Despite rapid responses by the EU and Britain to the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Europe will continue to face some stark energy security challenges in 2025. The risks are both technical and geopolitical, and consistency of supply cannot be taken for granted. The UK Government and the International EnergyAgency (IEA) will host an international Future of Energy Security Summit in London on 24-25 April 2025. Its aim is to assess evolving energy security challenges and consider novel approaches and actions to tackle them. This CPC event is timely preparation and will feed into a similar CPC event in Washington in February. 

Caspian countries continue to contribute to Europe’s energy security while facing their own climate and geopolitical challenges. For the first time a COP Climate Summit is taking place in the Region. The CPC event will bring together prominent voices from the UK Government, Caspian countries and energy and climate experts to discuss what COP29 outcomes mean for the Region. 

 

Agenda

08:30  – 09:00       

Registration and Coffee 

 

09:00 – 09:10 

Opening Remarks 

• Efgan Nifti, President, Caspian Policy Center 
• David Moran, Senior UK Adviser, Caspian Policy Center  

 

09:15 – 09:25   

Keynote Remarks (HMG Speaker tbc)

 

09:30 – 10:00     

Ambassadorial Panel

Moderated by David Moran, Caspian Policy Center

 

Session 1 – Energy Security Challenges & Strategic Co-operation  

The hard work of Europe including the UK to increase energy efficiency, speed the transition towards renewables and diversify sources enabled countries to cope with the last two relatively mild winters. The EU was able to meet its supply targets early: gas-storage facilities are nearly full. But 2025 could bring new difficulties. A colder winter is overdue and the implications of the likely end to Russia’s gas deal to Central Europe via Ukraine are not clear. Gas stocks could decline quite swiftly. Demand for LNG will grow in both Europe and Asia. This panel will look at global, European and Caspian security prospects and discuss how the UK, the EU and the Caspian Region can map a sustainable path forward, areas of investment opportunities. How can countries meet short-to-medium term energy needs while getting Net Zero and global 1.5 degrees targets back on track?

 

10:00 – 11:00      Panel 1 Moderated Discussion 

• Nicolas Ray, First Secretary Competition and Energy, EU Delegation to the UK
• John Roberts, Energy Security Specialist, Methinks Ltd
• Angus Miller, Chairman of TelosNRG
• Further Speaker tbc

 

11:00 – 11:15    Coffee Break 

11:15 – 11:45       

 Ambassadorial Panel (Cont.) 

Moderated by David Moran, Caspian Policy Center

 

Session 2 – COP29 Outcomes: Implications for the Caspian Region and the World  

UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband recently said “In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect against volatile energy price spikes is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels to clean, homegrown energy.” How much did Baku commitments move that transition along? Did COP29 make sufficient progress on mitigation, adaptation, inclusion and finance – in particular, the negotiations on the New Collective Quantified Goal?  

Caspian countries suffer severely from the impact of climate change. Individually and collectively, they face a range of extreme weather events and water and food security challenges not helped by a complex regional and global geopolitical context. In recent years regional collaboration has grown rapidly but Caspian countries need more money and investment – public and private. COP29 put the Azerbaijani Presidency and the rest of the region in the spotlight – a rare opportunity to publicise their challenges, needs, achievements and potential. How did Central Asian and South Caucasus assess COP29 outcomes on the quantity and quality of climate finance, support for adaptation and just energy transitions and preparation of new Nationally Determined Contributions? Did international partners and the countries themselves make the most of the opportunity? What can they do now before Azerbaijan hands over the Presidency to Brazil at COP30? 

 

 11:45 – 12:45      Panel 2 Moderated Discussion   

Moderated by David Moran, Caspian Policy Center

• Dr Joanna Depledge, Research Fellow, Cambridge Centre for Environment 
• John Carstensen, Fellow and Climate Resilience Lead, Mott MacDonald
• Alexandra Barnes, Director Infrastructure, Climate and Nature, British Expertise International 
• Further Speaker tbc

 

12:45 – 12:55     Closing Remarks 

13:00 – 14:00      Lunch 

 

4 December 2024, 9:00 – 13:00  

Arundel House, 6 Temple Place, London WC2R 2PG  

 

Register