How to tackle climate change across Europe

This week, world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, meet in Cornwall for a series of face-to-face meetings. Their agenda is focused on Covid recovery but will also include climate change.

This meeting – the G7 Summit – comes at a pivotal time, as in just a mere five months, all world leaders will meet in Glasgow for COP26.

We’ve already heard that G7 Environment Ministers agreed new steps to limit the use of fossil fuels last month, to deliver climate targets in line with limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C and to stop direct funding of coal-fired power stations in poorer nations by the end of 2021.

This decision was in line with recommendations from the energy think tank, the IEA, which said if the world wanted to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century, then there could be no new coal, oil or gas development from now on.

And, with this week’s news, from Poland, that a consultation will begin on closing Europe’s most polluting coal plant by 2036, climate change and the impact of fossil fuels is gaining momentum.

For a region as vast as Europe there is no one answer to fighting climate change. Policymakers, business, Governments, and the European Union are all going to have to work together to make it a reality.

From innovating to find the new technological solutions which will cut use of fossil fuels as well as the funding to pay for the changes needed, it is everyone’s responsibility.

To kick start the discussion, Siemens Energy and partners are hosting Europe Energy Week, which will be our own three-day virtual summit to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition.

Topics will cover the transition from coal, managing grid stability, finance, cyber security and much more, all with a view on how we shape the energy of tomorrow.

You can view the full agenda at www.siemens-energy.com/energyweek and register for free for the event. Even if you can’t attend on the day, registration will provide you access to the recordings after the sessions.

The G7 Summit will provide the levers for how to tackle climate change, but it is up to us to deliver it. Join us at the conference and see how we can do it together.