From 30 November to 12 December 2023, delegates from nearly 200 countries will come together in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the 28^th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 28) to deliberate on climate action strategies and commitments that will hopefully shape a better future for our planet. Importantly, this year’s Conference marks the conclusion of the first Global Stocktake (GST), a comprehensive assessment of the progress made in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. High expectations on the climate finance front (see for example the agreed deal on the loss and damage fund) and stronger, “phasing out” language with regard to fossil fuels.

Committed to updating, upgrading, and fully opening Integrated Assessment Models that are emblematic in relevant scientific and policy processes, DIAMOND will actively participate at COP 28. The project will co-host a panel discussion on “Bridging the gap between the ‘Fit for 55’ package and the 2050 ambition of a net-zero EU economy” at the Greek Pavilion, alongside the Horizon Europe IAM-COMPACT project and the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage. The scope of this side-event will be to stress potential challenges to delivering on the EU’s roadmap towards net zero, to fuel the policy debate on critical technologies, including but not limited to gas in the light of the recent energy supply crisis, and to exchange ideas.

Drawing on the findings of our flagship study, “A multi-model analysis of the EU’s path to net zero”, published in Joule a few days ago, our panel discussion will explore the challenges ahead for the EU, focusing on the feasibility of key aspects of the ‘Fit for 55’ policy package, and delve into the energy system requirements to reaching net zero by 2050, across sectors and member states. Special attention will be given to strategic choices that the EU must make decide on today to bridge the gap between ‘Fit for 55’ in 2030 and net zero by the middle of the century—especially relating to intermediate milestones, technological investments, and associated enabling environments. In turn, the panel discussion will dive deeper into the role of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in abating residual fossil fuels, as well as into that of natural gas, notably in the context of the energy crisis in Europe.

Our panel discussion will be moderated by Prof. Ryna Yiyun Cui, University of Maryland (US) and include the following topics:

• “Paving the way to net zero in the EU: key technologies, strategic decisions, and a roadmap”. Speaker: Haris Doukas, Professor at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), President of the Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage (ELLET) Energy Council, Mayor-Elect of the Municipality of Athens, Greece.

• “Defining ‘Abated Fossil Fuels’ and identifying their role in the EU’s long-term ambition”. Speaker: Alaa Al Khourdajie, Research Fellow at the Department of Chemical Engineering of Imperial College London.

• “The role of gas in the EU’s net-zero trajectory: thinking in the context of the energy crisis”. Speaker: Steve Pye, Assoc. Professor at the UCL Energy Institute (University College London).

More information on our COP 28 side-event can be found here.

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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