A growing pushback against Europe's environmental agenda is threatening to derail its climate plans. Not only does general sentiment seem to have shifted to people being more preoccupied with other problems, but also recent pushbacks against decarbonisation measures such as on electric vehicles or heat pumps showed boundaries to the willingness to pay for climate action by consumers. At the same time, fiscal space to compensate or support the transition to make it fair is becoming increasingly limited. The climate policy community is beginning to respond to this situation by deliberating social arguments. There is a risk that even as actual (objective) fairness might be increasing, perceived (subjective) fairness may decline and thus endanger climate ambition also in anticipation of upcoming elections. Climate policy needs to refine existing elements of the EU and national policy frameworks, notably the Social Climate Fund (SCF), and accompanying social and monetary policies, and must also pay attention to communication and perception.
Moderation: Beatriz Yordi, Director, DG CLIMA, European Commission
Panellists:
• Chiara di Mambro , Head of Decarbonisation Policy, ECCO
• Joanna Pandera, President, Forum Energii
• Mihnea Catuti, Head of Research, EPG
• Brigitte Knopf, Director, Institut für Klimasozialpolitik (online)
Conclusion: Laura Iozzelli, Research Fellow, Florence School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute
More information and the full programme of the EUI Climate Week 2024 can be found here.