Panel 4 | Combating Climate Change – Sustainable pathways for decarbonization
14:00 – 15:00 CEST | 28.08.2020
Join us for an interactive panel discussion on all things tackling the climate crisis!
Håvard Haarstad
Professor | Director
University of Bergen | Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET)
Håvard Haarstad is Professor of human geography, and Director for the Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET), University of Bergen. His research has addressed urban and local forms of transformation, particularly how cities are maneuvering and working to advance sustainability.
Currently his research follows two interrelated strands. Firstly, he is examining how mobile ideas and policies are shaping the way cities are becoming sustainable. To this end he leads the research project European cities as actors in climate and energy transformation. Secondly, he is interested in developing social theory on climate and energy transformation – the conditions that shape society’s shift to more sustainable forms of energy use.
Prof. Haarstad also serves on the Norwegian Board of Technology, an independent body for technology assessment established by the Norwegian Government.
John Sottong
Senior Associate
World Resources Institute
John Sottong is a Senior Associate in WRI’s Business Center and currently manages the Technical Working Group for the Science Based Targets initiative. John has nearly two decades of experience working on a wide range of climate change, energy and international development initiatives. John has been nominated to the UNFCCC’s Roster of Experts, and throughout his career has worked side-by-side with countries and companies of all sizes to help build their capacity to measure, manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Prior to joining WRI, John provided thought leadership and subject matter expertise to multilateral and bilateral development organizations, including the World Bank and IFC, on how to translate Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) into private sector investment opportunities to help attract and scale global climate finance. Previously, John also managed the technical program for the U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders Program, where he negotiated, benchmarked and approved over 50 corporate GHG reduction targets among a group of 200 large, multinational companies representing 12% of U.S. GDP.
Florian Bauernfeind
Strategy Adviser
Vattenfall
Florian Bauernfeind is Strategy Advisor within Vattenfall’s Business Area Wind since 2018. In this role, he contributes to the development of Vattenfall’s renewables strategies by advising on regulatory and market development topics in Vattenfall’s core renewables markets. He studied Political Science at the Universities of Leipzig, Lyon, and Mainz, followed by a Master’s degree in EU International Relations and Diplomacy at the College of Europe in Bruges. In 2012, he started his professional career as a Parliamentary Assistant to two Members of the European Parliament. From 2014 to 2016, he was Policy Advisor at Vattenfall’s EU Office in Brussels. From 2016 to 2018, he worked as Policy & Regulatory Advisor at Vattenfall’s Berlin headquarters.
