The race to 2050 is on. The Green Deal and the groundbreaking European Climate Law set the EU on a path to lead the way towards a more sustainable future. Those promises were followed by pledges from the U.S., China, and India, the biggest polluters on Earth. While the U.N.’s climate scientists recently called for emissions to peak by 2025 and to reduce by 43% by 2030 to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, is the EU on the right track and where does it stand in the race to become carbon-neutral by mid-century?
The aftermath of the pandemic and the current heated geopolitical environment put Europe’s green growth strategy at stake. Can the EU finally decouple its economic recovery from fossil fuels? How will the bloc achieve strategic autonomy and become less dependent on critical (raw) materials essential for the transition? Most importantly, how can this transition boost Europe’s competitiveness without becoming an intolerable burden to bill-payers?
POLITICO Live is hosting its fourth green annual rendez-vous by turning the summit into a three-day sustainability bonanza from Tuesday, November 29 to Thursday, December 1. You will have the opportunity to experience new interactive formats, spanning the range from innovation booths to arts and culture interludes, and mingle again with top-notch European and international policymakers, scientists, NGO and industry leaders.
Taking place in Brussels and online, this sustainability journey will delve into the solutions to the EU’s most pressing issues while the European Commission is entering the last phase of its mandate.
Spotlight discussion – Securing raw materials: an opportunity for Europe's strategic autonomy and a circular economy
Speakers:
- Peter Handley, head of unit for energy-intensive industries and raw materials, DG GROW, European Commission
- Henrike Hahn, MEP (Greens/EFA, Germany), European Parliament
- Stefan Debruyne, business development director, SQM
- Michael Schmidt, economic geologist, German Mineral Resources Agency
Moderator: Antonia Zimmermann, POLITICO
The event will be held in person as well as online.
You can find more infos and the possibility to register here.