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The European Climate Stocktake - EU and global progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement

The European Climate Stocktake

On 27 October 2023, the European Climate Stocktake – EU and global progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement event reflected on the EU and the world’s progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement. 

We invited high-level policymakers from the European Union and across the world, as well as speakers representing a range of stakeholders including European Climate Pact Ambassadors, international organizations, business, NGOs, academia, youth and others to an open discussion. Over 350 people joined the conference in person in Brussels, with over 7400 following online from 93 countries worldwide. 

The event contributed to the discussion in the run-up to the Global Stocktake, the UNFCCC’s first review of the global progress made in implementing the Paris Agreement, which will conclude at COP28 in December. 

Following the event, a formal submission was made on behalf of the EU to the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change, summarising key messages from the European Climate Stocktake. The “10 points for Dubai” submission is based on discussions at the event and input gathered from the network of European Climate Pact Ambassadors.    

The EU will continue to pursue broad based conversations with a range of stakeholders as we prepare the next steps in the development of European climate policy. 

More information: 


See the official photos of the event here.

  • Paris Agreement on Climate Change
  • Friday 27 October 2023, 09:30 - 18:00 (CEST)
  • Brussels, Belgium
  • Live streaming available

Programme

  1. 27 Oct 2023, 08:30 - 09:30 (CEST)
    Welcome coffee and registration
  2. 09:30 - 10:45 (CEST)
    High-level opening session

    What progress has the EU made on its mission to achieve a fair transition to climate neutrality? How can the EU help the rest of the world on the path to ambitious decarbonisation in this critical decade? Interventions will touch upon all three guiding questions:

    • Where are we?
    • Where do we want to go?
    • How do we get there?

    Opening speech 

    • Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner for Climate Action, European Commission

    Video contribution

    • Teresa Ribera, Vice-President and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Spanish Government; President of the Council of the EU for the Spanish mandate

    Panel discussion 

    • Cecilia Kinuthia-Njeng, Director for Intergovernmental Support and Collective Progress, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
    • Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
    • Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-President, European Investment Bank
    • Valvanera María Ulargui Aparicio, Director General, Spanish Office for Climate Change
    • Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner for Climate Action, European Commission
  3. 10:45 - 11:10 (CEST)
    Coffee Break
  4. 11:10 - 11:20 (CEST)
    Views from European Climate Pact Ambassadors

    This session will offer a snapshot of European Climate Pact Ambassadors’ views on the stocktake. 

    Presentations

    • Nicoleta Talpes, Sustainability Communicator, Founder & Director Guerrilla Verde
    • Udo Engelhardt, Chief Scientist, The Climate Task Force
  5. 11:20 - 12:30 (CEST)
    Where are we?

    This session focuses on the current state of the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the EU and the rest of the world, providing a snapshot of the latest science, the state of play of the global energy transition, and actions taken to cut emissions and build societal preparedness to address the impacts of climate change. 

    Keynote presentations  

    • Laura Cozzi, Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks, International Energy Agency 
    • Leena Ylä-Mononen, Executive Director, European Environment Agency  

    Panel discussion 

    • Audrey Cerdan, Editor-in-chief Weather & Climate, France Télévisions
    • Yasser Ibrahim, Sector Manager for Environmental, Social and Integrity,​ Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank 
    • Ursula Woodburn, Director Corporate Leaders Group Europe, CISL Europe

    Moderator
    Elina Bardram, Director, DG CLIMA, Directorate E - Adaptation & Resilience, Communication, and Civil Soc​iety 

  6. 12:30 - 14:00 (CEST)
    Buffet Lunch
  7. 14:00 - 15:30 (CEST)
    Where do we want to go?

    This session focuses on our shared destination – a net-zero, climate-resilient future, with countries from around the world and representatives of different sectors of society sharing their views on what we need for an ambitious and just transition. 

    Windows to the world 

    • HE Simone Rudder, Ambassador of Barbados to the EU
    • HE Fu Cong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the EU 
    • HE Mark Gitenstein, Ambassador of the United States of America to the EU 

    Panel discussion

    • Adélaïde Charlier, Co-founder, Youth for Climate
    • Alexandre Affre, Deputy Director General, BusinessEurope
    • Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director, FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment
    • Chiara Martinelli, Director, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe 

    Moderator 
    Jacob Werksman, Principal Adviser to DG CLIMA Director-General  

  8. 15:30 - 16:00 (CEST)
    Coffee Break
  9. 16:00 - 17:30 (CEST)
    How do we get there?

    This session focuses on the concrete pathways and solutions to be deployed to accelerate the transition and explores its social and economic dimensions – from green skills and jobs to the role of finance and innovation, and how to ensure a just transition for all.

    Presentations of projects and best practices from the ground

    • Justyna Mazurkiewicz, LIFE project - Regional Action Plan for Climate and Energy for the Malopolska Region
    • Gonzalo Sáenz de Miera, Global Director of ​Climate Change & Alliances, Iberdrola 
    • Johan Börje, Innovation Fund Project - BECCS (Bio energy with carbon capture and storage 
    • Camilla Jain Holtse, Vice President, Head of Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Maersk  

    Panel discussion 

    • Kristian Ruby, Secretary General, Eurelectric
    • Esther Lynch, Secretary General, European Trade Union Confederation
    • Elena López Gunn, Founder and Director of ICATALIST, Climate Pact Ambassador 
    • Marta Messa, Secretary General, Slow Food

    Moderator
    Yvon Slingenberg, Director, DG CLIMA, Directorate A - Strategy, Analysis & Planning 

  10. 17:30 - 17:45 (CEST)
    Conclusion
    • Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General, DG CLIMA
  12. 17:45 - 19:00 (CEST)
    Networking cocktail

Practical information

When
Friday 27 October 2023, 09:30 - 18:00 (CEST)
Where
Charlemagne Building
Rue de la Loi 170, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Languages
English, French, German, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Czech

Description

The photo captures the high level opening session from the audience perspective.
The photo captures the first panel, “Where are we?”, from the right corner of the stage.
The photo captures the second panel discussion, “Where do we want to go?”. We see the stage from the front.
The photo captures the third panel discussion, “How do we get there?”.
In this photo we see the Climate Pact ambassador stand.