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Back to Press Releases 23 September 2019

Experts gather to explore the future of Ireland’s energy use in tackling climate change

23 September 2019

Energy experts from home and abroad will gather today at the Mansion House in Dublin to discuss the role of electricity and new technologies in supporting Ireland’s efforts on climate action. 

The international conference, Live Electric: Designing a Low Carbon Future, hosted by ESB and the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), will explore the role of electricity and new technologies in the transformation to a low carbon society. International experts will discuss best practice and learnings for Ireland in the areas of transport, energy efficiency, design, finance and architecture.

Speaking at the conference, Pat O’Doherty, Chief Executive of ESB, said: “There is growing international acceptance that deep electrification of society will be needed to meet climate change objectives.  Our Live Electric: Designing a Low Carbon Future conference, in conjunction with the IIEA, explores how emerging technologies can make this a reality and enable consumers to play a much more active role in the electricity system of the future. 

We are delighted today to set out ESB’s vision for the low carbon electricity system of the future and to bring together experts from around the world to share their insights and learnings about how we can make this a reality.”

The conference will hear from a range of international and Irish experts including: Carla Cammilla Hjort, Founder and Director, SPACE10, on how smartly designed products enable sustainable living; Dr Yvonne Farrell, Director of Grafton Architects, on the future of sustainable architecture; Ronald Rovers, Director with Sustainable Building Support Centre, on how we can innovatively retrofit Ireland’s housing stock; Dr Jari Kauppila, Head of Quantitative Policy Analysis and Foresight at the OECD, on a more sustainable model for transport in Ireland; Kristen Panerali, Head of Electricity Industry at the World Economic Forum, on the future for electric vehicles; and Andrew McDowell, Vice President of the European Investment Bank, on the critical role of financing a sustainable future for Ireland.

The full programme of the conference and full list of speakers is available here.

Alex White, Chair of the IIEA’s Energy Group and former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources said: “This conference gathers an inspiring array of international and domestic speakers from a wide variety of fields. The conference will showcase the role of transportation, sustainable design, green finance and the efficient use of energy, in powering our transition to a low carbon economy.”

ENDS