Many see this December's UN conference in Paris as our last chance to secure a binding multilateral agreement that can prevent dangerous climate change. But after the curtain comes down on international negotiations, and the world's attention turns to the next big news story, the practical work of seeing through political promises begins. The Director-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) leads the European Commission's efforts to fight climate change; as well as taking a leading role in international negotiations it is responsible for formulating and implementing climate policies and strategies. It also implements the EU's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), monitors national emissions by EU member countries and promotes low-carbon technologies & adaptation measures.
In this talk Dr Jos Delbeke, Director-General of DG CLIMA, will give insights into life on both the political and practical frontlines of combating climate change.
This event will be live streamed on our YouTube channel
About the speaker
Dr Jos Delbeke is the Director-General of the European Commission's DG Climate Action since its creation in 2010. He joined the European Commission in 1986.
He was very involved in negotiations on the 2009 package on climate change and energy in the EU Council and Parliament. Dr Delbeke has been a key player in developing EU legislation on cars and fuels, the Emissions Trading System (ETS), air quality, emissions from big industrial installations and chemicals (REACH). As an economist, he always underlined the role of market-based instruments and of cost-benefit analysis in the field of the environment. For several years Dr Delbeke has been responsible for developing Europe's International Climate Change strategy and he was for many years the European Commission's chief negotiator at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties.
He holds a PhD in economics (Louvain, 1986) and worked, in 1985, at the International Monetary Fund (Washington DC, USA). As of 2013 he is lecturing at the University of Louvain (Belgium) on European and international environmental policy.