Abstract

Date
-
Location
Thon Brussels City Centre and Zoom

It is becoming increasingly clear that oil and coal have no future and the era of combustion vehicles is slowly coming to an end. This is already a huge challenge but decarbonizing energy intensive industries (steel, chemicals, cement, ceramics and other basic materials) is even more complicated.

A joint project of the European Trade Union Institute and the European Climate Foundation was set up to analyse the main pathways for the transformation of these industries with regard to the expected employment effects thereby recognising that de-industrialisation is not the adequate method and that the EU needs to maintain a strong competence base in these industries .

This hybrid conference will discuss the results of this research, taking account of the main technological pathways, regional differences and estimating also the possible effects of a future Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. After Russia’s assault on Ukraine, the completely new geopolitical situation is brutally exposing Europe’s dependence on fossil energy and raising the stakes.

Conference proceedings

Decarbonising energy intensive industries - Narrative Report - Bela Galgoczi.pdf

Decarbonizing energy intensive industries - France - Serrano.pdf

Decarbonisation Plans - UK - Balderson et al.pdf

Decarbonising energy-intensive industries - Germany - Kiss-Dobronyi and Fazekas.pdf

Decarbonizing energy-intensive industries - Spain - Barreiros.pdf

Just transition - Poland - Szpor et al. .pdf

Modelling the decarbonisation of energy intensive ind - Kiss-Dobronyi et al..pdf

The social dimension of decarbonisation - Italy - Rugiero.pdf

Trade unions facing the eco-social-growth trilemma - Italy - Mandelli and Novelli.pdf

Agenda

9.30 Opening and welcome  

  • Philippe Pochet, ETUI
  • Philipp Niessen, European Climate Foundation

9.45  First results from the ETUI-ECF project: Employment effects of decarbonization pathways in energy intensive industries (EII)

10.00  The case of Germany with an outlook on the possible effects of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism   

10.25  Decarbonisation challenges for EII in Poland

10.50  Coffee break

11.00  Discussion

11.30  The case of EII-s in France

11.50  EIIs in Spain on decarbonisation path – what does this mean for jobs?

12.10  Discussion on France and Spain

12.30  Lunch

13.30  The case of EII-s in the UK

13.50  Just transition in practice: the Taranto case, Italy

14.10  Discussion

14.30 Policy debate – What is at stake for EII-s in the new geopolitical context?

  • Judith Kirton-Darling, IndustriAll
  • Florie Gonsolin, Cefic 
  • Frank Siebern, Fair Green and Digital Transitions, Research, DG Employment, EC 

15.30  End of the workshop