWF's European Office in 2015. Geneviève is also President of Transparency International Europe and a Knight of the Legion of Honour.

John Szabó is a PhD researcher at Central European University and a Junior Fellow at the Centre for Economic and Regional Studies. His PhD focuses on the intersection of EU climate and natural gas policy, alongside which he has also explored how gas consumption in Europe has shifted from town gas (past) to natural gas (current) and has been moving towards hydrogen (future).

CHAIR

Sabrina Schulz was, until recently, the Executive Director of Sustainable Development Solutions Network Germany, promoting and encouraging Germany’s commitment to sustainable development in the EU and internationally. She is an expert on climate, energy and biodiversity issues, climate diplomacy, and sustainable finance. Previously, Sabrina has served as Head of the Berlin office at KfW, Germany’s national promotional and international development bank and in various policy capacities for think tanks and consultancies in Germany, the UK, the US and Canada.

In the CIVICA Public Lecture Series Tours d'Europe, experts from CIVICA universities present their recent findings and interrogations on timely topics to the general public. The series aims to strengthen citizens' knowledge base and to facilitate a direct dialogue between social science researchers and the wider society.

Monday, May 2, 2022 - 3:00PM - Monday, May 2, 2022 - 4:30PM Add to Calendar 2022-05-02 15:00:00 2022-05-02 16:30:00 Securitising the Green Deal? The Challenges of Aligning EU Climate and Security Policy The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a geopolitical turning point for the European Union, with implications on the energy market. The Hertie School will host a conversation between researchers and experts on the European Green Deal and the impact of the new geopolitical challenges on climate action. Speakers will talk about the implications of the security developments on the “Fit for 55” package – a set of proposals to cut emissions and achieve climate neutrality by 2050 –, which EU institutions and member states are due to finalise over the next months. This raises the question if and how the altered context will change the EU’s approach to tackling climate change. The peaking energy prices and the rising defence expenditures affect the affordability and social cohesion of the Green Deal’s emission reduction targets. Complementarities between climate and security policies exist, for example in speeding up the deployment of renewables, but there are also trade-offs in the use of coal power plants to substitute natural gas in the short term. Join us to discuss and learn more on the future of EU climate and security policy with researchers, practitioners and experts from CIVICA universities and beyond! SPEAKERS Christian Flachsland is Professor of Sustainability at the Hertie School and Director of the School's Centre for Sustainability. He is also a Research Fellow at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), where he previously worked as a group leader. His research focuses on the design, governance and political economy of climate, energy and sustainability policy. He was a contributing author to the Fifth Assessment Report on the Mitigation of Climate Change by the IPCC. Mauro Petriccione has been serving as Director-General of the European Commission's DG CLIMA since 2018. He has worked in trade policy, covering a wide range of activities and negotiations from trade defence to investment, competition, WTO, dispute settlement, relations with Member States and European institutions. As Deputy Director-General of DG TRADE from 2014 to early 2018, he was responsible, among others, for trade and sustainable development. Mauro also served as Chief Negotiator for CETA, the EU-Vietnam FTA and the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. Geneviève Pons is Director General and Vice President of Europe Jacques Delors. She was in charge of environmental and climate matters in Jacques Delors' Cabinet during his last mandates as President of the European Commission (1991-1995). She is an Honorary Director of the European Commission, where she held several management positions before becoming Director of the ILO's Legal Service in 2013 and Director of the WWF's European Office in 2015. Geneviève is also President of Transparency International Europe and a Knight of the Legion of Honour. John Szabó is a PhD researcher at Central European University and a Junior Fellow at the Centre for Economic and Regional Studies. His PhD focuses on the intersection of EU climate and natural gas policy, alongside which he has also explored how gas consumption in Europe has shifted from town gas (past) to natural gas (current) and has been moving towards hydrogen (future). CHAIR Sabrina Schulz was, until recently, the Executive Director of Sustainable Development Solutions Network Germany, promoting and encouraging Germany’s commitment to sustainable development in the EU and internationally. She is an expert on climate, energy and biodiversity issues, climate diplomacy, and sustainable finance. Previously, Sabrina has served as Head of the Berlin office at KfW, Germany’s national promotional and international development bank and in various policy capacities for think tanks and consultancies in Germany, the UK, the US and Canada. In the CIVICA Public Lecture Series Tours d'Europe, experts from CIVICA universities present their recent findings and interrogations on timely topics to the general public. The series aims to strengthen citizens' knowledge base and to facilitate a direct dialogue between social science researchers and the wider society. UTC public

Monday

May

2022

5:00PM

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