[VERSCHOBEN] UK-DE Energy Systems Symposium: Accelerating net zero through policy-research collaboration

The pathway to net zero requires a rapid, comprehensive, systems-level transformation of national energy systems. The urgency of the problem is such that decisive action must be taken now in order to drastically reduce global carbon emissions and avoid dangerous tipping points that may irrevocably alter the global climate.

At a time when Europe is proposing to become the first carbon neutral continent by 2050, there is great value in fostering joint working between Europe’s two biggest individual economies as biggest carbon emitters. Hosted jointly by acatech and the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK), the UK-DE Energy Systems Symposium seeks to ensure that routes to collaboration remain open between the two nations, especially considering the UK’s departure from the European Union, and to pinpoint specific strengths and experiences in each nation that could benefit the other.

This event brings together early- to mid-career policymakers and researchers from the UK and Germany. The aim is to foster collaboration on how best to comprehensively and urgently transform national energy systems, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Taking place on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 April, the event will explore the nature of each nation’s energy transition challenges and will help direct emerging and ongoing research towards solving the most critical policy problems.

Particular focus will be given to:

• The need for a radically new energy systems concept
• The deployment of energy storage solutions
• Public interaction with zero carbon measures

Seed funding is available to support research collaborations arising from the event.