Periodic Reporting for period 1 - 4I-TRACTION (4I-TRACTION – Innovation, Investment, Infrastructure and sector Integration: TRAnsformative policies for a ClimaTe-neutral European UnION)
Période du rapport: 2021-06-01 au 2022-11-30
To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, EU policy will have to be reoriented – from incremental towards structural change. As expressed in the European Green Deal, the task is not only to initiate the necessary transformation in the coming years, but also to enhance competitiveness, productivity, employment, and health. To mobilise the creative, financial and political resources to achieve the required degree of technological, economic and behavioural change, the EU also needs a governance framework that facilitates cross-sectoral policy integration and allows citizens, public and private stakeholders to participate in the process and to own the results.
The 4i-TRACTION project analyses what transformative climate policy could look like for the EU. It sets out from a stock-take of existing climate policies and their performance, analysing which factors contributed to the achievement of the EU’s 2020 climate targets, supported by an assessment of key climate policies and their implementation in seven Member States. On this basis, the project develops and assesses four policy avenues to describe how the current mix of EU climate and energy policies needs to evolve in the 2020s to set course for climate neutrality by 2050. This feeds into an effective governance framework for implementing the policy avenues, aligned with the EU’s long-term objective of climate-neutrality by 2050 as the EU’s contribution to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the implementation of the SDGs. In doing so, the project takes the realities of EU policymaking as its point of departure – the European Green Deal and its implementation in the Fit-for-55 and RePowerEU packages to the post-Covid-19 recovery efforts and the current geopolitical realities and energy crisis.
The analysis is structured around four cross-cutting core challenges, the four “I’s”:
- Fostering breakthrough Innovation,
- shifting Investment and finance,
- rolling out the Infrastructure for a climate-neutral and resilient economy, and
- Integrating solutions across sectors.
The structure of the project reflects that a systemic transformation will need to go beyond sectoral policy approaches. The analysis will also include the global context by incorporating insights and experiences from outside the EU and by examining how the EU’s efforts interact with those of other key countries. The analysis carried out in the project is thoroughly grounded in science, but also aligned with the EU's dynamic political environment. To receive input, provide feedback and validate conclusions, the project closely engages with stakeholders throughout its duration.
The 4i-TRACTION project analyses what transformative climate policy could look like for the EU. It sets out from a stock-take of existing climate policies and their performance, analysing which factors contributed to the achievement of the EU’s 2020 climate targets, supported by an assessment of key climate policies and their implementation in seven Member States. On this basis, the project develops and assesses four policy avenues to describe how the current mix of EU climate and energy policies needs to evolve in the 2020s to set course for climate neutrality by 2050. This feeds into an effective governance framework for implementing the policy avenues, aligned with the EU’s long-term objective of climate-neutrality by 2050 as the EU’s contribution to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the implementation of the SDGs. In doing so, the project takes the realities of EU policymaking as its point of departure – the European Green Deal and its implementation in the Fit-for-55 and RePowerEU packages to the post-Covid-19 recovery efforts and the current geopolitical realities and energy crisis.
The analysis is structured around four cross-cutting core challenges, the four “I’s”:
- Fostering breakthrough Innovation,
- shifting Investment and finance,
- rolling out the Infrastructure for a climate-neutral and resilient economy, and
- Integrating solutions across sectors.
The structure of the project reflects that a systemic transformation will need to go beyond sectoral policy approaches. The analysis will also include the global context by incorporating insights and experiences from outside the EU and by examining how the EU’s efforts interact with those of other key countries. The analysis carried out in the project is thoroughly grounded in science, but also aligned with the EU's dynamic political environment. To receive input, provide feedback and validate conclusions, the project closely engages with stakeholders throughout its duration.
The following project work was carried out in project months 1-18:
Work Package 1 laid the conceptual groundwork and established a quantitative framework, providing a taxonomy of transformative climate policies as well as a quantitative scenario of what the transformation to a climate-neutral economy entails for EU Member States. Work on WP1 was concluded in this reporting period.
In Work Package 2, an ex-post assessment of EU climate policy is ongoing that investigates factors that have contributed to attaining the EU’s 2020 climate and energy targets. The assessment includes both quantitative and qualitative analysis at EU level, as well as seven national case studies from different EU countries.
Work Package 3 combined both a backward-looking and a forward-looking perspective. Task 3.1 analysed 18 international best practices of climate policies with transformative potential implemented outside the EU and was concluded in this reporting period. Work in task 3.2 has started and will analyse in five discussion papers how the EU’s transformation to climate neutrality interacts with developments in other countries, and how EU climate diplomacy and bilateral cooperation can support efforts abroad.
WP4 has completed its first task of developing four policy avenues to attain the EU’s climate goals. The ex-ante assessment of the policy avenues expected impacts in task 4.2 has commenced
Work in Work Package 5 started towards the end of this reporting period, in project month 18.
Work Package 6 has developed effective communication tools and continues to disseminate project output, engage stakeholders, and develop and continue exploitation and communication activities. Among other things, a “Community of Experts” was established as the project’s sounding board comprised of policy practitioners, academic experts and other stakeholders from civil society and the private sector.
