18 June 2015 - 20 June 2015
Hofburg Palace
Vienna, Austria
Vienna Energy Forum 2015
The Vienna Energy Forum 2015 (VEF 2015) took place only a few months before the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in New York and the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris. By emphasizing the multiple benefits of the Post-2015 Development and the Climate Agenda and by showcasing best practices and actions on the ground, the VEF 2015 aimed at contributing to both.
Information on the Vienna Energy Forum 2017
Building on the findings from the VEFs held in 2009, 2011 and 2013, as well as the overarching goals of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL), the VEF 2015 provided a high-level platform for thought leaders, policy makers and energy practitioners to engage in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on pivotal sustainable energy issues connected to inclusive development, including partnerships, finance, policy, technology, capacity building and knowledge management.
The VEF 2015 also considered the impact of global drivers such as population growth and urbanization, as well as regional approaches including South-South cooperation and nexus issues linking energy to water, food, and health.
Events involving IIASA researchers
Press Conference
18 June, 08:15 - 08:45
Welcome remarks by co-organizers
18 June, 09:00 - 10:00, Festsaal
IIASA Deputy Director General Nebojsa Nakicenovic will join other co-organizers in the opening plenary session.
High Level Panel VII: Sustainable Cities - Global Driver
19 June, 12:00 - 13:15, Festsaal
Nakiconovic and Transitions to New Technologies Acting Program Director, Arnulf Grubler, join panelists to discuss the challenges and opportunities of energy efficiency - in particular the roles of mega cities, towns, and urban areas in mitigating climate change.
Side Event: Nexus Integrated Solutions for a Sustainable Future
19 June, 10:45 - 12:00, Geheime Ratstube
Earlier this year, IIASA and partners launched a new project Nexus Solutions, which aims to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and aims to identify integrated approaches to energy, water, food, and ecosystem security in selected regions of the world. The main objective of this side event lies in highlighting further research and practical work in integrated solutions to meet nexus challenges.
- Program (PDF)
Parallel Session II: Addressing the Knowledge Gap through Innovation and Research Networks
19 June, 15:15 - 16:30, Rittersaal
IIASA researcher Luis Gomez Echeverri will chair this session which will focus on the importance of scientific knowledge and data, as well as the challenges of the science-policy interface required to achieve the three ambitious goals of SE4All on energy access, energy efficiency, and renewable energy by 2030.
High Level Panel VIII: Post 2015 Development Agenda: SDG Summit and Beyond
20 June, 09:30 - 10:45, Festsaal
Nakicenovic will give the keynote at this session on the post-2015 development agenda, with a particular focus on the Sustainable Development Goals due to be adopted later this year.
High Level Panel X: Integrated Approaches for Energy - Water - Food - Health Nexus
20 June, 12:00 - 13:15, Festsaal
IIASA Director General and CEO Pavel Kabat will chair this panel to discuss integrated approaches for the energy–water–food–health nexus, illustrating the complexity of sustainable development issues for the post-2015 era.
Key questions to be addressed at the VEF 2015:
• What are the main benefits of sustainable energy to inclusive development and productive capacities?
• What are the main drivers of the increasing energy demand across sectors and how can these be addressed in an integrated way?
• How can we strengthen the potential of sustainable energy so that it results in concrete actions supporting the Post-2015 Development and the Climate Agenda?
• What are the areas of greatest potential in energy efficiency, and what can be done to accelerate action and investment in energy efficiency, the ‘hidden fuel’ that has some of the most promising prospects to advance the goals of climate security and sustainable growth?
• Which innovative financing mechanisms can we use to promote renewable energy systems? How do we scale up investments in renewable energy technologies to meet the SE4ALL goals?
• How do we energize multi-stakeholder partnerships, private sector involvement and regional cooperation to promote sustainable energy for all?
• How can the nexus perspective be operationalized to support integrated approaches to energy, water, food, ecosystems and human health?
Vienna Energy Forum 2017
Find registration and program details on the official event Web site
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