The European Green Deal: a systemic approach to sustainability (under pressure)
Join us for a lecture with Professor Hans Bruyninckx as he shares his valuable insights on the pivotal role of the European Green Deal (EGD) in shaping Europe's environmental and climate policies amidst current global economic and geopolitical challenges.
The European Green Deal has been a game changer in the EU’s approach to environmental and climate policies. Its focus on systemic transitions is deeply embedded in the policy targets, the long-term objectives, the interconnected nature of the policy objectives, and the link with the social and economic dimensions of the green transition. However, given today’s macro-economic challenges and the uncertain geopolitical context the European Green Deal has come under pressure. In his lecture Hans Bruyninckx will explain why staying the course is crucial for Europe even though political and economic arguments are use to lower ambitions or ‘push the pause button'.
About the speaker
Prof Bruyninckx is a Professor of Environmental Governance at the University of Antwerp, a Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore and the former Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (2013-2023).
Prof Bruyninckx's academic expertise lies primarily in the field of European and international environmental policy, studying the effects of globalisation on the global governance of environmental issues and sustainable development. From this perspective he has also studied global production and consumption systems, as well as issues relating to distribution and justice. He has published extensively on EU environmental policies and its role as an actor in global environmental governance.
Under Prof Bruyninckx's leadership, the European Environment Agency transformed its extensive knowledge base into a more policy-oriented format, ensuring its accessibility and relevance to societal and policy debates. During his mandate, the Agency strengthened its relationships with key stakeholders in Brussels and actively supported the European Green Deal, a significant initiative of the European Union.