Aligning EU climate policies with regional and local action

Join this online workshop to learn more on how climate policies can be designed to be socially and economically acceptable.

Achieving climate neutrality requires ambitious and effective climate targets and the ability to implement widely accepted policies. Many existing assessments focus narrowly on effectiveness, overlooking critical dimensions like feasibility and public perception. Furthermore, the success of the EU in reaching its net-zero goals depends not only on global and European policy action but also on the capacity of local and regional authorities to implement these policies. Cities and regions are at the forefront of the climate battle, yet they often face challenges in acting.

In this context, the Horizon Europe project CAPABLE aims to provide recommendations for designing socially and economically acceptable climate policy measures for 2030 and beyond. CAPABLE also provides insights on how local policy actors perceive their contribution to major EU strategies such as the European Green Deal.

Hosted online by the European University Institute (EUI) with expert contributions from the CAPABLE consortium, this capacity-building workshop will explore how EU climate policies work, how they intersect with local realities and how cities and regions can shape and support a just and effective transition. The workshop is tailored for local and regional policymakers, civil servants, and stakeholders engaged in climate and energy governance.

Target audience:

Local and regional policy-makers, civil servants, and stakeholders already familiar with energy and climate policies.

Learning outcomes:

Assess the main EU climate policies and their local implications

Grasp the potential and limits of different policy assessment methods

Understand determinants and factors that influence the acceptability of climate policies, and propose policy design features to make policies acceptable

Understand how local actors perceive their roles and EU policies on climate policies.

Draft programme:

14:00 – 14:10 | Welcome & Introduction

14:10 – 15:40 | Module 1: EU Climate Policies and Implications for Local Authorities

Policy Assessment: What Works? (Kai Lessmann and Jan Minx, PIK and Marie Raude, EUI)

The roles of cities in addressing climate change (Yann Françoise, City of Paris)

15:40 – 15:55 | Coffee Break

15:55 – 17:20 | Module 2: Perception and acceptability of Climate Policies

Social Acceptability and Feasibility of Fit-For-55 Policies (Keith Smith, ETH Zurich)

Local Policymakers’ Perceptions (Pablo Núñez Yebra, UAB and Alessia Casamassima, EUI)

17:20 – 17:45 | The role of Local Authorities in the European Green Deal and Competitiveness Compass

Eugenia Mansutti, Eurocities

17:45 – 17:50 | Conclusions

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101056891.

At the EUI and the Robert Schuman Centre, we are dedicated to removing barriers and providing equal opportunities for everyone. Please indicate in the registration form your accessibility needs, if any. Alternatively, you can contact the logistics organiser of the event.