Greening the Economy in a Time of Austerity

Monday, October 10, 2011, 19.45–21.15, Goethe-Institut

In cooperation with Heinrich Böll Foundation and Green Academy

 

Keynote Speech:

Cem Özdemir, Co-Chair, Alliance 90/The Greens, Germany

 

Moderator:

Jan Macháček, Journalist, Czech Republic

 

Panel Discussion:

Randall K. Filer, President CERGE-EI Foundation, Professor of Economics, CUNY, Czech Republic/USA

Ondřej Liška, Chairman, Green Party, Czech Republic

 

 

The panel debate concentrated on the positions of particular states in their energy politics and covered also the economic and politic characteristics of going green as the whole. Cem Özdemir started with outlining the German process to abstaining from nuclear energy. He argued that it was a gradual consensus not only of the government and its opposition but the idea was supported by most business and public. He explained that even the big business like Siemens welcomed having a long term strategy rather than uncertainty. Huge investments occurred right on the same day when the final decision was made.

 

Randall K. Filer presented himself as an opponent of excessive greening of economy and demonstrated a hypothetical example of impossibility if Britain went on 100 % of renewable energy. He remembered that negative forecasts have been made before and never fulfilled.

 

Ondřej Liška called for responsibility of decision makers not only towards the future generations but also in relation to evidence we have today. He admitted that not all green ideas can be turned into positives outcomes but the important thing is to be able to learn a lesson. As an example, he used theGreen party being the first party to call for the end of subsidizing agrofuels. He called for a just approach between the “old energy industries” and the developing ones and their right for research and short term subsidies. Mr. Filer was in accordance on that and added that in the Czech Republic the industrial lobby commonly captures the support that should be aimed toward scientific research.