Getting to Low-carbon District Heating

Photo by Kristina Paukshtite on Pexels

Getting to Low-carbon District Heating

Event: Digital Event
Date: 3 November 2022
Location: online

Modern, low-carbon district heating networks are important vectors for the decarbonisation of the European residential heating sector. However, they only supply 12% of residential heating demand in the EU and face numerous challenges, including inefficiencies and fossil fuel dependency in legacy urban heating systems in Central and Eastern Europe. In the light of the recent Fit for 55 package and the RePowerEU plan, efficient district heating systems are increasingly in focus as solutions for decarbonisation.

This webinar presented and discussed findings of a report by the Energy Policy Group. The analysis focused on the role of district heating in Member States' Long-term Climate Strategies (LTSs). The report described the current situation, highlighted key challenges and shortcomings of published LTSs, and proposed a way forward for integrating efficient, low-carbon and reliable district heating systems into climate neutrality strategies.

The webinar was part of the Climate Recon 2050 project. The project aimed to create a space for experience sharing among representatives from different EU countries and provided opportunities for exchange, support and capacity building for EU Member States engaged in the complex process of planning how to reach deep greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2050.

Visions for enabling low-carbon district heat networks in EU Member States' Long-term Climate Strategies

Contact

Matthias Duwe

Head, Climate

The Conference on the Future of Europe: Lessons from the European Citizens' Panels

Year 2022

Event:Conference

With the Fit-for-55 package about to be put into law, and the RePowerEU plan adopted in response to the energy crisis, EU climate and energy is undergoing the most profound change in years, getting the EU on track to a post-fossil energy system. In a three-day series of events, partners from the Ariadne research project presented key insights from their work that is relevant for the further development of EU climate and energy policy, and discussed these with representatives from political institutions, academia, civil society and business. The events served to share research insights, to discuss and validate findings and their relevance for EU policy process, and to gather inputs for further research.

Shaping EU Climate and Energy Policy: Insights from and for the Ariadne Project

30 November - 2 December 2022
Brussels, Belgium

Event:Digital Event

This webinar presented and discussed the findings of a report by SEI Tallinn. The analysis, conducted as part of the Climate Recon 2050 project, analysed the role of the LULUCF sector in Member States’ Long-Term Strategies (LTSs). Although the majority of LTSs published so far address the topic, the extent to which countries with significant potential in the sector explore its contribution to climate neutrality varies, even among Member States with significant needs for modernisation of their existing legacy networks.

The Role of the LULUCF Sector in Reaching Carbon Neutrality in 2050

Visions for the LULUCF sector in EU Member States’ Long-Term climate Strategies

13 December 2022
online

Event:Conference

This event discussed how stable long-term policy direction can be maintained despite uncertainties, and in this context will zoom into the role of long-term strategies and scientific climate advisory councils. To exchange views on these tools with each other and the audience, Climate Recon 2050 and ARIADNE have brought together several experienced practitioners.

Charting a Path Towards EU Climate Neutrality in Turbulent Times

Tools and institutions that can support stable long-term climate policy

30 November 2022
Brussels, Belgium

Publication:Policy Brief

This paper provides an overview of the process of developing an LTS and its challenges, examines the support available for countries undergoing this process, and presents some ideas on how the G20 could raise the political profile of the strategies. It has been included as input into the T20 process preceding the 2020 summit.

Long-term Strategies: state of play, challenges and possible support through the G20

Year 2022

Event:Digital Event

Representatives from EU institutions and experts from 10 EU Member States discussed the Conference on the Future of Europe (CFE), and its impacts on EU climate and energy policies. Participants also discussed whether citizens' panels should become a standard feature of EU decision-making. The event concluded the project "The Future of the EU – Make Climate Action its Trademark", funded by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI).

The Future of Citizens' Panels in EU Decision-making

Lessons from the European Citizens Panels and the Conference on the Future of Europe

11 November 2022
online, Berlin, Germany

Publication:Document

screen shot of the briefing note's first page

This Briefing Note presents the first insights from Climate Recon 2050 – a project aiming to facilitate intra-EU exchange and foster the creation of know-how and networks essential to develop effective and ambitious national long-term climate strategies as a tool to guide a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. The Briefing Note brings together insights from the project’s activities – including a day of discussions on long-term climate planning held among policymakers from 10 EU Member States – and builds on related research by project partners.

