Climate Transition Towards 2050
9am – 11am
The event will bring together policymakers, elected members, local authority representatives, academics and enterprise stakeholders to explore what Waterford and Denmark can learn from one another in progressing towards climate neutrality by 2050 within the wider EU policy framework.
This event forms part of Taste of Denmark – Exploring and Enhancing Danish and Waterford Connections, linked to the Waterford and Denmark pairing as part of Ireland’s EU Presidency. The session will bring together a range of stakeholders from Ireland and Denmark to explore how we can work towards climate neutrality by 2050, sharing perspectives and practical insights within the EU policy context.
| Time | Section | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 | Registration & Coffee | |
| 9:20 | Opening | Paddy Phelan, South East Energy Agency, Moderator |
| 9:25 | Mayor of Waterford Address | Cllr Liam Brazil |
| 9:30 | Southern Regional Assembly Leas Cathaoirleach Address | Cllr Tony O’Brien |
| 9:35 | Introduction of Waterford Speaker | Kyle O’Sullivan, Ambassador of Ireland to Denmark |
| 9:42 | Creating a Carbon Neutral City – What we’ve learned so far in Waterford | Grainne Kennedy, Climate Action Coordinator, Waterford City and County Council |
| 10:00 | Introduction of Danish Speaker | Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, Chargé d’Affaires a.i of The Kingdom of Denmark |
| 10:03 | Planning Wind Power: From Uncertainty and Community Resistance to Trust and Local Value Creation | Associate Professor Kristian Borch, Deputy Head of Department of Foresight, Energy transition & Acceptability, Aalborg University |
| 10:25 | Climate Transition Towards 2050: Local Leadership, Learning and Collaboration Moderated by Paddy Phelan, South East Energy Agency | Panellists: Associate Professor Kristian Borch, Aalborg University Grainne Kennedy, Waterford City and County Council Mary Molloy, Executive Planner, Southern Regional Assembly David Ryan, Associate VP for Sustainability, SETU |
| 10:50 | Q&A | Paddy Phelan, South East Energy Agency, Moderator |
| 11:00 | Event Close |
Following this morning event, a Taste of Denmark – Showcase Event will take place at Garter Lane Arts Centre from 11:00am – 1:30pm, where Danish culture, music, history and food will be explored and celebrated. Further detail about the showcase event will be shared separately.