Environmental and Energy Studies

The Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy announces a PhD thesis defense of Fiona Borthwick on "ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY  SETTING AN AGENDA FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION AND CO-OPERATION"

Supervisor: Professor Ruben Mnatsakanian, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, CEU  
                                        
PhD Committee:

As part of the staff-student seminar series of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Veronika Czakó will give a presentation on “Energy efficiency programs in the residential buildings sector: the Hungarian experience”. The presentation is based on research conducted in two Hungarian cities, Tatabánya and Nyíregyháza. Through the differing experience of the two cities, barriers and enabling factors experienced during the implementation of residential energy efficiency programs are identified.

Europe has sought over the past few years to set international climate negotiations on a virtuous path by setting a constructive example. It agreed in 2008 objectives for the reduction of greenhouse gases that were, certainly at the time, the most ambitious worldwide. It has developed a coherent set of policies and tools, including the European Emission Trading System. Yet, in Copenhagen, whatever 'leadership' Europe has failed to secure an international deal.

Buildings account for approx. 1/3 of our energy-related CO2 emissions, and are often cited as the sector having the largest mitigation potential among all sectors as well as the most "low-hanging fruits" in greenhouse gas mitigation. At the same time, initiatives in this sector are hampered by probably the strongest barriers and market failures inhibiting the market-based tapping of these high potentials.

The CEU Energy Policy Research Group cordially invites you to its first seminar on Tuesday next week.

We will kick the newly formed group off with a first get together and a presentation by Jessica Jewell, PhD researcher at Environmental Science and Policy Department. Her talk will be on "A Framework for Evaluating National Energy Security: Preliminary Structure and Results". The CEU Center for Environment and Security has kindly offered to sponsor the coffee for our first session.

The Faluház ("Village House") is Hungary's largest residential panel building, located in Óbuda. It has been newly renovated to reach maximum energy efficiency levels in the framework of the EU-funded research project STACCATO, in which CEU's Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy (3CSEP) is one of the partners.

This event will mark the ceremonial opening of Faluház after its renovation, it is followed by a press conference. Further details can be found in the attached invitation file.