European Union Leader to Speak on European Green Deal Progress

The European Green Deal strategy maps out steps for transitioning the European Union to a sustainable economy, with a goal of becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans, a leader in the efforts toward this transformational plan, will discuss the path forward and answer questions in a virtual event hosted by Pitt’s European Studies Center. His talk is set for noon on March 2. 

“We are in a climate and environmental emergency,” Timmermans said in a 2019 media release announcing the Green Deal plan.

“The European Green Deal is an opportunity to improve the health and well-being of our people by transforming our economic model. Our plan sets out how to cut emissions, restore the health of our natural environment, protect our wildlife, create new economic opportunities and improve the quality of life of our citizens. We all have an important part to play and every industry and country will be part of this transformation. Moreover, our responsibility is to make sure that this transition is a just transition, and that nobody is left behind as we deliver the European Green Deal.”

Registration information is posted on the University calendar’s Europe’s Green Recovery event page. Questions for Timmermans may be euconf [at] pitt.edu (subject: Question%20for%20Frans%20Timmermans) (submitted in advance via email).

This event is a part of the Jean Monnet in the USA event series and the European Studies Center's Year of Creating Europe. 

European Studies Center director Jae-Jae Spoon, a professor in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Political Science, said, “As a Jean Monnet EU Center of Excellence, we are always looking for ways to enhance the Pitt community’s understanding of the European Union. Hosting the executive vice-president, one of the modern-day architects of the European project and Europe’s global leadership in climate policy, and providing opportunities for direct engagement with Mr. Timmermans on an issue that is of such great importance, helps us fulfill our mission on campus. Working with our partner centers at other universities across the U.S. enables us to amplify this impact.”