Governing for 2050: Climate framework laws in the EU, the US and beyond

Governing for 2050: Climate framework laws in the EU, the US and beyond

Event: Digital Event
Date: 14 November 2019
Location: online
Speaker: Matthias Duwe

Arne Riedel, LLM

Michael Mehling

Policy-makers around the world are facing a significant challenge in the context of the climate crisis: how can they manage to trigger and monitor the transformation to a climate-friendly economy in the space of a few decades? The Paris Agreement has reinforced the need for smart and effective ways to organize climate action: shorter term policies and targets need to be connected to and informed by the long-term temperature goals as the direction all policies point towards.

To this end, governments around the world have started adopting climate governance framework laws. Although they take many forms, these legal frameworks have several common functions. Essentially, they define the tools to plan and monitor actions and clarify who is doing what inside government – and also if, when and how external actors are involved.

In this EFEX webinar, Michael Mehling, Deputy Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research at MIT, and Matthias Duwe, Head Climate at Ecologic Institute, discussed the state of play of climate framework laws, drawing on specific examples from the EU and the sub-national level in the US and experiences in other parts of the world. The webinar was moderated by Arne Riedel, a Fellow and legal expert at Ecologic Institute.

The Energy Future Exchange (EFEX) project is a joint initiative by Ecologic Institute Berlin, Ecologic Institute US and ACEEE funded in part by the EU Delegation to the US, with the goal of supporting and promoting transatlantic dialogue among civil society on issues vital to the EU-US relationship. More information can be found at energyfuturex.org and on Instagram @energyfuturex.

EFEX Webinar Series

Contact

Matthias Duwe

Head, Climate

State of Play on the "Green Deals" in the EU and US

20 November 2019
online

Event:Dinner Dialogue

The European Union and the United States share many values, principles and interests, and there is a rich tapestry of transatlantic relations at many levels and across a range of policy fields. At present, however, on climate change and climate action, – as well as other important areas of policy – the EU and the US are pulling in different, sometimes opposite directions. Led by keynote comments from author and academic Bruce Stokes, a small group of experts engaged in a round-table discussion to explore the prospects for post-election transatlantic relations and cooperation across a range of related policy fields.

How Will the Climate for Transatlantic Cooperation Change Following the 2020 US Election?

9 October 2019
Berlin, Germany

Event:Visitors Program

From 22 to 28 September 2019, the Energy Future Exchange (EFEX) Program invites civil society leaders from the EU and US to join the EFEX Study Tour and experience the Future of Energy.

Hands-on the Future of Energy with the EFEX Study Tour 2019

22 - 28 September 2019
Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam | Belgium, Netherlands

Event:Digital Event

In this EFEX webinar Marijke de Roeck, lead project coordinator of the CIVITAS Portis initiative and Katia Kishchenko, local dissemination manager, discussed sustainable mobility in the city of Antwerp (Belgium). Their presentation touched on the importance of improving cooperation between relevant bodies – in the case of Antwerp, the port and municipal authorities – as well as the city's growing experience with shared mobility services. They also discussed major findings of the CIVITAS Portis project regarding transport choices and behavioral change. The webinar was moderated by Matthias Duwe, Head Climate at Ecologic Institute.

Sustainable Urban Transport Systems: Innovations from Antwerp

8 August 2019
online

Event:Digital Event

This EFEX webinar explored the success of stakeholder participation in the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) preparation process as well as its scope, best practice examples and value added for EU climate policy. A panel of expert speakers – Elisa Martellucci and Agnese Ruggiero of Carbon Market Watch and David Donnerer of Energy Cities – drew on their experiences with the PlanUp project to discuss the EU perspective as well as the dialogues it organized between stakeholders and ministry officials. The online panel was moderated by Matthias Duwe, Head Climate at Ecologic Institute.

