Draft programme

8.30 a.m.    Registration

9.00 a.m.    Opening session

  • Lutz Ribbe, Vice-President of the EESC's Sustainable Development Observatory
  • Elina Bardram, Head of Unit, DG CLIMA European Commission   
  • Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Network

9.45 a.m.    Participatory workshop

Format: World café

What climate strategies non-state and sub-national actors...

  • …are carrying out?
  • ...would ideally carry out, if conditions allowed them to?

What are the existing barriers and obstacles for local climate action?   

11.00 a.m.    Coffee break

11.30 a.m.    Participatory workshop

Format: Open space-based

  • Having in mind the obstacles identified in the first workshop, what concrete solutions can we propose to enhance and multiply local climate action?

1.00 p.m.    Lunch

2.30 p.m.    From showcasing local climate action to designing the right framework – interactive session

Introduction and moderation: Brendan Burns, President of the Section on Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, EESC

Examples of local climate action:        

  • Sébastien Mathieu, 1000BXL in Transition
  • Quentin Crespel, Beescoop – cooperative supermarket
  • Julien Jacquet, CEO, Permafungi
  • Molly Walsh, Friends of the Earth, Community Power project

Reactions and discussion:

  • Lutz Ribbe and Isabel Caño Aguilar, EESC Rapporteurs on the Coalition to deliver the commitments of the Paris Agreement
  • Nour Koumi, in charge of sustainability in the Cabinet of the Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, responsible for Housing, Quality of Life, Environment and Energy
  • Marta Olender, European Commission, DG CLIMA
  • Preeti Srivastav, Director, Corporate Climate Action at ECOFYS and Member of the Steering Committee of Galvanising the Groundswell of Climate Actions

4.30 p.m.    Close of the day