During the Spring-Summer 2024 semester, EEMI presented four outstanding webinars in its EEMI Distinguished Lecture Series under the direction of EEMI Director of Professional Education Dr. Edward Saltzberg.
Our June 20, 2024 webinar addressed the topic of “Accelerating Sustainable Finance: Insights into Managing Climate Risks in Banking and Insurance.” Climate change poses unprecedented risks to the banking and insurance industries, with far-reaching consequences for businesses, governments, and all inhabitants of planet Earth. Rising sea levels, devastating wildfires, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events threaten financial stability and impact loan portfolios, insurance premiums, and investment strategies. These disruptions can trigger a domino effect, shaking global markets, undermining business growth, and straining government resources. Effectively managing these risks is crucial for the resilience of financial institutions and essential for the security and prosperity of our economies, communities, and livelihoods. Steven Maze Rothstein, founding Managing Director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, discussed critical research stakeholders to address these challenges.
Our May 28, 2024 event, entitled “Hydrogen Horizons: Navigating Europe's Clean Energy Future,” reviewed the EU's hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe. It provided a panoramic view of its goals, timelines, and strategic approach to fostering green hydrogen within the energy landscape. As Europe strides towards a sustainable future, understanding the intricacies of this strategy becomes imperative. The session delved into the nuances of infrastructure planning, addressed potential bottlenecks, and illuminated the pivotal role of hydrogen diplomacy in the geopolitical arena. It will also review hydrogen policies at the country level for Germany, France, and Lithuania. Panelists were Sami Rtimi, President of Club Climate Europe and Director of Innovation and Technology at the Global Institute for Water, Environment and Health (Geneva, Switzerland), and a European Climate Pact Ambassador; Angele Kedaitiene, Secretary General of Club Climate Europe, which aims to establish the Blueprint of advanced climate analytics to achieve a carbon-free future; Julian Parodi, EU Policy Specialist for Industrial Decarbonization at EPICO KlimaInnovation, a climate think tank that focuses on bridge-making, solution oriented thinking, and circularity; Olivier Bahn, Director of the Group for Research in Decision Analysis Gerar HEC Montreal, Codirector of the E3 Hub, and a member of the EDDEC Institute (Institut de l’environnement, du développement durable et de l’économie circulaire); Pierre Laboue, Head of International Relations at French Hydrogene, the national association representing the hydrogen industry in France; and Lukas Satkauskas, Chief Analyst of Renewable Energy at the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy, working on developing sustainable energy policy.
On March 21, 2024, Dr. Saltzberg moderated the Plenary Panel at a virtual event entitled “The Inflation Reduction Act: Climate and Energy Progress and Opportunities,” featuring Dylan Reed, Senior Advisor for External Affairs, Grid Deployment Office, DOE; and Esther Sosa, Special Advisor for Policy, IRA Implementation, EPA. The panel addressed the massive federal climate infrastructure spending, the new Treasury Investment Tax Credit provisions, and other key topics.
Our February 29, 2024 event dissected the EU’s Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe. It provided a panoramic view of its goals, timelines, and strategic approach to fostering green hydrogen within the energy landscape. As Europe strides towards a sustainable future, understanding the intricacies of this strategy becomes imperative. The session delved into the nuances of infrastructure planning, address potential bottlenecks, and shed light on the pivotal role of hydrogen diplomacy in the geopolitical arena. Speakers included Andrea Mogni, former Senior Policy Officer at the European External Action Service for the European Commission, who offered insights into the overarching EU policy framework and its strategic dimensions; Ruggero Arico, Head of International Affairs at Enel Group, who provided an industry perspective, focusing on infrastructure planning, high-level bottlenecks, and the practical aspects of integrating green hydrogen into the energy mix; and Bernd Weber, Founder and CEO of EPICO Climate & Innovation and former Director of Industry, Energy, and Environment at the Wirtschaftsrat (Economic Council, Germany), who discussed the economic and industrial implications of the hydrogen strategy, fostering investments and the future of hydrogen from a business perspective.
These state-of-the-art webinars provided an enlightening exploration of the challenges faced by democratic systems in the EU and US, shedding light on the paramount issue of threats to democracy in Europe, the United States, and all other nations of the world.