Speaker Series – Social policy unpacked: Exploring pathways for fair green and digital transitions

Fairness is key to tackling today’s complex challenges from the climate and energy crisis to inequality and inflation.

• How can we ensure a green and digital transition that is fair and inclusive, leaving no one behind?
• How can we increase awareness and promote a better understanding of the interplay between digital and green transitions, and their interlinkage with social fairness?
• How can we strengthen employment and social aspects in research and innovation (R&I) for fair green and digital transitions?

In search for these answers Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion of the European Commission (DG EMPL) is glad to invite you to the Speaker Series Social Policy unpacked: Exploring pathways for fair green and digital transitions co-organized with the Zoe Institute for Future-Fit Economies. 

First seminar on digitalisation and green transition

The first session explores the interplay between the green and digital twin transitions. The researchers Dr. Steffen Lange and Prof. Tilman Santarius from Technical University Berlin will give insights on how the green and digital transformations interconnect based on their publication Digital Reset: Redirecting technologies for the deep sustainability transformation.  

They support that digitalisation can play a critical role in meeting societal challenges and drive deeper sustainability transformations in essential sectors from mobility and housing to energy – while arguing that digitalisation, in its current and mainstream form, is rather aggravating than solving many of the pressing social and environmental crises at hand.

Dr. Lange and Prof. Santarius aim to provide a blueprint for the EU on how to reconceptualize digitalisation so that it first and foremost contributes to achieving carbon neutrality, resource autonomy and economic resilience while supporting equity and fully respecting citizen’s rights.

Registration

• Date: 14 December 2022
• Time: 15:00-16:00

Register here  

Background

The event series brings together outstanding thinkers who will channel their ideas and approaches into the European policy debate. We, the policymakers, as well as the wider public will be challenged to think outside the box, identify evidence gaps and new avenues for fair green and digital transitions and discuss implications for R&I and policy-making in the EU.

The Speaker Series is funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe and is open to staff as well as to the public. More information and registration.

The speaker series consists of twelve online seminars running from December 2022 until June 2023. Other topics and speakers will include:

• Sustainable Welfare – Prof Milena Buchs
• Meeting basic needs within planetary boundaries: is it affordable? – Anna Coote

More speakers and dates are to be confirmed soon.