Date: 3 October 2011
Location: European Parliament, Brussels
Event Information
Back to top Background
European Union leaders have set themselves the goal of achieving a low-carbon economy by 2050. A major element of that goal is the de-carbonisation of Europe?s energy sector.
The European Commission?s energy department will present, later this year, an energy roadmap that will outline details of how to meet the challenges of energy supply and security and a move towards a low-carbon economy.
Policymakers are confronted with recent developments and changes in the global energy markets. The conflict in Libya has reduced supplies from this significant supplier country. The catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan has prompted a rethinking of attitudes towards nuclear energy ? for example, the German government has decided to phase out the use of nuclear power by 2022.
A clear strategy to help meet energy demand and tackle CO2 emissions is therefore needed. It will have to combine effective policies to support the integration of the energy market with energy efficiency measures in sectors like transport and power generation, in a context of rising global energy demand and where full-scale deployment of low-carbon solutions ? like renewable energies or carbon capture and storage (CCS) ? are still years away.
To this aim, the European Commission recently presented a proposal for a new energy efficiency directive, which would require EU member states to establish energy saving schemes. It raises important policy choices for the EU which, coupled with the energy roadmap, can help make significant progress towards the goal of moving to a low-carbon economy.
Can the EU succeed in transforming its energy sector? Can it deliver without achieving rapid progress on energy efficiency? Will the new directive provide the right instruments? What policies can the roadmap suggest to cut emissions and improve efficiency in the transport and power generation sectors? Which technologies can best support this transition?
Event Panel/Moderator
Back to top Chris Davies MEPChris Davies is a British Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament. Elected in 1999, after previously serving in the House of Commons, he is the party spokesman on the Environment Committee.
During the past nine years he has played an influential role in shaping EU climate change and other environmental laws.
He is the Parliament's rapporteur on the Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050.
Mechthild W?rsd?rfer
Mrs Mechthild W?rsd?rfer is an economist by training and currently the Head of Unit of A1 (Energy Policy, Programming & Observatory, Economic Analysis & Infringements) in DG Energy of the European Commission. Her main responsibilities include the follow-up of "Energy 2020" strategy, the preparation of Energy Roadmap 2050, the publishing of the quarterly reports on gas and electricity markets, the preparation of work programme and annual management plan 2011 and the coordination of infringements procedures in the DG. Prior to joining DG Energy in 2010, Mrs W?rsd?rfer has followed a long career in the DG Enterprise & Industry having the post of Head of Unit E4 (SME policy development) and dealing with the coordination and development of SME policy for growth and jobs, the preparation and monitoring of the communication on the "Small Business Act" for Europe. At the same DG, in 2009 ? 2010, she has also been Acting Director in the Directorate E for Promotion of SMEs competitiveness, managing 4 Units, regular contacts with the EACI Agency and with the European Enterprise Network. Before this, from 1999 ? 2004, she has worked in the Cabinet of Commissioner Erkki Liikanen responsible for Enterprise Policy and Information Society. She has studied Economics at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Montpellier and she possesses a Master in European Economics, from the Free University of Brussels. She speaks German, English, French and Spanish.
Kevin Welch
Kevin Welch is corporate vice-president strategy Europe at GDF Suez, a position he holds since 2009.
He started his career at Arthur Andersen in audit, before moving into venture capital.
He joined GDF SUEZ?s group in 1995 in Investment banking at Banque Indosuez. He joined Soci?t? G?n?rale de Belgique in 1996 as Corporate Finance Officer.
In 2001 he moved to Electrabel, first as deputy to the CEO on special projects , later as head of the European Controlling Department. Afterwards he joined the Electrabel Generation Business Unit Belgium as Finance and Controlling Manager.
He graduated in 1986 from the Solvay Business School at Brussels University.
Tara Billingsley
Tara Billingsley serves as the staff economist for the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Majority Staff). She covers a broad spectrum of economic and energy security issues for the Committee, from energy-related geopolitical issues, to oil price and supply issues. She has worked extensively on renewable fuels, handling the Renewable Fuel Standard that was included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. She also worked on several key sections of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Prior to joining the Committee, she worked at the Department of Energy in a variety of roles. From 2003 to 2005, she briefed the Secretary of Energy and senior White House advisors on energy security issues. From 1999-2003, she worked on short term oil market forecasting and contingency analysis at the Department of Energy?s Energy Information Administration. She has also worked for the Royal Institute of International Affairs? Energy and Environmental Program in London.
She holds an undergraduate degree in international affairs from the American University?s School of International Service, and a graduate degree in international affairs and energy economics from Johns Hopkins? School of Advanced International Studies.
Nick Mabey
Nick Mabey is Chief Executive and a founder director of E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism) a non-profit international organisation dedicated to accelerating the transition to sustainable development. In addition to his management role, Nick leads E3G?s work on European climate change policy, climate diplomacy and foreign policy, and the security implications of climate change.
Nick was previously a senior advisor in the UK Prime Minister?s Strategy Unit leading work on national and international policy areas, including: energy, climate change, countries at risk of instability, organised crime and fisheries. Nick was employed in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office?s Environment Policy Department, and was the FCO lead for the Johannesburg Summit in 2002 where he established international partnerships on clean energy, tourism and environmental democracy.
Before he joined government Nick was Head of Economics and Development at WWF-UK. He came to WWF from research at London Business School on the economics of climate change, which he published as the book ?Argument in the Greenhouse?. This followed a period in the UK electricity industry working as a negotiator for PowerGen and an engineer for GEC-Alsthom. Nick trained as a mechanical engineer at Bristol University and holds a masters degree in Technology and Policy from MIT where he specialised in energy systems analysis.
Among other appointments Nick is currently on the advisory board of Infrastructure UK, the independent commission reporting to the UK Conservative Party on the design of a Green Investment Bank, and the Advisory Council of the European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power.
Graeme Sweeney
Graeme Sweeney is a leading authority on energy, fuels and climate change. Reporting directly to the main board of Royal Dutch Shell he directs and co-ordinates all Shell?s CO2 related activities drawing on extensive international experience across all aspects of the oil, gas and renewable industries.
He is Chairman of the Advisory Council of the European Technology Platform of Zero Emission Fossil Fuels Power Plants (ETP-ZEP) and is co-chair of the European Union?s Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project Network Advisory Forum. He is a founding member of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute and serves on the advisory board of the University of California (Davis) Institute of Transportation Studies.
He has a physics degree and a PhD in mathematics from the Victoria University of Manchester and is a Chartered Physicist. He is British, married with two children, and enjoys rugby, football, cycling and literature.
Moderator: Simon Taylor
Simon Taylor is European Voice's news editor, responsible for editorial content of the newspaper and website reporting to the editor, Tim King. Before being promoted to news editor in January this year, Simon was senior reporter at European Voice, covering political affairs and energy policy, from March 2006. He is a regular commentator on the BBC and other international media on EU affairs. Simon has also worked for the Sunday Times and Guardian newspapers. He is a graduate in French and German from Cambridge University as he speaks both languages fluently in addition to his native English.
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