In the first talk of the closing session at the first GreenDeal-NET conference in Lisbon, Helge Jörgens outlined five important challenges for the successful implementation of the European Green Deal and the future of environmental policy in Europe.
First, he emphasized that despite clear successes in the environmental and climate policy of the past years, we must be careful not to lose sight of the many unresolved challenges such as loss of biodiversity. Second, to address these challenges, we need to focus on capacity-building which includes building alliances with non-state actors such as environmental NGOs, business and research organizations. Third, Helge Jörgens emphasized that policymakers increasingly need the ability to recognize contextual risks and opportunities and to react quickly to them has become a key element of environmental policy. Fourth, there is a need for governments to refocus on the complex challenges of implementation. The growing gap between national climate change targets and the likelihood of achieving them is the clearest indicator of implementation deficits. Fifth, the EU is not alone in moving towards a net-zero economy and society. In fact, Europe is already part of a global race towards climate leadership and has to be careful not to fall behind.
Helge Jörgens concluded by thanking everybody at Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon and CIES-IUL as well as in the GreenDeal-NET partner universities who helped making the conference a success.
Closing Keynote by Duarte Cordeiro
The Portuguese Minister of Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, closed the Conference with a comprehensive overview of the Portuguese environmental policy. He emphasized the National Energy and Climate Plan for Portugal as an example of an instrument that set new targets for renewable energy, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction, in line with the European Climate Law, the Fit for 55 package and the REPowerEU Plan. The Minister also highlighted the importance of reducing emissions while ensuring affordable solutions, pointing out specific measures in the transport sector such as the standardisation of transport ticket prices in metropolitan areas in 2019 and, more recently, fixing ticket prices so that they are not affected by inflation. Another important policy success is Portugal being one of the few countries in Europe to shut down all coal-fired power plants. But the Minister also identified areas where more ambition is needed, such as bringing forward the target of 80% of electricity from renewables to 2026, previously planned for 2030.
He recognized the need to invest more in adaptation strategies as Portugal is already experiencing the effects of climate change, such as longer periods of drought and forest fires leading to forests capturing less carbon emissions. For the water sector he suggested a new adaptation strategy that is more participative and locally based and that considers the particularities and resources of each region.
In his closing speech, Minister Duarte Cordeiro also addressed some of the issues discussed during the day, thereby presenting Portugal as a case study from a decision-maker's perspective.
Helge Jörgens is an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and Public Policy of Iscte - University Institute of Lisbon and an Integrated Researcher at CIES-IUL in Lisbon Portugal. He holds a PhD from Freie Universität Berlin. His research interests include comparative and international environmental, energy and climate policies, the role and influence of international bureaucracies, and the diffusion and transfer of public policies.
Duarte Cordeiro was born in Lisbon in 1979. He has a degree in Economics from the Higher Institute for Economics and Management (ISEG) and a Postgraduate degree in Corporate Leadership from Iscte - University Institute of Lisbon. He was Deputy Mayor of Lisbon from April 2015 to February 2019, charged with Urban Hygiene, Public Spaces, Economics and Innovation, Smart Cities and Sports. He had been a Councillor in Lisbon Town Hall since October 2013. He was a member of parliament in the 11th and 12th legislatures and belonged to the Economics and Finance Committee and the working group for drafting a Base Law on Quality, Innovation, Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship. He was Vice-President of the Portuguese Youth Institute and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation to Disclose IT in 2008. He was Secretary General of the Socialist Youth from 2008 to 2010 and is Chairman of the Socialist Party’s Lisbon Urban Area Federation. He was Secretary of State in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and for Parliamentary Affairs in Prime Minister António Costa’s 1st Government and Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs in Prime Minister António Costa’s 2nd Government.
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