The Sustainable Heating Transition: Challenges and Opportunities | Europe and Central Asia

In the long, harsh winters of many parts of Europe and Central Asia, heating is crucial for people's lives and well-being. However, the region is plagued by an inefficient, aging, unaffordable, polluting heating sector that is not compatible with a livable planet. This heating sector stands in the way of these countries achieving their net-zero emissions targets by mid-century and improving the quality of life for their citizens. This event brings together a panel of experts and policymakers to exchange ideas on what could be done to accelerate the transformation of the heating sector of Europe, Central Asia and beyond. The panel will discuss the findings of a recently published report, "Toward a Framework for the Sustainable Heating Transition," which provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of space heating across Europe and Central Asia and offers a framework to help governments upgrade their heating services to be efficient, clean, and affordable. Learn more: http://wrld.bg/NunB50Q0QfS

SPEAKERS
Antonella Bassani, Vice President, Europe and Central Asia, World Bank
Jas Singh, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank
Stéphanie Bouckaert, Head of Demand Sectors Unit, World Energy Outlook, International Energy Agency
Shukhrat Vafaev, Director General of the Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan & UFRD Executive Director
Paweł Mirowski, Vice-President of the Management Board, National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management
Matthieu Ballu, Policy Officer, Directorate General for Energy, Renewable Energy Unit, European Commission

AGENDA
00:00 Welcome
02:29 Opening remarks
07:09 Main insights from the report
23:10 International Energy Agency: Promoting energy efficiency and electric heating
32:39 European Commission: Decarbonizing the heating sector
42:10 Republic of Uzbekistan: Transition to sustainable heating
49:42 Poland: Phasing out the use of coal and other solid fossil fuels from the heating sector
1:05:15 Incentives for the private sector to support sustainable heating solutions
1:09:29 Consumer side: Ensuring the energy transition is affordable
1:12:49 Targeting subsidies for vulnerable and low-income households
1:21:33 Technology innovations in Poland on the heating sector
1:28:42 Closure

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK - The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. http://www.worldbank.org