“2nd International Summer School on Sustainable Development”, 23–30 August 2009
Unter dem Titel „Decarbonizing Europe and the World. European Climate Policy — Internal and External Dimensions“ wird vom 23.–30. August 2009 die „2. International Summer School on Sustainable Development“ in der Europäischen Akademie Otzenhausen stattfinden. Die Veranstaltung widmet sich zum einen den sozialen, politischen und ökonomischen Herausforderungen der Europäischen Klimapolitik, zum anderen beleuchtet sie die Rolle der globalen Akteure im internationalen Kampf gegen den Klimawandel.
Hurricane “Katrina” in the United States, bush fires in Australia, floods in South Asia. Natural disasters all around the world demonstrate in an alarming way, how a warming planet could look like within a comparatively short period of time. Meanwhile, the economic and financial crisis confronts the world with its much more direct impacts to everyday life and tells international climate policy to step back on the agenda for a moment. Despite the current economic problems, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the adaptation to a changing environment remain more urgent than ever before in order to prevent serious environmental, social and economic damages. The Kyoto Protocol is due to expire in 2012 and until today, the contracting states are far away from signing a follow-up agreement to combat climate change. Therefore much aspiration is put on the forthcoming Post-Kyoto Conference in Copenhagen. After deciding on a legally binding climate policy in December 2008, the European Union is assumed to lead the Conference to a success and thus to complete the tenacious climate negotiations. Nevertheless, several crucial questions remain open until today: Will Europe’s efforts be sufficient to bring other countries to agree on a post-Kyoto treaty? What are the conditions for developing countries to accept emission reductions? Which factors influence the EU’s ability to fulfill such a leadership function in the ongoing fight against global warming?
The 2nd International Summer School on Sustainable Development will discuss these questions by illuminating the internal and external dimensions of European climate policy. First of all, the academy addresses the social, political and economic aspects determining European action in the field of climate policy. In a second step, it concentrates on the international framework of climate policy, thereby analyzing the role of the major global actors in the post-Kyoto process and the ensuing challenges for the European Union.
The Summer School comprises lectures given by academics, high civil servants and politicians closely involved in European policy-making. The program assesses enough time to discuss each lecture in detail and includes furthermore several excursions throughout the region. Participants doing research in this field are invited to present and discuss their projects and their “work-in-progress” during the Academy. The best project will receive the “European Sustainability Award” sponsored by the EUROPEAN ACADEMY of OTZENHAUSEN.
The 2nd International Summer School on Sustainable Development is organized by the EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF OTZENHAUSEN gGmbH, the INSTITUT FUER EUROPAEISCHE POLITIK (IEP, Berlin) and the UNIVERSITY OF TRIER. After a successful beginning in 2008, this year’s International Summer School will be the second event in a 3‑years-cycle covering different topics of European and International policies on energy and climate protection. It will take place at the renowned European Academy Otzenhausen (www.eao-otzenhausen.de), a place known for its excellent working and housing conditions.
Participants shall be graduate students, PhD students, young researchers in Political Science, European Studies and Economics and young professional.