4 Nationally Determined Contributions

Transcription

1 The Mediterranean region is a climate change hotspot. Most of the Southern Mediterranean countries are faced with rising temperatures, water scarcity and desertification. This affects the quality of life and impacts on the key sectors of the economy, exacerbating social and geopolitical tensions. Cooperation between the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean is fundamental to tackle the climate challenges faced by the region. This has become a priority of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which aims at promoting growth, sustainable living conditions, and ultimately stability and security in the region. Following the commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement, national and local authorities in the Southern Neighbourhood have been working together with the EU to enhance strategic planning towards low-carbon development and climate resilience. As the effects of climate change surpass frontiers, a regional approach is needed in order to provide common answers. Three regional projects were set up to tackle these challenges: "ClimaSouth" 1 supports the elaboration of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies in the region; "CES-MED" 2 provides assistance to local authorities to respond more actively to sustainable policy challenges; and "SUDEP South" 3 supports local energy actions leading to energy savings, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources. The Regional Conference on Climate Action & Sustainable Energy in the EU Neighbourhood South gives the opportunity to take stock of the relevant EU policies in the region, mark the completion of three current regional projects ClimaSouth, CES-MED and SUDEP South and share lessons learned. Day 1 will focus on energy & climate governance and diplomacy. Further debates will develop the topics of NDCs 4 implementation and access to climate finance. Day 2 will explore the urban dimension of climate action and the EU support to local sustainable development, with a focus on the Global Covenant of Mayors. The conference will involve national focal points and local authorities from Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. Representatives from the EU institutions, civil society and the private sector will also be present. 1 ClimaSouth: Support to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Neighbourhood South 2 CES-MED: Cleaner Energy Savings Mediterranean Cities 3 SUDEP: Sustainable Urban Development Program 4 Nationally Determined Contributions

2 20-21 March 2018, Sicco Mansholt Room, Charlemagne Building, Brussels Agenda Day 1 (20 th March) Governance dimension 09:00 09:30 Registrations 09:30 10:00 Opening interventions: Video message by Miguel ARIAS CAÑETE, Commissioner for Climate Action & Energy Welcome message by Irène MINGASSON (Head of Unit, DG NEAR, European Commission) 10:00-11:30 Policy panel: energy & climate governance and diplomacy The session will discuss how energy and climate change objectives shape the EU external action, with a focus on the Southern Neighbourhood. Dominic PORTER (Head of Division, European External Action Service) Megan RICHARDS (Director, DG ENER, European Commission) Arne LIETZ (Member of the European Parliament) Jorge BORREGO (Acting Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean) Houda ALLAL (General Director, Observatoire Méditerranéen de l'energie) 11:30 11:45 Coffee Break Moderator: Irène MINGASSON (Head of Unit, DG NEAR, European Commission) 11:45 12:30 Policy discussion: Paris Agreement & Talanoa dialogue This session will focus on how the Talanoa dialogue will provide the opportunity for state and non-state actors to assess progress made under the Paris Agreement. Claudio FORNER (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat) Elina BARDRAM (Head of Unit, DG CLIMA, European Commission) 12:30 14:00 Lunch Break Moderator: Andrea RIZZO (Expert, ClimaSouth)

3 14:00 14:45 NDCs implementation: contributing to the transparency of climate action This session will explore ClimaSouth's rationale, objectives and results. A study on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Process will be presented and key tools for tracking NDCs implementation will be discussed. Andrea RIZZO (Expert, ClimaSouth) Lea KAI (Manager, Ministry of Environment, Lebanon) Moderator: Bernardo SALA (Team Leader, ClimaSouth) 14:45 15:45 NDCs implementation: Accessing climate finance for mitigation and adaptation This session will tackle the issue of climate finance and discuss constraints and success stories experienced in Partner countries. Casper VAN DER TAK (Expert, ClimaSouth) Rachid TAHIRI (Head of Climate Change Department, State Secretariat for Sustainable Development, Morocco) Nedal KATBEH-BADER (Minister's Advisor for Climate Change, Palestine) Dina KISBI (Director, Ministry of Environment, Jordan) Ronnie COHEN-GINAT (Senior Coordinator, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Israel) 15: Coffee break Moderator: Bernardo SALA (Team Leader, ClimaSouth) 16:00 17:00 NDCs implementation: Enhancing climate resilience This session will discuss experiences from Southern Mediterranean countries in adapting to climate change. Andrea DI VECCHIA (Expert, ClimaSouth) Ghalia BENZIOUCHE (Deputy Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Algeria) Nadia ELMASRY (Senior Avisor, Environmental Affairs Agency, Egypt) Taoufiq MUSTAPHA (Senior Technical Advisor, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Tunisia) Moderator: Bernardo SALA (Team Leader, ClimaSouth)

