The Future of the EU – Make Climate Action its Trademark

Project
Duration: Oct 2020 - Dec 2022

Ecologic Institute concluded the project "The Future of the EU – Make Climate Action its Trademark". The project established a network of think tanks from eight EU Member States – Germany, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and Poland. The project monitored the domestic debates on the Conference on the Future of Europe (CFE) and its link to climate policies. The project also facilitated dialogues on the CFE between Member States, and contributed regularly to national debates on the CFE.

The project concluded:

The recommendations of the European Citizens' Panels shaped the outcome of the CFE. In this respect, panels were a success.
Citizens' Panels can become a standard feature of EU decision-making in the future if
(1) their scope is clearly defined,
(2) their composition also reflects the values and political convictions of citizens, and
(3) they are likely to advance deadlocked debates.
CFE recommendations are unlikely to shape the EU's climate and energy policies. Existing EU policies already cover many CFE recommendations. Many CFE recommendations are too abstract and vague to impact climate and energy policies.
CFE did not address important gaps of EU climate and energy policies, such as phase-out dates for coal combustion, fossil fuel subsidies and short-distance flights.
Recommendations on expanding majority voting and expanding the ordinary legislative process, however, are very relevant for climate and energy policies.

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 presents and discusses the findings of a report by SEI Tallinn. The analysis, conducted as part of the Climate Recon 2050 project, analyses 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 modernization 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

Event:Digital Event

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

Getting to Low-carbon District Heating

3 November 2022
online

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

Funding: Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany

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

Association for International Affairs (AMO), Czech Republic

CSI2050 Website (CSI2050), Hungary

GlobalFocus Center Website, Romania

Institute of International Affairs (IAI), Italy

Gorichka Website, Bulgaria

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Sweden

WiseEuropa (WiseEuropa), Poland
Team: Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf

Deyana Kocher
Duration: Oct 2020 - Dec 2022
Project ID: 30008
Keywords: Climate

Energy

EU

Governance

Conference on the Future of Europe, climate policy, energy policy, climate change, EU, Member States

Europe

Dialogue

Further Links

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

Cover page of the document "The Conference on the Future of Europe: Lessons from the European Citizens’ Panels Conclusions from the project “The Future of the EU – Make Climate Action its Trademark”"

This document summarizes the results of the project "The Future of the EU – Make Climate Action its Trademark". ... Read more

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils (2022): The Conference on the Future of Europe: Lessons from the European Citizens' Panels. Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

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

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ProjectThe EU in Turbulence – Implications for EU Climate and Energy Policy

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The EU in Turbulence – Implications for EU Climate and Energy Policy

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ProjectReforming the EU: Climate Policies as the New Trade Mark of the EU

The EU has been going through a series of crises – from the Eurozone crisis and Brexit to controversy around migration, from external threats to the rise of Eurosceptic and nationalistic parties in some Member States. In response, the EU has embarked on an extensive... Read more

Reforming the EU: Climate Policies as the New Trade Mark of the EU

Duration: Nov 2017 - Jun 2019
Funding: Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), Germany

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ProjectFuture of the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies?

The EU has been going through a series of crises – from the Eurozone crisis and Brexit to controversies about the rule of law, democracy and migration. In response to Brexit, the EU has embarked on a process of reflection and possibly reform. As a contribution to this... Read more

Future of the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies?

Duration: Jan 2018 - Jun 2019
Funding: Stiftung Mercator, Germany