Throughout this reporting period, Work Package 7 ensured effective project management, coordination and communication within the consortium and with external bodies, such as the project’s External Advisory Board and other relevant research projects.
Work Package 1 laid the conceptual groundwork and established a quantitative framework, providing a taxonomy of transformative climate policies as well as a quantitative scenario of what the transformation to a climate-neutral economy entails for EU Member States. Work on WP1 was concluded in this reporting period.
In Work Package 2, an ex-post assessment of EU climate policy is ongoing that investigates factors that have contributed to attaining the EU’s 2020 climate and energy targets. The assessment includes both quantitative and qualitative analysis at EU level, as well as seven national case studies from different EU countries.
Work Package 3 combined both a backward-looking and a forward-looking perspective. Task 3.1 analysed 18 international best practices of climate policies with transformative potential implemented outside the EU and was concluded in this reporting period. Work in task 3.2 has started and will analyse in five discussion papers how the EU’s transformation to climate neutrality interacts with developments in other countries, and how EU climate diplomacy and bilateral cooperation can support efforts abroad.
WP4 has completed its first task of developing four policy avenues to attain the EU’s climate goals. The ex-ante assessment of the policy avenues expected impacts in task 4.2 has commenced
Work in Work Package 5 started towards the end of this reporting period, in project month 18.
Work Package 6 has developed effective communication tools and continues to disseminate project output, engage stakeholders, and develop and continue exploitation and communication activities. Among other things, a “Community of Experts” was established as the project’s sounding board comprised of policy practitioners, academic experts and other stakeholders from civil society and the private sector.
Throughout this reporting period, Work Package 7 ensured effective project management, coordination and communication within the consortium and with external bodies, such as the project’s External Advisory Board and other relevant research projects.
The underlying Theory of Change for the 4i-TRACTION project is that project activities and insights (communicated through outputs) will both inform policymakers directly, as well as indirectly by contributing to the political disccourses at EU level and in the Member States. At the same time, it seeks to advance the scientific understanding of transformative climate policies, their enablers and barriers, and conditions for success.
In the first 18 months of the project, 4i-TRACTION has engaged with policymakers and other stakeholders seeking to contribute insights from the project work to the further evolution of EU climate policy. Overall, project output has reached 75,285 people – most of these through social media, but also through a suite of outreach activities including workshops, webinars, conferences, and meetings with policymakers. Project insights are condensed into four succint policy briefs. The project also regularly identifies opportunities for upcoming decision points in EU climate and energy policy for which 4i-TRACTION insights can be of relevance, e.g. the revision of the EU 2040 target, the National Energy and Climate Plans, the negotiations of the Fit for 55 and RePowerEU packages, as well as sector-specific processes. A particular point of interest will be to influence the early thinking and policy discourses on an eventual successor package to Fit for 55, determining the broad lines of EU climate policy beyond 2030.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis has profoundly affect the political context for EU climate and energy policy. 4i-TRACTION has reacted to this by incorporating the new geopolitical realities and shifting political priorities into the research activities, for instance in the policy avenues for future EU climate policy developed in a co-creative process with stakeholders in Task 4.1 or in the policy papers on the external dimension of EU climate policy written in Task 3.2. Moreover, 4i-TRACTION recognises that a robust transformation requires active cooperation and involvement of all groups of society, including diverse in age, gender and socio-cultural backgrounds. To support diverse input and perspectives in the project, we have set a special focus on gender balance at project dissemination activities such as workshops. In the next phase of the project, we will continue to do so when implementing our communication strategy, and incorporating gender-related aspects into project output.
In the first 18 months of the project, 4i-TRACTION has engaged with policymakers and other stakeholders seeking to contribute insights from the project work to the further evolution of EU climate policy. Overall, project output has reached 75,285 people – most of these through social media, but also through a suite of outreach activities including workshops, webinars, conferences, and meetings with policymakers. Project insights are condensed into four succint policy briefs. The project also regularly identifies opportunities for upcoming decision points in EU climate and energy policy for which 4i-TRACTION insights can be of relevance, e.g. the revision of the EU 2040 target, the National Energy and Climate Plans, the negotiations of the Fit for 55 and RePowerEU packages, as well as sector-specific processes. A particular point of interest will be to influence the early thinking and policy discourses on an eventual successor package to Fit for 55, determining the broad lines of EU climate policy beyond 2030.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis has profoundly affect the political context for EU climate and energy policy. 4i-TRACTION has reacted to this by incorporating the new geopolitical realities and shifting political priorities into the research activities, for instance in the policy avenues for future EU climate policy developed in a co-creative process with stakeholders in Task 4.1 or in the policy papers on the external dimension of EU climate policy written in Task 3.2. Moreover, 4i-TRACTION recognises that a robust transformation requires active cooperation and involvement of all groups of society, including diverse in age, gender and socio-cultural backgrounds. To support diverse input and perspectives in the project, we have set a special focus on gender balance at project dissemination activities such as workshops. In the next phase of the project, we will continue to do so when implementing our communication strategy, and incorporating gender-related aspects into project output.