Introducing a new series : Mind mapping the European Green Deal
12 September 2022
Understanding the background of Green Deal(s)
13 September 2022
Interview with Marc Ringel, the new holder of the European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition at Sciences Po, launched in November 2020 and jointly led by the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) and the School of Public Affairs. The mission of the Chair is to advance, in a transdisciplinary approach, training, innovation and public debate on the design and implementation of sustainable development and climate transition policies, inside and outside Europe.
You have taken your position as new Chairholder of the European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition since last June. What are the goals and prospects that you envision for its development?
Let me start by saying that I am impressed by the multitude of research and teaching activities related to climate and environmental policies that are going on at Sciences Po. My aim is to reach out to these activities and develop the chair into a sciences hub, bundling and highlighting the climate-related activities going on.
Based on this understanding, my research* focuses on the implementation of the European Green Deal, both in its European and its global dimension: How can we design effective climate transition blueprints that work from an ecologic, but also economic and social perspective? This touches on many aspects: With almost 80% greenhouse gases stemming from the energy sector, this asks for looking into energy transition strategies. Well-designed and stepped up energy efficiency policies can play a much stronger role here.
With the design of transition policies come questions of governance and fairness: How can we make sure that the transition “leaves no one behind”? A just transition implies looking at regional policies but also at stepping up individual capacities, for example to pay rising energy bills – the so-called “energy poverty” – or to mobilise finance to renovate buildings.
Last, we need to acknowledge the fact that climate change is happening and that we need to act and adapt. Following up on the chair’s works on nature based solutions looks very promising here.
What will you implement in order to keep on educating tomorrow’s generation on climate issues (reinforcing the courses available at the Master’s degree level, executive education, research, innovation…)?
From my experience, many young people are overwhelmed and deeply discouraged by the scientific findings on climate change, leading to a feeling of helplessness. I think we have a role to provide future – and present – actors with the necessary tools and competences to act and to take the undoubtedly tough choices that they – and we – will have to make.
First, this asks for a better understanding of existing policy choices by reinforcing the existing offer on environmental and climate-related classes**. For example, I will be teaching a class on the European Green Deal with the School of Public Affairs in the coming semester, followed by an analysis on national climate strategies with the Paris School of International Affairs in the spring term.
Second, the complexity of climate transitions asks for life-long learning. Supporting Capstone activities in the executive master programmes will help today’s professionals to update and sharpen their climate competences.
Finally, and this is very important to me, I want these activities to empower students: by linking them to today’s executives and by giving them space to develop innovative solutions – in formats such as student blogs and podcasts, which we regularly publish.
You are an expert on environmental issues, a Professor at Sciences Po and Nuertingen-Geislingen University (Germany). What do you believe a higher education institution in the fields of humanities and social sciences like Sciences Po can bring to the table regarding sustainable development and climate change matters?
In my opinion, universities and higher research institutions are best-placed to address questions related to sustainable development and climate transitions. By nature, these aspects are complex and relate to different scientific disciplines. Teaming up for inter- and transdisciplinary research advances the findings of single discipline research and provides innovative answers.
Next, we have a role to engage in international cooperation and networks, both within and outside Europe. It also helps to lay the foundations for policy debates and policy choices, by providing the relevant evidence, comparing global solutions and identifying good practices to govern the climate and energy transitions. I often have the impression that even if we have understood the impact of global warming and acknowledge the need to act, we are still far from translating these insights into rigorous policy action. Defining pathways for transitions and blueprints for policy instruments can help to overcome this “insight-action-gap”, as I would call it.
This in turn, addresses another task, which I find highly important: Contributing to what is often labeled the “third mission of science”.
Beyond research and teaching, science creates a value-added for social, environmental and economic development at large. We need to disseminate and communicate the practical implications of our research in clear terms and go out to public debates, parliamentary hearings or government committees.
An interview conducted by the Sciences Po editorial team.
–
The chair is supported by the European Investment Bank, Hermès (fr) and HSBC.
*Marc Ringel is director of the European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition at Sciences Po, Paris, France. He is full professor with Nuertingen Geislingen University (HfWU), Germany, where he reads environmental economics, climate & energy policies, and European governance. Marc Ringel acts as senior associate researcher with the University of Brussels, Belgium (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and affiliated lecturer with Université d’Aix en Provence/Marseille, France. In his lectures, he combines economics and policy analysis to analyse the fields of energy and climate. He is author of over 90 peer-reviewed publications, books and contributions.
From 2008 to 2013, Marc Ringel served as seconded expert with the Directorate General Energy of the European Commission, where he developed energy and climate policies. Prior to this assignment he was First Embassy Secretary at the German Embassy to the OECD in Paris, France and Deputy Head of Unit for international affairs with the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.
Beside his research, he continues to be deeply involved in the development and economic assessment of national and European energy efficiency policy frameworks as external consultant and advisor. He supports policy-oriented research for several national energy action plans and key strategic EU policy actions (rapporteur for the Integrated Energy Roadmap of Horizon 2020, Energy Efficiency Directive, Energy Roadmap 2050, EU Energy 2020 and 2030 strategies). In 2021, he was appointed as one of the European Climate Pact Ambassadors by the European Commission.
He has served as expert in hearings of the German and the Dutch Parliament on climate and energy matters. Marc holds a Master in Economics from Mainz University, Germany, and Université d’Angers, France. His habilitation thesis focussed on “sustainability management in the public sector”, his PhD thesis on “energy policy measures to support climate change”.
**The chair contributes to a powerful academic dynamic that is taking place at Sciences Po, along with other research projects such as Aire. It also participates in restructuring the way that environmental transition is taught. Beginning in January 2023, a solid introductory class on ecological issues will be mandatory for all first-year bachelor students. All seven campuses will be giving this 24 hours course, in two languages. It benefits from an experience of interdisciplinarity and openness towards natural sciences that has been growing strong those past five years in terms of research and teaching (BASc, etc.). This course will be the first step of a common ground, uniting the 280+ courses of Sciences Po, and the starting point towards reflecting deeply on a systematic distribution at all levels.