On 3 November 2021, the Centre for Sustainability launched the new Sustainability Colloquium series. The colloquia are an opportunity for Hertie students as well as fellow researchers to engage with the most impactful thinkers in sustainability research, and debate climate, energy and sustainability policy.
The inaugural event featured one of the founding fathers of European climate policy, Professor Jos Delbeke. Delbeke is the former Director-General of the European Commission's DG Climate Action and currently teaches at KU Leuven and EUI.
He began the discussion with a presentation on the European Union’s international climate strategy including the EU Green Deal and the emerging plurilateral approach to climate governance. Delbeke also reflected on the EU Emissions Trading System, which has reduced emissions in Europe by 43% since 2005, and on strengthening Europe’s ‘Energy Efficiency First’ principle. He adds that the increase of renewable energy targets to 40% in 2030 will require a large investment from EU states, specially towards electrification of infrastructure. Lastly, he spoke on sustainable finance directives which will mandate social reporting and disclosure from the largest companies in the EU.
The second half of the event included a moderated Question and Answer period with Prof. Christian Flachsland where Delbeke answered questions from the Hertie School community. Students were interested in discussing the specificity of the Green Deal and the impacts of carbon pricing and energy-efficient principles.
The Centre for Sustainability at the Hertie School would like to thank Professor Jos Delbeke for his participation at the first Colloquium and for initiating an engaging discussion with the Hertie community.
Learn more about the Sustainability Colloquium Series and for updates on future events.