The Social Battle for European Climate Money: Counter Balance debate at Manifiesta

• Debate on the social battle for European climate money
• Sunday 15:00-16:00 CET
• Place de Syndicale/Vakbondsdorp, Manifiesta
• Wellington Racecourse, Kon. Astridlaan 10, 8400 Oostende

The European Union is providing billions in climate financing. Yet, it is going to big, profit-making companies to develop strategic ‘green', digital and military technologies to fight the commercial and geopolitical battle between the EU, the US and China.

At the same time, we in Europe are experiencing an unprecedented decline in our standard of living. People have to spend an increasing share of their budgets on essential services such as energy, housing and healthcare. Public services have been suffering from cuts and privatisation for decades.

How do we ensure that public money does not fuel this profiteering by big companies? How do we give workers and unions control over a just climate transition?

Speakers

• Rogerio Silva, Secretary General of the Portuguese Metals Union
• Katrin Van den Troost, Climaxi
  • Katrin was instrumental in opposing the construction of Ineos' new ethane cracker plant in Antwerp, named Project One. The plant is causing a stir. It continues to run on polluting shale gas and is a symbol of the industry's lack of environmental policy. The Flemish government is ignoring its own rules to grant permits and guarantees with taxpayers' money for billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, the British owner of Ineos.
• Frank Vanaerschot, Director, Counter Balance
  • Frank Vanaerschot is director of Counter Balance, a European network of 9 NGOs fighting to make European public investment a spearhead in the transition to a solidarity-based and environmentally friendly society. He previously worked for 12 years at FairFin as a researcher and campaigner.
• Moderator: Alexandra Gerasimčiková, Policy and Advocacy Officer, Counter Balance
  • Alexandra Gerasimcikova works on a socially and environmentally just public finance reform at Counter Balance, a Brussels-based NGO. She has written pieces in several media outlets on European green and industry policy, development finance, militarisation, and Israel and Palestine. Previously, she worked on helping Palestine's liberation.