Exploring migration, habitability and climate change in the future – scenarios for Africa and Asia
Insight by Emily Wright O'Kelly, Tobias Bernstein
News publ. 10. Apr 2018
As part of the on-going EU-India Clean Energy & Climate Partnership, a study tour with Indian officials has been organised from 8 to 14 April 2018. The delegation included representatives of the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as the states.
During the study tour, Indian officials engage with high-level EU-officials, country representatives, local governments, public authorities, European companies and research centres working in the realm of climate change mitigation and adaptation across the European Union and its member states. The study tour creates value for Indian government officials and helps to outline the requirements for successful implementation of NDCs in India. Further, the visit will provide the opportunity for Indian officials to share the experience of their efforts towards promoting climate change adaptation measures carried out in India and foster an exchange of ideas.
The first part of the study tour is being held in Brussels, Belgium, where the delegation will meet with representatives from the Directorate General Climate Action (DG CLIMA) and other services of the European Commission. DG CLIMA will provide first-hand insights regarding the EU 2020 climate agenda, approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation, covering (inter alia) market-based instruments such as the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) or incentive structure to promote clean energy supply.
Furthermore, representatives from the Belgian government and the City of Brussels will explain the country’s national climate actions and city-level measures through the Brussels Climate plan. In addition to these meetings, Indian officials with engage with private sector representatives, for example in the realm of state-of-the-art green cooling technologies, such as innovative air conditioning and low-GWP refrigerants.
The second part of the study tour will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark. There, the delegation will head to the Danish Energy Agency to hear about Denmark’s experience of low-carbon energy transition. This stop will provide an in-depth insight into national climate change and particularly energy policy. Complementing the insights given into climate action at the national and European level, the delegation will meet representatives from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) at the UN City in Copenhagen.
Sessions offered during these meetings shall cover UNEP’s Climate Change Strategy and Energy Programme, technology transfer within the Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN), and a session on energy efficiency in climate change by the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency as part of the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL). The fourth day will finish with a guided tour through the Green UN City.
On the final day, the delegation will touch base with officials from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and exchange experiences on policies dealing with climate change mitigation and adaptation. Particular attention will be directed towards target setting, monitoring and evaluation within the current European climate change and energy framework while also highlighting lessons learnt and potential pitfalls within the Indian context, as well as climate finance. The study tour will conclude with a stronger focus on adaptation measures.
As part of the EU LIFE programme, the Danish government has been awarded a grant for implementation of a climate action project called Coast to Coast. The project follows an integrated approach to flood risk management and seeks to enhance resources and capabilities of citizens, municipalities, utilities and companies in the water industry. Based on experiences gained throughout implementation of this project, Danish officials will share first-hand insights regarding the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms.