Sustainable Leadership Forum Explores EU Climate Policy and Sustainability Challenges

Written by Hsu, Chin-Han(Hannah)

The Sustainable Leadership Forum recently invited Professor Armin Ibitz from Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages to deliver a guest lecture titled “Reinforcing EU Governance and Policy Leadership on Climate Change and the Circular Economy.” The lecture examined how the European Union has responded to climate change and environmental sustainability challenges through policy frameworks, historical experience, and long-term planning.

At the beginning of the session, Professor Ibitz introduced his research interests in sustainability, climate policy, and low-carbon transition. He invited students to reflect on the relationship between economic development, technology, and environmental outcomes.

He then guided students to examine global environmental performance using international indicators and country comparisons, encouraging discussion on why environmental results differ across regions.

A key part of the lecture focused on Europe’s environmental history. Professor Ibitz highlighted major events such as the Great Smog of London in 1952, chemical accidents, nuclear disasters, and acid rain that caused forest decline, explaining how these crises pushed governments to strengthen environmental regulations.

Building on these examples, he introduced the European Green Deal, which outlines the European Union’s goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and provides an overarching policy framework for climate action across different sectors.

In the second half of the session, students worked in groups to explore selected EU climate and sustainability policies. Each group discussed policy objectives, affected actors, and possible implications for businesses and other regions, including Taiwan, followed by short presentations and a Q&A. Professor Ibitz also responded to students’ questions and provided feedback during the discussion.