Equinox Summit
The first European climate science summit
March 21 - 22, 2023
Equinox Summit
JPI Climate, with the support of the European Commission, will convene the first European climate science summit – the Equinox Summit. The main objectives of this flagship event are
1. To recognise and highlight European excellence and relevance in climate science & innovation, such as
- European leadership in the IPCC 6th Assessment Cycle
- Current and emerging initiatives such as Copernicus, DestinE, ICOS, the EU Horizon Europe climate related Missions, flagship activities including EIT Climate KIC, relevant work of the Joint Research Center, the European Research Council and the contributions of initiatives such as the Global Carbon Project (GCP).
- Ongoing research supports for transnational collaborative research in Horizon Europe and aligned research across the ERA via JPI Climate.
2. To consider a mechanism for Europe to accelerate the provision and transfer excellence of knowledge to address major aspects of the climate change challenge for our societies
- Provide a forum for articulation of political support for the 2-year European scientific assessment/stocktaking process.
- Ensure future European leadership in climate science and promote this as model for cooperation with other global regions.
About the summit
The urgency to address climate change has never been greater, increasing the demands for science and analysis to inform actions.
JPI Climate is responding to this urgency by acting to accelerate the transfer of knowledge from science to policy and practice. It aims to establish a process to systematic update scientific information for policy and actions; via a European scientific assessment and stocktaking process, operating on a two-year cycle and framed by the challenges of; climate neutrality, climate resilience and transition and transformation.
The Equinox Summit will highlight European climate science and research excellence. It will also address how such a scientific assessment and stocktaking process can provide support for implementation of climate policy and actions; in particular, how it will be responsive to specific knowledge needs and requirements, enhanced returns on research investments and inform the direction of future research.
Attendance is by invitation only. The summit is being organised in cooperation with (and support from) the European Commission. This is possible through the MAGICA project
Date: 21-22 March 2023
Location: Egmont Palace, Square du Petit Sablon 8, 1000 Bruxelles
Participation: by invitation
Draft Programme
Date: 21-22 March 2023 (coffee and registration from 09:00)
Location: Egmont Palace, Place du Petit Sablon 8, 1000 Brussels (Belgium)
Participation: by invitation
Day One: 10:00 – 16:00 CET
Accelerating the responses to climate change.
Current understanding and next steps. Science supporting actions.
Moderated by: Petra Manderscheid, JPI Climate Executive Director
10:00 Opening
Ella Jamsin, Operational Director of the Belgian Climate Center
Setting the scene
JPI Climate Chair Frank McGovern
10:30 The IPCC 6th Assessment Cycle – key outcomes and next steps
Co-Chairs of WGs Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Hans-Otto Pörtner, Jim Skea
1: State of knowledge, lessons and next steps global
2: Enhancing European responses: local and global
Chaired by Frank McGovern, JPI Climate Chair
11:30 – 12:00 coffee break
12:00 Major European investments: research and infrastructure
Key note by: European Commission DG RTD – Philippe Tulkens
“Horizon Europe and Missions, Vision and goals”
Panel discussion:
COPERNICUS – Samantha Burgess, European Space Agency (ESA) – Stephen Plummer, Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) – Werner Kutsch, Joint Research Centre – Piotr Szymanski
Intervention: The Global Carbon Project: Pierre Friedlingstein
Chaired by María José Sanz, JPI Climate TAB Co-Chair
13:00 – 14:00 lunch
14:00 Linking National research programmes: Joint Programming Initiatives
Panel discussions on: Joined-up actions:
JPI Oceans Koen Lefever, FACCE JPI Jean-François Soussana, JPI Cultural Heritage Pascal Liévaux & Biodiversa+ Hilde Eggermont
Intervention: JPI Climate/Oceans Knowledge Hub Sea Level Rise: Bart van den Hurk
Chaired by Giulia Galluccio, JPI Climate Vice-Chair
15:00 – 15:30 coffee break
15:30 Key users: Climate Advisory Bodies, key actors and enablers
Panel discussions on: Climate KIC – Kirsten Dunlop, EEA – Blaz Kurnik, ESABCC – Suraje Dessai , Haut Conseil pour le Climat, France Valérie Masson-Delmotte
Intervention by Club of Rome – Sandrine Dixson-Declève (online)
Chaired by Valerie Trouet (Scientific Director Belgian Climate Center)
16:30 Short reflections and perspectives
Svitlana Krakovska, Head of the delegation of Ukraine to IPCC
Round up and messages from Day One
From 17:00 Reception
Day Two: 22 March 2023 9:00 – 12:30 CET
Egmont Palace, Place du Petit Sablon 8, 1000 Brussels -·Belgium
Start at 9:00 with reception
10:00 High-level SESSION of the EQUINOX SUMMIT:
Joint Opening by
Belgian State Secretary for Recovery, in charge of Science policy Thomas Dermine and Belgian Minister for Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development and the Green Deal Zakia Khattabi
10:20 Messages of Day One
Frank McGovern, JPI Climate Chair
10:30 Key note
State Secretary Brussels – Capital Region in charge of economic transition and scientific research – Barbara Trachte
European Commission DG Climate Action – Clara de la Torre
“What scientific outcomes do we need and when to implement the climate policy goals defined in the European Climate Law and the European Green Deal?”
11:00 Joint Statement
Introduction by Frank McGovern, Chair JPI Climate
Session chaired by Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, former IPCC Vice-Chair
Interventions by European Research, Climate, Environment and Sustainability Ministries
Endorsement of joint Statement and announcement of next steps presented by Thomas Dermine, Belgian State Secretary for Recovery and Science Policy
12:30 Close of the Equinox Summit 2023
12:30 Light lunch
Responding to urgency for information and actions
European political and institutional, responses to climate change have developed significantly since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. These include the establishment of legal frameworks and operational structures for mitigation and adaptation actions. The European Climate Law establishes for the first-time binding climate targets for the EU. It provides a new framework for mainstreaming climate actions and sets up a dedicated European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change. The European Green Deal and associated climate Missions and initiatives such as DestinE have also been launched.
Many European countries have adopted national climate legislation and have established climate advisory bodies. In addition, many sub-national and private sector actors have adopted or are considering ambitious climate goals and objectives.
However, Europe does not have an autonomous scientific assessment structure or a system to systematically take stock of how scientific information is used, or where gaps may exist that need to be addressed. The completion of the IPCC 6th Assessment Cycle, which was uniquely productive and demanding, provides an opportunity to take stock of its work in the context of increasing demands for current scientific information and analysis. This is compounded by the rate of scale of information now being provided from a range of sources, which can be overwhelming.
It is therefore timely for Europe to establish a process that can build on and update key findings of the IPCC and advance analysis in areas of specific interest on a more frequent basis, i.e. two-yearly basis. This will ensure that the information for policy and actions is current and will in turn support the work of the IPCC during its next Assessment Cycle which will effectively start in 2024 and be completed around 2030.
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