[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/9470\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EQ\u0026amp;A: \u0027People have to be at the centre of the energy transformation\u0027\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETell us why the European Commission even needs a scientific opinion at all. Does not the evidence speak for itself?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis publication (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/op.europa.eu\/en\/publication-detail\/-\/publication\/d01f956f-de07-11eb-895a-01aa75ed71a1\/language-en\u0022\u003EA Systemic Approach to energy Transition in Europe\u003C\/a\u003E) is part of the Science Advice Mechanism (SAM) of the European Commission. From my perspective, this is a very unique way of providing scientific advice to the decision makers. \u0026nbsp;Many governments have chief scientific advisors with that function. What is unique about SAM in the European Commission is that it has three independent parts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, there is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/research-and-innovation\/strategy\/support-policy-making\/scientific-support-eu-policies\/group-chief-scientific-advisors_en\u0022\u003EGroup of Chief Scientific Advisors\u003C\/a\u003E who provide the scientific opinion. There are very clear process rules about how that happens. The other independent part is the so-called SAPEA (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sapea.info\/\u0022\u003EScientific Advice for Policy of the European Academies\u003C\/a\u003E). This is a consortium of over 100 European academies. They provide a scientific evidence review, similar to the climate change assessment of the IPCC (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/\u0022\u003EIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EEnergy cannot be seen as a silo. We \u2013 people \u2013 have to be at the centre.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ENebojsa Nakicenovic, Vice-Chair, GCSA \u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe assessment is a scientific analysis of what we know about a particular topic. They (SAPEA) do not provide a scientific opinion or scientific advice, importantly they look into the possible options. We, the group of seven chief scientific advisors, based on this evidence review \u2014 evidence, so factual scientific knowledge \u2014 provide a scientific opinion to the European Commission.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is also a unit in the Commission that catalyses this process. The three groups work closely together but we are independent. That explains the context. Why would we provide a scientific opinion? It is because the topic is considered really crucial and central to multiple crisis facing Europe and the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDoes a just transition require a transformation of the economic model of energy services? People own the problem, should they not own the solution too?\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is precisely what we have tried to address in our scientific opinion - based on the scientific evidence. We didn\u2019t go beyond the scientific evidence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnergy cannot be seen as a silo. We \u2013 people \u2013 have to be at the centre. That means it has to be an inclusive process involving everybody and, importantly, not leaving anyone behind. Because there is a great danger that any transformation, unfortunately, leads to winners and hopefully there will be many, many winners but also \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t say \u201closers\u201d \u2013 but there are people who fall through the cracks who might be left behind and do not have an escape hatch. This is what was a high priority - to identify how to do that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022The EU\u0027s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors argue that the clean energy transition in the European Green Deal must keep people at its centre. \u00a9Alexanderstock23, Shutterstock\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022d51d9cd2-71c0-4ff3-a533-7942332772ae\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/alexanderstock23_shutterstock_1788735122.jpg\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EThe EU\u0027s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors argue that the clean energy transition in the European Green Deal must keep people at its centre. \u00a9Alexanderstock23, Shutterstock\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn our scientific opinion \u2013 and in fact we say explicitly, it is essential that sustainable energy, lifestyles, and behaviours become the preferred choice for the people \u2013 become a natural choice. For that, we have to create an environment that allows that. This is clearly very, very complex, I don\u2019t think anybody has a silver bullet on that question. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe world has changed since the paper was published in June 2021. In particular war, inflation and recent dire warnings from the IPCC about rising temperatures. How does that affect your opinion on a just transition?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have to be very careful to distinguish what is in our scientific opinion based on the evidence and what is my personal view. It\u2019s important not to mix the two or I would not be reflecting the scientific advice mechanism which I think is very unique \u2013 I just want to make that clear. Here is my private opinion based on our scientific opinion but not in it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EWe are in a crucial moment in history. And this is why we, in my view, shouldn\u2019t lose sight of the long term objectives .\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ENebojsa Nakicenovic, Vice-Chair, GCSA \u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeopolitics are changing. There is no doubt that we are in a crucial moment in history. And this is why we argued before \u2013 again, my view \u2013 that we shouldn\u2019t lose sight of the long term objectives .\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/public.wmo.int\/en\/media\/press-release\/wmo-update-5050-chance-of-global-temperature-temporarily-reaching-15%C2%B0c-threshold\u0022\u003Elikely to exceed 1.5 degrees\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 it is almost certain that by 2040 we will be above (the limit prescribed), perhaps even earlier. From the scientific point of view, this is not new.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom the policy point of view and behavioural point of view, this is something one needs to somehow internalise. We will exceed that goal and we will bear the dangerous consequences. But, we should not lose the perspective of doing our utmost to reach 1.5 degrees in the future \u2013 and for that we need to act now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is another dimension of justice \u2013 intergenerational justice. We have to make sure that we leave the planet to the future generations (hopefully) in better condition than what will occur over the next decade or two.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs it even possible for the EGD to achieve \u2018a clean, circular economy, a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy\u2019 by 2050?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgain, we are in the realm of opinion. Nobody can tell what the future will be like.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI was very enthusiastic when in 2015 all of the world adopted the UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and when there was the Paris Agreement on climate change. I think those were the two really important visionary steps towards this aspirational transformation that we were talking about.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI would also argue that the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/strategy\/priorities-2019-2024\/european-green-deal_en\u0022\u003EEuropean Green Deal\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/en\/policies\/green-deal\/fit-for-55-the-eu-plan-for-a-green-transition\/\u0022\u003EFit for 55\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/europa.eu\/new-european-bauhaus\/index_en\u0022\u003ENew European Bauhaus\u003C\/a\u003E initiatives are even more actionable in some sense. They provide a clearer agenda for how the world and life might and should look in 2050.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI don\u2019t want to sound too pessimistic and again let me add, this is my personal perspective - you know, 30 years is a long enough time to achieve this transformation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe have done that before. The most recent example is of mobile phones. It all started in 1990 and today, everybody in the world has a phone. Even the poorest people have a phone because it has enabled new economic activities, because it\u2019s beneficial for many (despite the nuisance of always being reachable!)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother example just to show in principle this is doable, is the replacement of horses by motor vehicles. That also took 30 years in most of the countries. We have 30 years to replace our vehicle fleet by hydrogen and electric. We have just enough time for the transformation if we act immediately.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-ny293wok46znzmvpnqbshgnzrpvecqkymmczaobc4rg\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-ny293WOk46ZNZMVPnQBSHGnzrpveCQKYmMcZAoBc4rg\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]