2050 Climate Strategies in EU Countries: State of Play

Briefing Note 01

Year 2018

Publication:Document

On 9 May 2022, Europe Day, the Conference on the Future of Europe (CFE) closed – with the adoption of 49 recommendations. This is not the end of the process, but the beginning of new political action. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the role of the CFE as a starting point for renewed discussions on important topics such as climate, energy policy and EU democracy has been reiterated. Indeed, many recommendations from the CFE address EU climate policies – especially the ones prepared by its third citizens' panel on climate change, the environment and health. In this Ecologic Institute paper, Deyana Spasova questions how the panel's recommendations can improve EU climate policy? Where do the recommendations merely reiterate what is already in place? And how could the EU best translate the suggestions into policy action? The paper is available for download.

Conference on the Future of Europe

What is next for EU climate policies?

Year 2022

Presentation:Speech

What kind of Europe do we want for the year 2035? This question is addressed by the EU initiative 'Conference on the Future of Europe', which enables European citizens to discuss their own ideas for Europe's future. Within the member states respective National Citizens' Panels, participants developed policy recommendations that were later passed on to the Conference. Ecologic Institute's Matthias Duwe gave a presentation on the topic of Climate and Environment at the Citizens' Forum in Germany on 15 January 2022.

National Citizens' Panel on the Future of Europe

15 January 2022
Matthias Duwe

Funding: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), Germany

European Climate Foundation (ECF), International
Organizer: Ecologic Institute, Germany
Partner: WiseEuropa (WiseEuropa), Poland

The Energy Policy Group (EPG), Romania

Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI), Slovenia

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Sweden
Team: Matthias Duwe

Ewa Iwaszuk

Deyana Kocher

Nora Kögel

Paula Schöberlein

Jennifer Reck

Johannes Seilnacht
Date: 3 November 2022
Location: online
Language: English
Project: Dialogue on Pathways and Policies for a Climate-neutral EU (Climate Recon 2050)
Project ID: 30008
Keywords: Climate

Energy

Climate, heating, district heating, low-carbon, long-term climate strategies, LTSs, NECPs, National Energy and Climate Plans, EU, European Union, climate, strategy, 2050, long-term, decarbonization, CO2, Paris Agreement, emissions reductions, greenhouse gas emissions, GHG, governance, mainstreaming, climate and energy goals, member states, policymakers, climate action

Europe, Central and Eastern Europe

dialogue, knowledge sharing, webinars

Further Links

EventDigital EventDistrict Heating in Decarbonising Economies

In the EU and in Denmark, the aim is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and to use energy more efficiently. District heating and combined heat and power have significant potential with regard to achieving this aim. This webinar presented a number of key topics... Read more

Digital Event:District Heating in Decarbonising Economies

Date: 29 October 2018
Location: online

EventWorkshopDialogues on Long-Term Climate Strategies

The third set of dialogue workshops for government officials and related experts from the Climate Recon 2050 project were held in Copenhagen at the end of February 2019. The Climate Recon 2050 project aims to support policy-makers required to deliver 2050 climate... Read more

Workshop:Dialogues on Long-Term Climate Strategies

Date: 27 - 28 February 2019
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

EventWorkshopFourth Meeting of the Policymaker Platform (PMP4)

Foto: Ewa Iwaszuk

By 1 January 2020, all EU Member States need to submit long-term climate strategies. How will these be implemented afterwards? What are possible positive narratives about the future that they can describe? These were key themes of the fourth meeting of the Policymaker... Read more

Workshop:Fourth Meeting of the Policymaker Platform (PMP4)

Date: 22 - 23 October 2019
Location: Berlin, Germany

ProjectDialogue on Pathways and Policies for a Climate-neutral EU (Climate Recon 2050)

The EU has agreed to become climate neutral by 2050. Achieving climate neutrality in the next 30 years is a great societal, economic and political undertaking, presenting many challenges and opportunities. The Climate Recon 2050 project addresses the central process of... Read more

Dialogue on Pathways and Policies for a Climate-neutral EU (Climate Recon 2050)

Duration: Oct 2020 - Dec 2022
Funding: Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany

European Climate Foundation (ECF), International

Webinar concept and agenda

Report: District heating in national Long-Term Strategies

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