All eyes are turned to Paris for a new global climate treaty. There is likely to be a deal, but it will be a bottom-up patchwork of national pledges rather than a top-down divvying up of essential emission cuts. How far off the goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius will we remain? What is a fair division of effort between different countries? At the same time, what do economic growth, energy demand and energy mix developments around the world mean for greenhouse gas emissions? How do energy developments on the ground – also for reasons other than decarbonisation – fit with the UN talks and the ultimate aim of curbing climate change? What are the future’s key drivers (policy, technological change, pollution, security, gas and oil markets, public perception, economic development etc)?
The Panellists:
- Jos Delbeke, Director General for Climate Action, European Commission. os Delbeke joined the European Commission in 1986. He initially focused on market-based instruments, cost-benefit analysis and the new chemicals legislation REACH (1994-1998), before becoming the European Commission’s chief negotiator at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (1999-2003). Deputy Director-General of DG Environment (2008-2010), Jos Delbeke has become Director General for Climate Action in February 2010.
- Kathleen Van Brempt MEP, S&D Group. Kathleen Van Brempt is a Belgian social-democratic politician and member of the SP-A. She currently serves as Member of the European Parliament as part of the Party of European Socialists. After having worked for the SP-A in capacity of a researcher and as political secretary to Louis Tobback, in 1999 Van Brempt was appointed deputy chief of staff to the minister of employment Renaat Landuyt. She served as a member of the European Parliament from 6 January 2000 to 1 October 2003, when she resigned to become State Secretary for Labor organization and Welfare in the working place in the Belgian federal government. During the regional elections of 2004, Van Brempt was elected to the Flemish Parliament and she became Minister for Mobility, Social Economy and Equal Opportunities in the Flemish government.After the European Elections of 2009 Van Brempt became elected as member of the European Parliament in the socialist fraction. She was re-elected in European Elections of 2014.
- Eirik Wærness, Chief Economist and Vice President, Statoil. Chief Economist and Vice President in Statoil, has a broad experience from government, academics and private sector companies. In the period 2010-2013 he served as member of the Executive Board of the Central Bank of Norway. From 2014 he is a member of World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Oil & Gas. His experience includes different positions in the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, Total E&P Norway, Pöyry Management Consulting/Econ Centre for Economic Analysis, in addition to Statoil. He has also served as member of two public commissions/expert groups on tax reforms.
Moderated by leading environment journalist Sonja van Renssen.
Audience Participation:
Send in your questions using the hashtag #viEUwsLive on Twitter to join the debate! Selected questions will be asked to the panellists during the 17 June live debate.
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