November 2015

Towards an Ambitious COP21 Agreement: Lessons of 20 Years of European Union Climate-Fighting Strategies

Two weeks before the UNFCCC meeting in Paris, the Lisbon Council hosted the High-Level Roundtable on Lessons Learned of European Leadership in Climate Policy – and How They Are Relevant for an Ambitious COP21 Deal. Maroš Šefčovič, vice-president of the European Commission for the energy union, laid out the European Union’s position for an ambitious new global climate change agreement and his vision for a climate-friendly energy union. Jos Delbeke, director-general for climate action at the European Commission, and Peter Vis, former head of cabinet to European Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard, presented EU Climate Policy Explained, a fascinating new book they co-authored. The book takes an insightful look at the lessons learnt of two decades of European Union climate-change fighting policies.