Green Transformation towards a Sustainable Industrial Policy for Europe

The global financial and economic crisis combined with the enormous challenges of impending climate change, the dwindling of natural resources and the loss of biological diversity call for fundamental alterations in global economic management. Past policies have no future. This is why a new direction in European industrial policy is needed, a 'third industrial revolution' as it were, with a spotlight on the opportunities at hand in this double crisis.

A competitive economy – long the goal of industrial policy – has failed to foster essential climate and environmental protection. How can economic policy goals be combined with sustainable social development in times of crisis such as these? How can environmental and climate protection be made into a driving force for corporate innovation? In pursuit of these questions, the Öko-Institut extends a warm welcome to its Annual International Conference on Sustainable Industrial Policy for Europe, which is to take place on:

Thursday, 5 November 2009, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
at the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the European Union
Rue Belliard 60 - 62, B-1040 Brussels

For the complete program of events and further information, see: www.oeko.de/conference and Programme | pdf-Version >>

The opening speech will be given by Günter Verheugen, Vice-President of the EU Commission in charge of Enterprise and Industry. He will discuss the European perspective with US government representatives and delegates from the Chinese economic sphere. Together they will take a critical look at the potential and limitations of sustainable industrial policy.

In the afternoon, further distinguished international experts from the worlds of politics, economics, science and academia will speak at workshops on four issues of current interest in environmental and economic policy, namely, the roles played by: the promotion of renewable energies, sustainable consumption, corporate social responsibility, and resource conservation as part of a steady and sustainable industrial policy.

Following the workshops, the speakers will take the automobile industry as a concrete example to illustrate a question for European industrial policy in practice: Are existing approaches meeting the challenges of climate protection, in particular, or not?

Please submit your registration for the Öko-Institut's Annual International Conference to Romy Klupsch, e-mail: event@oeko.de or fax: +49 (0) 761 452 95-88.

Attention journalists!

As a media representative, you are very welcome at our Annual Conference. To facilitate our organisational arrangements, please register at: www.oeko.de/jahrestagung or event@oeko.de.

Contact:

Christiane Rathmann, Press officer, Öko-Institut, Tel.: +49 (0) 761 452 95-22, E-Mail Contact

The Öko-Institut, a leading independent research and consulting institute, works throughout Europe for a sustainable future. Ever since its founding in 1977, it has produced basic principles and strategies to indicate how the vision of sustainable development can be realised globally, nationally and locally. The Institute has offices in Freiburg, Darmstadt and Berlin. For further information, see: www.oeko.de.