We will be looking at how finance, policy and technology can and are driving the coal phase-out from the global perspective of INNOPATHS’ and Carbon Tracker’s models, to the local, real-life examples from by WWF Poland and Bankwatch.

Organisers:

Carbon Tracker Initiative

University College London (UCL) for INNOPATHS

German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU)

Speakers:

Laurence Watson, Data Scientist, Carbon Tracker

Elena Verdolini, RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment

Oskar Kulik, Climate & Energy Policy Officer, WWF Poland

Alexandru Mustafa, Just Transition Coordinator, Bankwatch Romania

INNOPATHS presentation

Insights from INNOPATHS (Innovation pathways, strategies and policies for the Low-Carbon Transition in Europe):

  • How to design more robust decarbonisation policies at the national level accounting for technological uncertainty;
  • Policy portfolios in different country contexts, with analysis of uncertainties and transitional costs, especially for labour and trade; * a Policy Evaluation Tool that synthesizes what evidence is available regarding the impact of different energy policies on different outcomes to allow policy makers to assess trade-offs;
  • The phase-out of coal in European countries and the potential interactions with the EU Emission Trading System;
  • Trends in EU climate finance, covering types of finance, financing conditions, and state investment banks, and how to improve access to low-cost climate finance; and technology innovation spillovers and low-cost finance that can reduce transition costs and provide opportunities for growth and job creation.

Carbon Tracker Presentation

Carbon Tracker will present their new, comprehensive analysis of the changing economics of global coal power. The analysis covers 6,685 coal units which represent ~95of global operating capacity and ~90% of capacity under-construction.

The research found that 42% of global coal power plants run at a loss and that by 2040 that could reach 72% as existing carbon pricing and air pollution regulations drive up costs while the price of onshore wind and solar power continues to fall.

Carbon Tracker will present the overview of this report and the accompanying interactive portal, showing how finance, technology and policy are supporting the coal phase out.

German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU)

WWF Poland and Bankwatch Network will showcase two projects – funded by BMU’s European Climate Initiative (EUKI) – which support the development of inclusive Just Transition Strategies in Upper Silesia region involving both state actors and civil society.

Both projects demonstrate how a dialogue and exchange with other EU countries (notably German Ruhr area, Western Macedonia in Greece and Czech mining towns) can support and inspire climate pioneers of other European coal regions to tackle decarbonisation challenges in their local contexts. WWF and Bankwatch will offer insights into methodological approaches for developing Just Transition Strategies and activating relevant stakeholders in this process and present results from WWF’s recent report on Upper Silesia region.

Download full list of Carbon Tracker public events at COP24