Programme

Conference - Empowering consumers on climate change

Moderator: Siân Hughes

14:30–15:10 - Inaugural session

• Séamus Boland, President of the Civil Society Organisations' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
• Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight

15:10–16:15 - Addressing the impact of the climate crisis and climate action on vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems

• Ioannis Vardakastanis, rapporteur of the draft EESC Opinion 'The climate crisis and its effect on vulnerable groups' and President of the EESC Section Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO)
• Mikael Leyi, Secretary General of Solidar
• Pekka Pesonen, Secretary General of Copa-Cogeca
• Q & A

16:15–16:50 - Measuring the cost of climate change on households and families in the EU

• Lorenza Campagnolo, researcher at the Fondazione Centro Euro- Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC) – presentation of the EESC commissioned study 'The cost of climate change on households and families in the EU'
• Annemie Drieskens, President of COFACE Families Europe
• Q & A

16:50–18:05 - Placing consumers at the heart of sustainable action against climate change

• Monique Goyens, Director General of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)
• Luke Haywood, Policy Manager for Climate and Energy, European Environment Bureau (EEB)
• Jan Dirx, Vice-President of the Civil Society Organisations' Group of the EESC and liaison officer for the Groene11 (Green11) (Dutch nature and environmental organisations) – The role of citizens as prosumers
• Thierry Libaert, co-Spokesperson of the EESC Category 'Consumers and Environment' and rapporteur of the EESC Opinion 'The Right to Repair'
• Q & A

18:05–18:15 - Concluding remarks

• Séamus Boland, President of the Civil Society Organisations' Group of the EESC