In the wake of COP26 in Glasgow, we are hearing many urgent calls to scale up and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and electricity grid infrastructure.
This will be a vital step forward on our pathway towards decarbonisation. At the same time, infrastructure development must be complemented with actions to protect and enhance nature and ecosystems, if we are to achieve our shared global goals for sustainable development.
To address this important issue, the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are hosting the hybrid conference ‘Optimising Energy and Empowering Nature’ on Tuesday, 7 December 2021 from 10 am to 2:45 pm. The event is being co-organised by ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators, and will be live-streamed from a studio at their Brussels premises.
We will bring together on stage representatives from the spheres of nature conservation and energy infrastructure to put forward solutions and best practices that contribute to thriving ecosystems while also significantly advancing the energy transition. Opportunities for improvement in the policy framework will be addressed.
The different conference sessions will revolve around the following topics:
Furthermore, the event will host RGI’s award ceremony for the Good Practice of the Year award 2021, where the winners of the three categories – Environmental Protection, Communication & Engagement and Technological Innovation & System Integration – will be announced.
Welcome by RGI, IUCN and ENTSO-E
Antonella Battaglini | CEO, Renewables Grid Initiative
Stewart Maginnis | Deputy Director General, IUCN
Sonya Twohig | Secretary-General, ENTSO-E
Keynotes: The importance of optimising energy while empowering nature for a fast and successful energy transition
Bruno Oberle | Director General, IUCN
Hervé Laffaye | ENTSO-E President
‘Good Practice of the Year’ award ceremony
Award keynote given by:
Virginijus Sinkevičius | Commissioner for Environment, EC
Moderator:
Antonella Battaglini | CEO, RGI
Jury members to present the award winners:
Jean-Michel Glachant | Director, Florence School of Regulation / Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies / European University Institute
Rachel Asante-Owusu | Programme Manager, IUCN
Susana Batel | Integrated Researcher, Centre for Social Research & Intervention (Cis) / University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE)
Pathways to the future: Planning energy in harmony with biodiversity standards
Moderator:
Antonella Battaglini | CEO, Renewables Grid Initiative
Panelists:
Gerhard Salge | CTO, Hitachi Energy
Dolf Gielen | Director, IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre
Humberto Delgado Rosa | Director Natural Capital, DG Environment
Lunch break incl. best practice fair
Optimising planning to achieve net zero and net biodiversity gain
Moderator:
Rachel Asante-Owusu | Programme Manager, IUCN
Panelists:
Ilse Tant | Chief Community Relations Officer, Elia
Eva Philipp | Director Environment & Sustainability Unit BA Wind, Vattenfall
Leon Bennun | Chief Scientist, The Biodiversity Consultancy
Martin Harper | Regional Director, Europe & Central Asia, BirdLife
Optimising space: Needed actions, roles and responsibilities Short pitch presentations on existing best practices
Moderator:
Gerald Kaendler | Chairman, ENTSO-E System Development Committee
Panelists:
Audrey Zibelman | Vice President, X’s Electric Grid Moonshot
Nathan Cummins | Great Plains Renewable Energy Strategy Director, The Nature Conservancy
Heleen Vollers | Senior Project Lead Nature-Friendly Energy, North Sea Foundation
Christoph Bals | Policy Director, Germanwatch
Joint call to action: committing to principles in biodiversity protection & benefit creation / asking policy makers and practitioners to raise the bar
Antonella Battaglini, Stewart Maginnis, Sonya Twohig
End of conference