Go Green, Be Social

How can we tackle climate change greening our taxes while preserving social protection systems? In the frame of the Spring Alliance and with the support of the King Badouin Foundation, this event will look at how to shape an integrated approach to climate change and energy policies – combining social, environmental and economic aspects

Date: Thursday December 05, 2013, 9.00 – 12.00

Venue: European Parliament, Brussels, Room ASP 3H-1

The event will be hosted by PERVANCHE BERÈS MEP, Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee
 

Agenda

8:30-9:00       Registration

9:00-9:15       Introduction

  • Pervenche BERÈS,Chair of the Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee

  • Heather ROY, President of Social Platform

9:15-9:30       Proposals of policy orientations

  • Lucas CHANCEL, independent researcher

9:30-10:40    Panel 1:  “Who pollutes pay”: can we make it for real, and socially fair?

What environmental taxation and EU fiscal instruments are needed to promote a fair energy transition?

How can we ensure that the burden is fairly shared between private consumption and production activities, including the impact on the most vulnerable consumers?

  • Moderator: Judith KIRTON-DARLING, ETUC Confederal Secretary

Panelists:

  • Heinz ZOUREK, Director General of DG TAXUD
  • Brendan DEVLIN, Adviser on Internal Energy Market, DG ENER
  • Andras LUKACS, Green Budget Europe's Vice-President and President of the Clean Air Action Group
  • Chris LENON, Chair of Green Taxation WG at BUSINESS EUROPE

10:40-11:50     Panel 2: Designing environmental fiscal policies without undermining our current welfare system: is it possible?

What does a taxation shift from labour to environment actually mean for the sustainability of our welfare system?

  • Moderator: Claire ROUMET, Vice-President of Social Platform

Panelists:

  • Robert STRAUSS, Head of unit, Employment Analysis, DG EMPL
  • Paulus ARNOLDUS, Economist, Economic Analysis of Energy, Transport, Climate Change and Cohesion Policy, DG ECFIN
  • Prof. Stefan BOUZAROVSKI, Director of the Centre for Urban Resilience and Energy, University of Manchester
  • Judith KIRTON-DARLING, ETUC Confederal Secretary
  • Jean-Eudes MONCOMBLE, President of CEEP's Energy Committee

11:50-12:00  Concluding remarks

  • Shahin VALLÉE, Herman Van Rompuy’s Cabinet member on Financial reform
  • Bernadette SÉGOL, ETUC General Secretary

 

Registration for this event closed on November 28th.