Delegation of the Energy Policy Dialogue. From left: Prof. Friedbert Pflüger, Dr. Joachim Lang, Dr. Peter Hefele, Carsten Müller, Dr. Beatrice Gorawantschy, Christoph von Speßhardt, Dr. Peter Röttgen, Dr. Frank Umbach, Simon Aleker. Not in the picture: Carola Logan

Participants of a Dinner Discussion in Brisbane

Discussion Panel at the Business Breakfast in Sydney. From left: Dr. Joachim Lang, Prof. Frank Jotzo and Prof. Friedbert Pflüger

Dr Beatrice Gorawantschy, KAS Director Regional Programme Australia and the Pacific

Prof Friedbert Pflüger, Director, European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS), King’s College London

Dr Kerry Schott AO, Chair of the Energy Security Board (ESB)

Dr Joachim Lang, Director General, Federation of German Industries (BDI)

Carsten Müller, Member of the German Federal Parliament, Chairman of the Parliamentary Circle "Energy Efficiency", Chairman of the German Industry Initiative for Energy Efficiency (Deutsche Unternehmensinitiative Energieeffizienz - DENEFF)

First panel of the conference with Carsten Müller, Caroline Lambert, Patrick Suckling, Tony Wood and Prof. Brahma Chellaney. Not in the picture: Christoph von Speßhardt

Second panel of the conference. From left: Colonel Ian Cumming, Dr Paul Barnes, Dr Peter Röttgen, Kane Thornton and Dr Paul Burke. Not in the Picture: Assoc Prof Llewelyn Hughes and Carola Logan

Third panel of the conference. From left: Dr. Frank Umbach, Jeff Connolly, Prof. Friedbert Pflüger and Fergus Hanson

Participants of a Meeting with ACT Minister Rattenbury

Participants of a roundtable discussion with the Energy Efficiency Council in Melbourne

The first Energy Policy Dialogue took place from the 24th until the 29th of September with events in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne

Energy security in Australia, Europe and the Asia-Pacific Region is challenged by climate change and an increasingly digital world. The digitalisation of the energy sector, cyber security risks and efforts to combat climate change, have shifted the paradigm of global energy security. Hence, there is a high interest to exchange experiences and perspectives between Australia, Europe and the Asia-Pacific Region on how to foster resilience and provide a comprehensive security strategy in the energy sector.

The core event of the INAUGURAL ENERGY POLICY DIALOGUE was a 1.5-day conference in Canberra. This new platform for the energy policy debate provided the participants with the opportunity to discuss foreign and energy policy, and all aspects of energy security. Particularly the effect of energy and resource security on international relations and geopolitics, with an international and contemporary perspective for stakeholders and decision-makers in the energy sector, have been discussed at the cutting edge of private and public interests. The opening event, chaired by Prof. Friedbert Pflueger, Director of EUCERS and with keynote speeches from Dr. Kerry Schott AO, Chair of the Energy Security Board, Dr. Joachim Lang, BDI’s Director General and Carsten Mueller, Member of the German Federal Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Circle "energy efficiency" highlighted the relevance of comparative and contemporary discussions on energy security in Australia and Germany. It furthermore set the frame for stimulating debates in the following conference sessions: The Challenges of Finding a Comprehensive Energy Security Strategy in Australia, Europe and the Asia-Pacific Region; Climate and Resource Security: Especially under the Consideration of how Climate Change affects the Political Landscape in Australia, Europe and the Asia-Pacific Region; The Digitalisation of Energy and Cybersecurity: Opportunities for Transformation or Energy at Risk?

The conference in Canberra was complemented by several meetings, presentations and roundtable discussions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, where the delegation exchanged knowledge and expertise with Australian state representatives, institutions and energy experts on energy specific security strategies and the impact of climate change. The key message throughout the several events of the Energy Policy Dialogue Program was that there are great opportunities for cooperation between Australia and Germany in the field of energy security, energy efficiency and the transition from conventional energy production towards renewable energy.