Early evidence shows that 2024 is on course to being the hottest year since records began. And yet, despite progress in reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and in accelerating the deployment of renewables, there are signs that the Green Transition may be faltering.
The outcome of last December’s COP28 has disappointed those hoping for a more decisive shift away from fossil fuels. China and India will continue to rely on brown energy for the foreseeable future. The US commitment to decarbonization may well hinge on the outcome of the November 2024 presidential election.
Closer to home, European households and firms are still smarting from the rise in energy prices. In recent weeks, farmers and others, cheered on by populist political forces, have risen against the EU Green Deal and the revised Common Agricultural Policy. In this context, the June 2024 European Parliament election may prove a crucial test of EU leaders’ resolve.
Our roundtable will discuss a few of the questions at the heart of the Green Transition. Is it really slowing down? Is it adequately funded? Will it cause Europe’s further deindustrialization? Is the EU Emissions Trading Scheme working? Is the EU Green Deal sufficiently fair? Are the costs (and benefits) of the Green Transition equitably allocated? What can be done to tackle the double challenge of reducing the carbon footprint of households, while at the same time shielding them from rising energy costs, preventing social unrest and political backlash against the Green Deal?
Panel
Emmanuella Doussis, Professor, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Phoebe Koundouri, Professor, Athens University of Economics and Business, and Technical University of Demark
Nikos Mantzaris, Partner & Senior Policy Analyst, The Green Tank
Alessio Terzi, Economist, DG ECFIN, and Lecturer in Public Policy, University of Cambridge
Moderator
Manos Matsaganis, Professor, Polytechnic University of Milan, and Head of Greek & European Economy Observatory, ELIAMEP
Live, on the 27th of March, 16:00 (EET): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4MKe2p1ioQ
