Staying the course: driving sustainability forward in a shifting geopolitical context

Next event In person & livestreamed

Climate, Energy & Natural Resources

03Dec2024

starts 12:00

ends 14:00

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WATCH🔴: Staying the course: driving sustainability forward in a shifting geopolitical context

The recent shifts in political priorities, following the outcomes of the US and European elections, along with other pressing challenges that Europe is facing, have raised significant concerns about whether the EU can maintain its ambitious climate and environmental goals. There are doubts about its ability to achieve a just transition to a sustainable, carbon-neutral future by 2050. Extreme weather events have affected many regions in Europe over recent years, and their increasing frequency and intensity are now causing devastating consequences. Recent floods in Valencia left over 220 people dead, submerged homes and infrastructure, destroyed agricultural fields and left the regional economy facing millions in damages. This is just one example of the escalating risks of climate-related events, highlighting the imperative for Member States to accelerate their progress on climate mitigation and adaptation.

Across Europe, the broader impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are increasingly severe, impacting biodiversity, healthcare systems, agriculture, energy supply and infrastructure. These challenges are imposing an increasing financial burden on economies. Without urgent and coordinated action, these impacts will only worsen, becoming harder to address and more costly to manage.

This event will emphasise the urgent need for action and effective implementation of the current policy toolbox. This policy insight, organised with the European Environment Agency (EEA), offers a check-up on the state of our environment, taking stock of the progress made this past year and identifying key milestones to be achieved in 2025 for Europe to meet its ambitious targets.

This event will take place in Brussels and will also be available to a wider audience via livestream. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram and join the #FoEDebate!

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PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock| krstrbrt

Schedule

12.30 14.00

Staying the course: driving sustainability forward in a shifting geopolitical context

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Questions to be addressed in the debate include:

What key policy changes should the EU prioritise to ensure that climate adaptation and resilience are effectively integrated into all sectors, from agriculture to healthcare, in response to the growing impacts of climate change?
What is Europe doing to drive progress on protecting and restoring nature, reducing waste and transforming our linear economic model to a circular one?
What can we do to foster a sense of urgency and encourage coordinated action across all sectors – EU, national, regional and local administrations, as well as the private sector – to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation?

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Speakers

Leena Ylä-Mononen has worked with national, European and international environmental policy and administration for over 30 years. Before joining the EEA, Ylä-Mononen was director general at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, where she was in charge of the Ministry’s Climate and Environmental Protection Department, dealing with environmental policy issues and EU files. Prior to joining the Ministry Ylä-Mononen worked in management positions at the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki, first as a head of unit and then as one of the directors. She also worked at the European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, on policy files related to chemicals, pesticides and multilateral environmental agreements related to chemicals.

Tamsin Rose is a facilitator who was until recently a senior fellow for health at Friends of Europe. Having studied international relations, she has 25 years of experience working across the European continent from Ireland to Mongolia. A natural communicator, Tamsin has been a radio reporter, worked on press for the EU Delegation in Moscow and is currently a member of the external speaker team for the European Commission Directorate-General for Communication, describing how the EU works and key policies to visitor groups from around the world. Since 2002, she has specialised in public health and public participation issues, serving as the Secretary General of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), and providing strategic advice for health groups on how to engage successfully with the EU.

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