Stakeholder Engagement in the EU: Preparing National Energy and Climate Plans

25 June 2019
online

Event:Conference

On 24 September leading voices from European Union and United States civil society converged on the Square in Brussels to share ideas and experiences to move the transatlantic energy transition forward in pursuit of a clean, climate-friendly energy future. Presentations, videos and photos are available on the conference website: https://www.energyfuturex.org/portfolio/bruconference/.

Experience the Future of Energy – EFEX Conference 2019

24 September 2019
Brussels, Belgium

Event:Digital Event

In January 2019, a stakeholder commission established by the German government agreed upon a schedule to decommission coal-fired power plants by 2038 at the latest and a framework for financial assistance to regions affected by the transition. Environmental groups have argued for years that Germany will not get back on track to its climate targets if it does not tackle the coal question. However, as a historic ingredient of Germany's industrial might, coal as source of energy was considered taboo for policy-makers until recently. How did this major paradigm shift come about – and what made an agreement among different stakeholders possible?

The Future of Coal – The Economics and Politics of the German Coal Phase Out

14 May 2019
Online

Event:Visitors Program

The EFEX study tour from 25 to 29 June 2018 complements our 2018 International Symposium on Energy Efficiency with an in-depth exploration of energy lighthouse projects in the US American capital region. The program includes presentations and field trips on topics ranging from energy efficiency to renewable energy and sustainable mobility, with a special focus on the interconnections between these sectors. The program is designed for civil-society participants from the United States and Europe. The Ecologic Institute US is the lead organizer for the study tour. Applications are still open.

EFEX Study Tour on Energy Efficiency

25 - 29 June 2018
Washington, DC, United States

Event:Conference

On 26 June 2018, the International Symposium on Energy Efficiency will bring together leaders from all over the globe as part of the EFEX project to talk about the ways in which energy efficiency has proven to be not only a tool for meeting environmental and sustainability goals and commitments but also an opportunity to increase participation and prosperity in all segments of society. Registration for the conference is open, and you can still get in at the discounted early bird rate. You'll find further information including registration details on the symposium's website.

EFEX Conference: 2018 International Symposium on Energy Efficiency

26 June 2018
Washington, DC, United States

Funding: European Union, European External Action Service (EEAS), International
Organizer: Ecologic Institute, Germany
Partner: Ecologic Institute US (EIUS), United States

Delegation of the European Union to the United States, United States

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), United States
Speaker: Matthias Duwe

Arne Riedel, LLM

Michael Mehling
Team: Matthias Duwe

Nick Evans
Date: 14 November 2019
Location: online
Language: English
Project: Energy Future Exchange (EFEX)
Project ID: 2296
Keywords: Climate

Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal

Events

webinar

webinar registration

Further Links

Event recording: Governing for 2050: Climate framework laws in the EU, the US and beyond

EventDigital EventState of Play on the "Green Deals" in the EU and US

In recent months, proponents of more ambitious climate action have rallied behind the concept of a "Green New Deal" (GND) in the US – and the notion of a "European Green Deal" is now on the agenda in the EU. But what would such green deals imply? Originally, the concept... Read more

Digital Event:State of Play on the "Green Deals" in the EU and US

Date: 20 November 2019
Location: online

PublicationReportA Climate Law for Europe

A growing number of countries, regions and cities are adopting climate laws. These laws share a number of features: legally binding reduction targets, emission budgets, review systems and independent institutions to support decision making. These features are essential... Read more

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils and Meinecke, Lisa Fee 2018: A Climate Law for Europe. Making the Paris Agreement Real. Ecologic Institute: Berlin.

PublicationReportKlimaschutzgesetze in Europa

This study by Ecologic Institute shows that Germany can learn a lot from experiences made in its neighbouring countries to give its climate policies a robust framework and thus make it more reliable, also for investments in climate-friendly measures. At the same time,... Read more

Duwe, Matthias und Heidi Stockhaus 2019: Klimaschutzgesetze in Europa. Überblick und Bedeutung für ein deutsches Klimaschutzgesetz. Kurzstudie des Ecologic Institut im Auftrag des WWF Deutschland.

