EU Climate Action Dialogue

The European Union’s goal to achieve climate neutrality within the next 30 years is a great societal, economic, and political undertaking, with many challenges and opportunities. The project addresses two processes that are central to it. First, the debate on the future of the EU and, second, the development and implementation of national long-term climate strategies. The project tackles the crucial issue of harmonising countries’ long-term climate action across the EU, building on the achievements of the EUKI-funded Climate Recon 2050 project.

Representatives from governmental institutions from across 12 EU Member States and EU institutions discuss challenges and good practices of developing long-term national climate and energy strategies. The Policymaker Platform (PMP) was organised by Climate Recon 2050. Photo: ©Ecologic Institute

The project consisted of two main pillars, “The Future of Europe” and “Climate Recon 2050”. In both pillars, the project combined analysis with dialogue to inform political debate. South and Central Eastern Europe were the project’s main target regions. 

“Future of Europe” established a network of leading think tanks from eight Member States (MS) to monitor domestic debates on the future of Europe and its link to climate policies. It translated EU discussions to the national context, contributed regularly to domestic debates on the EU, and provided expertise on climate policy and EU affairs to citizens. 

“Climate Recon 2050” supported a growing community of political and technical experts inside government institutions. It provided them with different opportunities for capacity building, exchange, and knowledge generation. Among them were dialogue workshops for government experts, the analysis of regional climate strategies, and seminars enabling cooperation between EU member states and relevant stakeholders in the target regions.

• More intensive public debate about the climate: Through regular political situation reports from eight EU countries, the publication of six thematic papers and 21 media contributions in high-reach European media, the project has noticeably revitalised the public debate on climate action, energy policy and the Conference on the Future of Europe (CFE). The continuous presence in specialised and mainstream media helped key climate issues more visible, accessible and politically relevant. 
• Comprehensive dialogues on climate policy planning: Numerous dialogue formats –including national workshops, international conferences and EU-wide exchange platforms as part of Climate Recon 2050 – enabled a direct exchange between policy makers, science and civil society. These formats provided technical input and solutions, enabling political actors to build their expertise in long-term climate change mitigation and adaptation planning. 
• Collected knowledge for long-term climate strategies: The project built up a comprehensive knowledge and resource library on long-term climate strategies that bundles scientific analyses and practical experience from national and European processes. As the collection remains available beyond the end of the project, it assists policy makers and experts in making climate planning more informed, coordinated, strategic and forward-looking.