URV Seminars on Climate Emergency: Scientific, political and socio-economic views

DAY 2. Climate Change, Energy Transition and Sustainability: R&D&I Strategies

The objectives for reducing greenhouse gases (absolute decarbonisation and zero emissions), clearly established by the EU, are mainly driven by actions and strategies designed to reduce the carbonisation index (emissions per unit of energy consumption) and to significantly reduce energy intensity (consumption efficiency). However, it is also important to ensure that these actions and strategies are compatible with sustainable economic development and, therefore, to promote the uncoupling of emissions and resource consumption to GDP.

The first factor mentioned above requires taking action on the issues of renewable energy sources, energy generation efficiency, and the integration of these energy sources into power networks. The second factor, energy intensity, is basically associated with undertaking technological innovation strategies and improving industrial and production processes, as well as rationalising the energy demand of end users. And all this without neglecting to consider the social impact of these strategies.

In this context, this conference includes renowned speakers who can help to define a joint R&D&I agenda that will contribute to steering the URV’s strategy on this issue in coming years. Given its global character, we would like this conference to become part of a series of events in the future that address these challenges in relation to sectoral and functional concerns.

The conference is primarily directed at stakeholders of all kinds involved in R&D&I chains, university researchers and from research and knowledge transfer centres, and companies and government bodies as a means to identify opportunities for sharing interests and projects.

 

Hour

Title

Speaker

9:00  9:30

Opening of conference: Welcome from the rector of the URV

Conference objectives, organisation and introduction

María José Figueras

Juan Antonio Duro, professor in the Department of Economics of the URV

9:30 – 10:15

Overview and Update of Scientific Evidence Supporting Anthropogenic Climate Change

Thomas Peterson, former head researcher for NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), Ashville, North Carolina (USA), and chair of the Commission for Climatology (CCl) of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)

10:15 – 11:00

Climate Change, Energy and Society: A Multidisciplinary Research Agenda for Universities

Simone Abram, researcher in the Department of Anthropology of Durham University (UK)

11:00 – 11:30

Coffe-break and networking

 

11:30 – 12:15

Energy and R&D&I: Challenges and Projects

Joan Batalla, managing director of the Foundation for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (FUNSEAM)

12:15 – 13:00

Energy and Environmental Challenges in Catalonia

Manel Torrent, director of the Catalan Energy Institute (ICAEN) of the Government of Catalonia

13:00 – 13:45

Climate Change and Societal Transformations: A Research Agenda

Pim de Boer, strategic policy advisor for the European Union for Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)

16:00 – 18:00

Networking with URV Research groups

Discussions led by:

Simone Abram (DU), Pim de Boer (VU), Alberto Coronas (URV) and Juan Antonio Duro (URV)