4 Closing remarks by Michael KÖHLER, Director for Neighbourhood South, DG NEAR, European Commission Key-note speech by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the Energy Union 17:30 19:00 Networking Cocktail

5 Day 2 (21 st March) Urban dimension 08:30 09:00 Registrations 09:00-10:30 Opening panel: Climate Action at the local level This session will explore on the urban dimension of climate action and on the EU support to local sustainable development. Yvon SLINGENBERG (Director, DG CLIMA, European Commission) Markku MARKKULA (Vice-President, Committee of the Regions) Claude TURMES (Member of the European Parliament) Amanda EICHEL (Executive Director, Global Covenant of Mayors) Mohamed SEFIANI (Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco) 10:30 11:00 Coffee Break Moderator: Frédéric VALLIER (Secretary General, Council of European Municipalities and Regions CEMR) 11:00 12:00 Sustainable Urban Development - Action Plans preparation CES-MED has supported local authorities to prepare Sustainable Energy Action Plan. National Focal Points and Mayors will discuss the challenges incurred in the process and lessons learned. Jihad AL MOALLEM (Mayor of Kab Elias, Lebanon) Omar SHARQIYAH (General Director of the department of Projects - Ministry of Local Government, Palestine) Hosni Mansour ALI (President of Development Sector, Red Sea Governorate & Egypt Ministry of Housing, New Communities and Infrastructure) Kamel DALI (Directeur des Projets, Agence Nationale pour la Promotion et la Rationalisation de l Utilisation de l Energie (APRUE), Algeria) Georges YOUSSEF (Mayor of Menjez, Lebanon) Moderator: Naguib AMIN, (Team Leader, CES-MED) 12:00 13:00 Sustainable Urban Development - Project implementation SUDEP South has supported local authorities to implement sustainable energy projects. National Focal Points and Mayors will discuss the challenges incurred in the process and lessons learned. Haran BAR-ON (Project Manager, Kfar Saba Municipality, Israel) Abbas MAHARMAH (Mayor of Sahab, Jordan) Abdallah GHOUSSEINI (Mayor of Baakline, Lebanon) & Sabine SABA

6 (Project Coordinator Koura, Lebanon) Nader HRIMAT (Project Coordinator Tubas, Applied Research Institute- Jerusalem-ARIJ, Palestine) Abidi YAHIA (General Secretary of Nabeul Municipality, Tunisia) 13:00 14:30 Lunch Break Moderator: Ismael AL HINTI (Expert, SUDEP South) / Naceur HAMMAMI (Team Leader, SUDEP South) 14:30 16:00 Access to finance CES-MED will explore the process from SEAPs preparation to project financing. What are the best strategies for local and national authorities? Menouer BOUGHEDAOUI (Energy and Finance Expert for Algeria, CES- MED) Louis PERROY (Finance Expert for Maghreb, CES-MED) Emad As ad SHANAAH (Head of EU Partnership and Programmes Division of the Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Jordan) Omar HEJIRA (Mayor of Oujda, Morocco) Walid ABU EL-HALAWA (CES-MED Expert for Palestine) Moderator: Pierre COUTÉ (Key Expert for Maghreb, CES-MED) SUDEP South will discuss what the available sources of finance for cities are, from local project financing to the national/regional level. Fethi HANCHI (Director of Energy Efficiency, National Agency for Energy Conservation, Tunisia) Mohamed SEFIANI (Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco) Pierre KHOURY (DG and President of Board, Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation) & Nabil MOAWED (Director General, Rene Moawad Foundation, Lebanon) Amon ASSAF (Head of Eilat & Eilot Environmental Municipal Unit, Israel) 16:00 16:15 Coffee Break Moderator: Ismael AL HINTI / Naceur HAMMAMI (SUDEP South)

7 16:15 17:15 Communication and awareness raising This session will focus on how to communicate sustainable energy measures and their importance to citizens, civil society and the private sector. During the session, two short films realised by SUDEP and CES-MED will be presented. Mateo GARCIA (Communication Expert, SUDEP) Soaade MESSOUDI (Expert, SUDEP South) Myriam MAKDISSI (Communication Expert, CES-MED) Osama KASAMANI (SECAP Expert Lebanon, CES-MED) Moderator: Federica PESCE (DG NEAR, European Commission) 17:15 18:15 Process sustainability This session will describe how SUDEP and CES-MED projects have guaranteed the sustainability for their action. Naguib AMIN (Team Leader, CES-MED) Pierre COUTÉ (Key Expert for Maghreb, CES-MED) Alexandra PAPADOPOULOU (Energy Expert, CES-MED) Ismael AL HINTI (Expert, SUDEP South) Ammar ALTAHER (Expert, SUDEP South) Moderator: Cyril DEWALEYNE (DG NEAR, European Commission) 18:15 18:30 Concluding remarks by Irène MINGASSON, Head of Unit Regional Programmes Neighbourhood South, DG NEAR, European Commission