This virtual event is part of our track-II project “Mediterranean Energy Markets: 2030 and Beyond.”
Monday, March 21
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum: Current Status and Future Opportunities
The East Mediterranean Gas Forum seeks to promote multilateral energy cooperation in the region. In March 2021, the U.S. was formally approved as an observer. However, in light of competing interests in the region, will the forum prove to be a guarantor of stability and prosperity or become a source of continued tensions? How can the Forum succeed in its mission of promoting regional collaboration on gas markets and supply, while also balancing international decarbonization goals? How can the forum evolve based on updated realities? What opportunities are there for U.S. engagement, both directly and indirectly?
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean: A Background to the Gordian Knot
While UNCLOS provides legitimate guidance to drawing maritime boundaries, it is not without question and legal controversy. Several cases exist where different conventional legal mechanisms, such as the International Court of Justice or direct bilateral talks, can be used to resolve disputes. The Greece and Turkey maritime boundary dispute in the Aegean is one such example. How can countries in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean reach mutually acceptable compromises and usher new areas of cooperation and prosperity? What tools are available to them?
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean: Climate Agendas and Future Path
In May 2020, the International Energy Agency announced that exploitation and development of new oil and gas fields must stop this year if the world is to stay within safe limits of global heating and meet the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The window for tapping into subsea natural gas resources in the region continues to grow smaller as the international community turns toward a more climate-friendly energy agenda. At this critical juncture, how can the countries of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean resolve geopolitical disputes and set forth a new roadmap for collaborative regional efforts on energy and the environment?
Tuesday, March 22
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Mediterranean Energy Markets 2030 and Beyond
The European Union has set ambitious interim targets for decarbonization and climate action. Even in Mediterranean states which are not members of the European Union, major industries and multinational corporations will be affected by European Green Deal initiatives. How these environmental policies will affect economic interests and the state of markets remains to be seen. What will energy markets look like in 2030 and beyond?
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The Role of Technology in Diversification and Energy Security
Technologies once considered science fiction even 5 years ago, are now available and offer viable ways to reduce earth’s carbon footprint. Hydrokinetic marine energy resources, tidal and wave technology, carbon capture, blue ammonia, and many other technologies are well poised to address power needs in the Mediterranean. What is the timeline for developing these technologies and bringing them to scale? What will their role be in energy diversification and security policies? Finally, how can the Mediterranean region take advantage of these technologies, and what will the impact be both in the region and elsewhere?
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
US: Energy Transformation at Home and its Global Impact
The U.S. administration has set 2030 reduction targets for greenhouse gas pollution in an effort to create more jobs and secure American leadership on clean energy technologies. What will it take to create buy-in from both sides of the aisle? How can U.S. policies have an impact abroad without forgetting about blue collar workers at home?