Climate Neutrality and Social Sustainability

Achieving net-zero emissions in the next decades implies a rapid reduction in emissions, significant increases in carbon prices, and deep structural economic changes. These changes are generating concerns about their social impact. Possible job losses in specific sectors and increases in carbon prices may be perceived as socially unacceptable for their potentially regressive effects, especially at a time in which energy prices are increasing in most countries.

This raises the questions addressed in this session taking place on on May 5 from 17:15 to 18:15 CEST:

1. Can climate neutrality be socially sustainable?
2. Will it pass the social acceptability test?
3. How can it be reconciled with the need to minimize/eliminate social impacts?
4. How do different jurisdictions (EU, US, India, China) address this problem?

The panel session is featured in the programme of the 12th edition of The State of the Union organised by the European University Institute and held from 5 to 7 May 2022.

Simone Borghesi, Director of FSR Climate and Secretary General of the Policy Outreach Committee of EAERE, will chair the discussion with the following speakers:

• Beatriz Yordi, Director, Carbon Markets and Clean Mobility, DG Climate Action, European Commission
• E. Somanathan, Professor, Economics and Planning Unit, Indian Statistical Institute and Head of the Centre for research on the Economics of Climate, Food, Energy and Environment (CECFEE), Indian Statistical Institute/CECFEE
• Michael Spence, Philip H. Knight Professor of Management, Emeritus, and Dean, Emeritus, Stanford Graduate School of Business and 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics, Stanford Graduate School of Business