Germany holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Presidency of the North Seas Energy Cooperation for the remainder of 2020. It is using these platforms to promote the abundant potential of offshore wind energy in Europe. The next six months present an opportunity for Germany to steer the EU towards advancing the European Green Deal through the development of offshore technologies and the provision of finance opportunities for offshore wind projects.
On 27 April 2020, David Nabarro, Special Envoy of the WHO Director-General for COVID-19, gave an address to the IIEA. This briefing summarises the key points of this address and provides an overview of the steps taken by the WHO in response to the outbreak, how governments are responding to the crisis and what can be done to help the developing world.
Jan Wörner discusses the role of the ESA in combatting climate change.
A keynote address on the topic of the European Climate Strategy and the Green Deal.
This briefing examines the European Investment Bank’s recent activities in support of climate action and considers its capacity to finance the green transition in the EU.
In his address to the IIEA, Kevin McGeeney analyses the risks posed by climate change to the financial system. Mr McGeeney examines the recent developments in the renewable energy markets and discusses the emerging trend of mandatory climate-related financial risk disclosures, as proposed by the European Commission and the Financial Stability Board.
In his keynote address, Neil Kermode demonstrates how the alchemy of turning seawater into electricity has finally been proven to be both predictable and achievable. Mr Kermode provides a personal perspective on the potential of marine energy to tackle climate issues and develop a new economy for the 21st century.
In his address to the IIEA, Dr Lopes discusses the entry into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) this year and whether African countries will be able to exploit opportunities to further lead the continent on a path of development.
Germany’s 2030 Climate Protection Programme was unveiled on 20 September 2019. This briefing outlines the context in which the programme was launched and how it fits into Angela Merkel’s legacy as the Climate Chancellor.
The EU is committed to becoming a global leader in green finance and taking steps to protect the financial system from climate risk. It is determined to export its regulatory approach across the globe but faces challenges and limitations in this pursuit. The European Commission established a Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance in 2018 to improve the flow of information among financial market actors. While, overall, the Expert Group has made a promising start in its approach to addressing climate risks and promoting green finance, its approach has been criticized for lacking nuance, particularly when it comes to its binary classification of assets and sectors of the economy as either ‘green’ or ‘brown’. These critiques are important to consider if the EU is to successfully export its approach globally.
About UsThe IIEA is Ireland’s leading European & International Affairs think tank. We are an independent, not-for-profit organisation with charitable status.
Our role is to identify key European and international policy trends, which will inform the work of Ireland’s decision makers and business leaders, and enrich the public debate on Ireland’s role in the EU and on the global stage.
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