In this episode of The Grassroots View we talk about the 2022 Conference of the Parties to the Paris Climate Agreement, or COP27. Negotiators from the 196 signatory states will meet in November in Egypt to discuss progress towards tackling the urgent issue of global warming.

What are the expectations and concerns for COP27? What would a successful conference look like? Will the energy crisis slow down Europe's green transition? What is the role of organised civil society, and does it receive enough attention in the negotiations? Does the media coverage of climate change issues evolve? What does climate justice really mean?

Joining us to provide their perspectives are Adelaide Charlier, a Belgian climate change and human rights campaigner; Frederic Simon, a French journalist, energy and environment editor at EURACTIV; and Luisa Neubauer, a German climate justice and human rights campaigner.

Ahead of the summit, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted a resolution entitled Jointly tackling an existential threat: social partners and civil society for implementation of ambitious climate action. The resolution, which contains 40 recommendations, will be presented to COP27 by the six members of the Committee who authored it – one of whom, Sandra Parthie, is among our guests for this edition of The Grassroots View.

22. COP27: the organised civil society point of view

In this edition of The Grassroots View we look at gender equality. Women make up slightly more than half the population of Europe and there’s no doubt that, in the years since the Union was founded, their position in society relative to men has been transformed. But what is the state of gender equality in the EU now? What challenges remain and, in particular, what role can gender equality play in Europe's road to economic recovery? 

Joining us to provide their perspectives are Chiara Corazza, who sits on the G7's Gender Equality Advisory Council and is Private Sector Representative for France within the G20 EMPOWER Alliance, Maria Nikolopoulou, President of the Ad Hoc Equality Group at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Agata Araszkiewicz, one of the leaders of the feminist group "Elles sans Frontières", and Loubna Azghoud a gender equality expert with a particular interest in the digital economy.

23. Gender equality and the future of Europe: where are we at?

The Grassroots View is a new podcast series launched by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). It explores the hot topics everyone seems to be debating these days, but does so from a civil society perspective, bringing testimonies from stakeholders on the ground and accounts from the EESC members who represent their interests in Brussels.

22. COP27: the organised civil society point of view

The Grassroots View

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