Ninth IAERE Annual Conference

On 21/4 Prof Koundouri presented the activities of SDSN EU and EAERE at the Ninth IAERE Annual Conference where she opened the lecture of Prof William Nordhaus, Nobel Prize in Economics 2018, on “Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Aspirations on Climate Policy”, together with Prof. Sergio Vergalli.

Learn more: https://www.iaere.org/conferences/2021/02prog.html

Statement of Prof. Koudouri:

“The COVID 19 pandemic-related recovery packages are financed by national debt, hence they are loans from future generations. This points to a moral responsibility to “Build forward Better”. The good news is that we also have a strong economic case for “Building forward Better”. Recent simulations of the effect of green recovery plans worldwide confirm that a green economic stimulus is more growth-enhancing than a ‘return-to-normal’ stimulus that would merely boost current, unsustainable consumption and production patterns. Beyond fiscal stimulus that is expected to boost aggregate demand, this crisis calls for transformative public investments that will shape a sustainable and fair, green and digital transition, and leverage private sector investment. Our long-term vision should be the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 2015 Paris Agreement, while the European Green Deal provides the right level of ambition and direction. I am honored to represent EAERE (put link) in my capacity as president-elect, and UN SDSN (put link), in my capacity as co-chair of UN SDSN Europe) two important and strong institutions, working for a science driven global sustainability transition. As I have promised when I run for EAERE president, during my presidency I will work for a closer collaboration between these institutions in order to increase their impact on accelerating the much needed transition to a climate neutral and resilient, economy and society.”