Civil Society Organisations for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Mobility

Workshop organised by the Civil Society Platform on
Sustainable Consumption and Production & the European Economic and Social Committee

on Wednesday 23 September 2009 from 10.00 a.m. to 12.15 a.m.
at the Quai aux Briques (Sainte Catherine),

in the tent next to the Pallet House, Brussels, Belgium, in the context

of the EESC Energy Efficiency Days (www.eesc.europa.eu/save-it).

Topic of the workshop

Mobility is one of the private consumption sectors that lead to the highest environmental impacts. There is a lot of potential to increase the energy efficiency of transport by means of technological improvements. However, consumer decisions also playhuge role. To be able to affect consumer decisions, we need to mobilise all sectors of the society.

This workshop discussed what kind of actions and tools are needed to permit civil society organisations (CSOs) to help boost energy efficiency and sustainable consumption in the mobility sector. The workshop consisted of expert panel followed by interactive world café discussion.

Programme

Workshop with interactive panel and discussion organised by the DG Research-funded project Civil Society Platform for Sustainable Consumption and Production (DelibProcessSCP); in the presence of Irini Ivoni Pari, Vice-president of the EESC for Communication.
Opening and welcome words by Irini Ivoni Pari, Vice-president of the European Economic and Social Committee
Introduction and objectives of the workshop: Satu Lähteenoja, UNEP/Wuppertal Instititute Collaborating Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production

10.20 Panel discussion: "How to reach sustainablity in the mobility sector?"
Aspects from civil society, research and government
Short presentations from the panellists followed by questions and answers of the participants.
Eva Csobod, Head of the Office, Regional Environmental Center, Country Office Hungary: "The experiences of civil society organisations in Central and Eastern Europe" in the CSO Platform on SCP project
Carlo Sessa, President, Institute of Studies for the integration of Systems (ISIS), Italy: "Move Together" project as an example of raising awareness of urban transport research in Europe – How to activate citizens?
Krzysztof Ostrowski, member of the EESC (Employers' group, Poland): "Energy effiency in the mobility sector – how to partner for changing consumer behaviour in the mobility sector?"
Judit Pongracz, EU project coordinator (CIVITAS), Municipality of Pecs, Hungary: Experiences from a city in a new member state.

11.20 "Let your voice be heard - What else is needed to reach energy-efficient mobility?" An interactive brainstorming with the world café method.
What kind of policy instruments are needed? What should CSOs do? What can the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) do?

11.50 Reporting back from the world café tables
Closing & next steps: Philippe Galiay, European Commission, DG Research