On 1 June 2017, Ecologic Institute hosted a Dinner Dialogue on the EU Climate and Energy Policy 2030 featuring guest speakers Artur Runge-Metzger (European Commission, DG CLIMA), Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institut) und Franziska Erdle (WV Metalle). Franzjosef Schafhausen moderated the discussion. The 22 participants discussed how the EU crisis and concerns around a loss of democracy impact the future of EU climate and energy policy.

Some participants questioned whether the EU was actually facing a legitimacy and democracy crisis or whether this was only the general perception. Others underlined that the perception was more important for policy making than the reality. It was highlighted that EU climate and energy policy was confronted with a number of hurdles such as the Brexit, or United States' position on international climate policy. On the other hand, climate policy was said to have become an easier task simply because awareness around the topic has increased.

The Dinner Dialogue is part of the series "Climate and Energy - today and tomorrow", hosted by Ecologic Institute in cooperation with Franzjosef Schafhausen, and financed by Stiftung Mercator. The series aims at fostering the debate in Germany around climate protection and sustainable energy. The Dinner Dialogues offer selected decision-makers from relevant stakeholder groups the opportunity to discuss under Chatham House rules - inspired by short inputs from speakers.