Limiting global warming to well below 2 °C, whilst striving to limit it to 1.5 °C, means that many sectors of the European economy will need to be transformed over the next three decades. Our existing systems for energy, mobility, industry, food and housing need to change, whilst at the same time making our economies and societies more resilient, resource-efficient and sustainable. Given the long lead times and path dependencies involved, the 2020s are the pivotal decade for this transformation, when major decisions on its design need to be taken, and the associated policy processes initiated – or drastically ramped up.

Traditional EU climate policy was mostly focused on delivering incremental improvements along existing technological trajectories through sector-specific interventions. Following the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the EU and its Member States have begun to incorporate elements of a more transformative approach to climate governance. Most prominently, the European Green Deal and other frameworks such as the EU Climate Law and 'Fit for 55'-package express this transformative ambition to make Europe the first carbon-neutral continent. Overall, however, the EU's existing set of climate policy instruments have not been sufficient to bring about change at the necessary speed across the economy.

What does EU climate policy need to look like to achieve the transformation to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050?

Tune into our podcast and learn about the four essential cross-cutting challenges on this path:

1. Fostering breakthrough INNOVATION,
2. shifting INVESTMENT & finance,
3. rolling out the INFRASTRUCTURE for a climate-neutral and resilient economy and,
4. INTEGRATION of solutions across sectors.

These four "I"s can make or break our chances of becoming climate neutral. Experts from different backgrounds will join the conversation to explore each of them and their relevance for EU policymaking.

The podcast is part of the 4i-TRACTION project, financed by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme funded under grant agreement No. 1011003884.

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The podcast is produced by Ecologic Institute and Eastern University of Finland and is available online on the following streaming platforms: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Deezer | Amazon Music and YouTube.

Episodes

• Episode #1 – What is transformative EU climate policy? | Guests: Anuschka Hilke (I4CE) and Benjamin Görlach (Ecologic Institute)
• Episode #2 – What is the role of innovation in making the EU climate neutral? | Guests: Brendan Moore (VUB) and Harm Rienks (Wageningen University and Research)
• Episode #3 – The EU's Climate Neutrality Challenge: Can Infrastructure be the Game Changer? | Guests: Bettina Kampman (CE Delft) and Katharina Umpfenbach (DENA, the German Energy Agency)
• Episode #4 – Regulatory Leverage: How Can the EU Foster a Green Investment Shift? | Guests: Julie Evain (I4CE) and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (I4CE)
• Episode #5 - Integrating for Impact: Coordination and Cohesion in EU Climate Policy | Guests: Kati Kulovesi (University of Eastern Finland, UEF) and Sebastian Oberthür (Vrije Universiteit Brussels, VUB)