Development Day 2021: Environmental Policy in Eastern Europe

This year’s SITE Development Day conference will focus on environmental policy in Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis on global warming, energy transformation, and energy security.

Twin Challenge and Unprecedented Urgency

Increased awareness and sense of emergency around the challenge of global warming is reflected in events such as the UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021 (Cop26). Yet, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other experts have highlighted that the current commitments made by governments around the globe to reduce their carbon footprint fall far short of the goal of an increase in the temperature no more than 1.5, and even 2 degrees. Current policies and planned future investment plans suggest that not even these commitments will be met in most countries, creating a twin challenge in formulating more ambitious goals, and making sure to credibly commit to them. The fact that some world leaders have decided not to attend the Cop26 conference, including the Russian president, is therefore quite disheartening.

Focus on Environmental Policy in Eastern Europe

Against this background, in this year’s Development Day conference, we will discuss environmental policy in Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis on global warming and energy transformation and security. Russia, being one of the biggest producers and exporters of fossil fuels, will be in particular focus, but we will also talk about Poland, Belarus, Georgia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and other countries in the region.

Date and time

As in previous years we will bring together international and Swedish experts with representatives of the public and private sectors and civil society. The event will be held online and open to the public through digital channels. The date is December 8, 2021, and is preliminarily planned from 9.30-15.15.

Program

The full conference program will be announced in the upcoming week.