Events, Past Events

Annual Conference: A New Agenda for Green Fiscal Reform in Europe

5th November 2014
Events, Past Events

5 November 2014, 09:00 – 19:00
Norway House, Brussels

The 2014 GBE Annual Conference provided a platform to discuss the potential of green fiscal reform to create jobs and aid economic recovery. We discussed the opportunities and shortcomings of the European Semester as a key process to move this agenda forward.

Programme & Presentations

09:00 Welcome and Introduction
Atle Leikvoll, Ambassador of Norway to the EU
Anselm Görres, President, Green Budget Europe (Keynote Speech)

09:30 Keynotes: Never let a good crisis go to waste: green fiscal reform and sustainable recovery in Europe
Chair: Constanze Adolf, Director Brussels Office, Green Budget Europe

Rationale and design of a Green Fiscal Reform in Europe
Edoardo Croci, Professor at the University Bocconi Milano, Green Economy Observatory (Presentation)

The future of Europe’s economic governance should be green
Yannis D. Palaiokrassas, Former European Commissioner and Greek Minister of Finance (Presentation)

10:30 Coffee Break

11:00 The effects of green fiscal reform on growth, jobs, social equity and sectorial competitiveness
Chair: Aldo Ravazzi-Douvan, Vice President, Green Budget Europe; Italian Ministry of Environment (Presentation)

Green fiscal reform as a stimulus for recovery and job creation
Samuel Fankhauser, co-Director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at London School of Economics (LSE) (Presentation)
Discussant: Benjamin Denis, Advisor, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)

Green fiscal reform and social equity
Thomas Sterner, Professor fpr Environmental Economics, University of Goteborg(Presentation)
Discussant: Barbara Helfferich, Director, European Anti-Poverty Network

Green fiscal reform and sectoral competitiveness
Michael Grubb, Professor for International Energy & Climate Policy, University College London (UCL); Senior Advisor, Sustainable Energy Policy Ofgem (Presentation)
Discussant: An Theeuwes, Chair Green Taxation Working Group, BUSINESSEUROPE

13:00 Lunch Break

14:00 Roundtable Discussion: Fiscal shift and re-orientating growth at the national level
Chair: Kai Schlegelmilch, Vice-President, Green Budget Europe (Presentation)

Green fiscal reform in Italy
Maria Teresa Monteduro, Director Finance Department, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Italy (Presentation)

Green fiscal reform in Portugal
Claudia Dias Soares, Professor at Catholic University of Portugal (Presentation)

Green fiscal reform in Norway
Jens Frølich Holte, Political Adviser, Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment

Motivating progress on environmental tax reform in Europe
Patrick ten Brink, Senior Fellow and Head of Brussels office, Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) (Presentation)

Q&A with the audience

15:30 Coffee Break

16:00 Panel Debate: What perspectives for green fiscal reform in the next legislative period?
Chair: David Gee, Brunel University, formerly European Environment Agency

Christopher Boyd, European Semester Coordinator, DG Environment
Åsa Johannesson Lindén, Deputy Head of Unit, Economic Analysis of Energy, Transport, Climate Change and Cohesion Policy, DG for Economic and Financial Affairs
Philippe Lamberts, Co-Chair Group The Greens/European Free Alliance, European Parliament
Dirk Heilmann, Managing Partner Handelsblatt Research Institute and Chief Economist, Handelsblatt
Jeremy Wates, Secretary General, European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

17:00 Conclusions
Jacqueline Cottrell, Senior Policy Advisor, Green Budget Europe (Presentation)

17:30 Reception and Award Ceremony of the “2014 Green Budget Europe Environmental Fiscal Reformer of the Year”
Aldo Ravazzi-Douvan, Vice President, Green Budget Europe (Presentation)