PublicationReportLandesklimaschutzgesetze in Deutschland

In the current debate about a Federal Climate Change Act, people often overlook that in Germany about half of the federal states already have a climate change law as a comprehensive legal framework. In a study for WWF Germany, Ecologic Institute gives an overview over... Read more

Sina, Stephan and Heidi Stockhaus 2019: Landesklimaschutzgesetze in Deutschland. Überblick und Bedeutung für ein Klimaschutzgesetz des Bundes. Study by Ecologic Institute on behalf of WWF Germany.

PublicationPolicy BriefPlanning for Net-zero: Assessing the Draft National Energy and Climate Plans

A report by Ecologic Institute and Climact shows that the draft National Energy and Climate Plans presented by governments at the start of 2019 are in acute need of improvement. They suffer from inadequate targets and insufficient details on the policies and financing... Read more

Duwe, Matthias; Eike Karola Velten, Nick Evans, Mona Freundt, Julien Pestiaux, Benoît Martin, Pascal Vermeulen (2019): Planning for net-zero: Assessing the Draft National Energy and Climate Plans. Berlin, Louvain-la-Neuve, Bruessels.

PublicationReportEuropean Energy Transition 2030: The Big Picture

The 2030 targets for decarbonising the EU economy have been agreed, but what does this actually mean for the European energy and transport systems? In a new publication, Agora Energiewende is providing exactly this "Big Picture" of the EU energy transformation up until... Read more

Agora Energiewende (2019): European Energy Transition 2030: The Big Picture. Ten Priorities for the next European Commission to meet the EU's 2030 targets and accelerate towards 2050.

PublicationInfographicKey Climate Policies in the European Union

The infographic allows giving an overview of the climate policies of the EU. It shows the main economic sectors, such as Energy, Industry, Transport, Residential and Commercial, Agriculture and Forestry, Waste. It also displays which policies have been deployed for each... Read more

Ecologic Institute (2014): "Key Climate Policies in the European Union". Infographic. Online: 30 November 2014, Climate Policy Info Hub, http://climatepolicyinfohub.eu/european-climate-policy-mix

PublicationKnowledge for Future – The Environment PodcastKlimaschutzgesetze in Deutschland – In guter Gesellschaft

Photo by Gerd Altmann | Pixabay

The German government has stated its intention to implement a climate protection law this year. Half of the German federal states already have such laws, and a good third of the EU's Member States, do too. So what does such a framework climate law actually do? And what... Read more

Ecologic Institut, detektor.fm 2019: Klimaschutzgesetze in Deutschland – In guter Gesellschaft. Knowledge for Future – Der Umwelt-Podcast. Podcast. 2. September 2019. Online: https://detektor.fm/wissen/knowledge-for-future-klimaschutzgesetze-in-deutschland

PublicationKnowledge for Future – The Environment PodcastKlimaschutzgesetze in Europa – Von anderen lernen

As Germany is debating the introduction of a national climate law, it can build on the experiences that already exist at many levels. Several fellow EU Member States have already adopted such framework laws, for example, to help them manage the achievement of their... Read more

Ecologic Institute, detektor.fm 2019: Klimaschutzgesetze in Europa – Von anderen lernen. Knowledge for Future – Der Umwelt-Podcast. Podcast. 10 September 2019. Online: https://detektor.fm/wissen/knowledge-for-future-klimaschutzgesetze-in-europa

EFEX project website

Adaptation
Agriculture
Arctic
Biodiversity
Bioeconomy
Cities
Climate
Climate Foreign Policy
Coastal + Marine
Communication
Consumer Policy
Culture + Ecology
Digitalization
EU
Economics
Education
Energy
Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal
Evaluation
Events
Finance
Food
Foreign Policy
Governance
Health
Indicators
Industry
International Development
Land Use
Mobility
Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
Plastics
Public Diplomacy
Resource Conservation + Circular Economy
Trade
Water