The Climate and Energy Agenda in the evolving Global Scenario

IED Conference, Milan, Italy

06.07.2017

The Institute of European Democrats in collaboration with the Center for a Sustainable Future (CFS) organized the international conference on "The Climate and Energy Agenda in the evolving Global Scenario". The event took place on Thursday 6 July 2017 at the University of Milan, Italy.

The aim of the conference was to deal with such issues as the US energy independence; the Paris Agreement positive momentum triggered by the ambitions of China and the US; the possible turning point in the US climate policy; the new position of EU on climate and energy issues after Brexit. How these events will impact the global climate and energy agenda of the next ten years?

At the same time, despite the successful reduction of its greenhouse gases emissions (decreased from 19% of the global share in 1990, to 11% in 2013, down to 4-5% in 2030), the Europe has not been able to plan a medium/long term climate and energy policy able to effectively adapt and be competitive in the varying global scenario.

The European dependency on energy imports (almost 70% of its natural gas, 90% of its oil and 40% of its coal and nuclear fuel) together with the persisting economic stagnation and the recent rise of populism and nationalism are taught challenges that Europe is struggling to win.

Will Europe be able to maintain the leadership role that led to the Paris Agreement?

The conference therefore investigated on:

The perspectives of the future global climate and energy scenario;
The geopolitical consequences of the quickly evolving energy market;
The impact of the Brexit and the new climate sceptical US Presidency on energy
prices;
The role of the Europe and its capacity to maintain leadership and competitiveness.

The conference has enjoyed the participation of outstanding speakers as Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency and the ambassador Giampiero Massolo, president of ISPI (Italian Institute for International Political Studies).

The conference was divided into several sessions. After the two keynote speakers, that have been respectively introduced by Alessandro Lanza, of the LUISS University in Rome, and Marzio Galeotti of the University of Milan, two speeches followed by Alberto Martinelli professor emeritus at the University of Milan and Antonio Navarra president of the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change. A session on the Europe-China dialogue closed the event, with the attendance of the Italian MEP, Simona Bonafé, and the ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Italy.

The Conference was introduced by Francesco Rutelli, President of the Center for a Sustainable Future, followed by a welcome from the rector of the hosting University and with the distinguished attendance of Giuseppe Sala, major of Milan.

The conference was organized with the financial support of the European Parliament.