To Paris and beyond

Renaissance Hotel

All eyes are turned to Paris in expectation of a new global agreement on climate change. The decision by G7 leaders in early June to decarbonise the global economy by the end of the century underlines the urgency and importance of tackling the global climate challenge. The Paris Conference is likely to deliver a deal, but, in the words of Commissioner Cañete: “It is what we agree to, rather than whether we agree to anything at all, that will be important.”

The new climate change agreement will bring new opportunities and challenges for the European electricity sector and its customers. How does the European electricity sector, as well as and its partners, see the international climate change negotiations? What are the sector’s expectations and ambitions for the Paris Conference and what would be considered a successful outcome? How should the EU push for the creation of an enabling environment which allows companies to scale-up innovative solutions towards decarbonisation?

EURELECTRIC’s COP21 Conference will provide an opportunity for private and public sector leaders to discuss European climate and energy policy ambition and actions in the context of international action to address climate change. The event will include a panel discussion which will explore ways to drive action on the design and implementation of market based mechanisms, such as carbon pricing policies.

With the Commission’s legislative proposal to revise the EU ETS expected in the coming weeks, industry and policy stakeholders will exchange views on lessons learnt from the first 10 years of the EU ETS. What are the options to strengthen the role of the EU ETS as the main instrument to achieve the EU’s climate change targets and to drive low carbon technology investment? What is the business case in support of putting a price on carbon? How should national or regional emission trading systems adapt to the increasing uptake of carbon pricing policies globally?