We are delighted to invite you to an event which will be held on Wednesday, 24th of June 2020 at 18.00.

The event will consist of an evening of discussion on the challenges ahead regarding EU and global forest protection and the use of artificial intelligence to counter biodiversity loss and improve environmental sustainability.

Although speakers and event details will be announced in the coming days, we are publishing this event now to make sure you save the date

Given the current developments regarding the Covid-19 outbreak, this event will be held in streaming

This event is kindly sponsored by

in partnership with

About the debate

Biodiversity decline has been widely recognised as the canary in the coalmine for a broader malaise. Indeed, several authoritative sources have pointed to biodiversity and climate change as the two main defining issues of our age with respect to environmental protection. As a result, given the vital role that temperate, tropical and boreal forests play in the global ecosystem regardless of borders, forest protection has emerged as a crucial question. In fact, forests cover roughly 30% of global land area, host 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, and constitute a natural source of carbon capture and storage. Furthermore, forests are sources of clean water, regulators of weather, a factor in protecting against natural disasters, as well as a source of shelter and renewable energy. As acknowledged by both the UN and the European Commission, notwithstanding these facts, forests are rapidly disappearing as a result of deforestation and degradation. In addition, global deforestation and forest degradation also negatively affect many objectives of both Europe and the wider international community in several other important aspects of life on Earth, such as ensuring peace and good governance, as well as fostering the rule of law as highlighted by the goals of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda.

To counter these issues, the European Union has put forward several actions which have culminated in the recognition of the importance of forests in the European Green Deal, whereby the European Commission has pledged to prepare a new Forest Strategy to restore damaged or depleted forests, to improve the quality and quantity of European forests and to avoid creating deforestation outside the Union. Several environmental organisations have advocated for Europe, as one of the most active consumer zones, to take responsibility and act, while they have also praised the actions of the European Union regarding forest protection. Also, the convergence of the questions of forest protection and climate change were raised by Vice President Timmermans who stated “Europe will not meet its climate targets without protecting the world’s forests. The EU does not host the world’s major primary forests on its territory, but our actions as individuals and our policy choices have a major impact. Today we send an important signal to our citizens and our partners around the world that the EU is prepared to play a leadership role in this area in the next five years, and beyond.”

However, the question of forest protection continues to be a crucial feature of the global public debate on climate change as forests constitute not only an important aspect of the fight for protecting the climate, but also a litmus paper on the successfulness of the actions that the European and international institutions are undertaking. Within this context, the scientific community, the private sector and non-governmental organisations have started to deploy several efforts to counter these issues, and have cooperated to identify the tools which can support the fight against deforestation, as well as research and monitoring, along with the collection of data on this matter. As several authoritative commentators have highlighted, the question of forest protection, and the whole set of challenges enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals, will not be successfully overcome without the collaboration of all stakeholders along with the help of the most advanced technologies.

The audience will be able to ask questions during both the discussion and the Q&A session through sli.do #Tech4Forests

This event will be held under the Chatham House Rule. Participants are free to use the information received but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the attendees may be revealed. For this reason, unless explicitly authorised by PubAffairs Bruxelles, the filming and/or the recording of the event by any means are strictly forbidden.

The event will commence at 6.00 pm and it will be held in streaming. After the panel debate there will be an opportunity for questions and discussions.


We look forward to hosting you at 6.00 pm on the 24th of June 2020

The nature, forms and organisation of work have been constantly transformed by technological progress, demographic shifts, the conditions of the labour market, and macroeconomic variables. While this paradigm also applies to contemporary global society, the technological factor, along with the sustainability imperative, requires all actors of society to adapt and reshape their respective established cultural and organisational references. These changes may not be as fast or as deep as some observers might suggest, however, it is clear that there are ongoing shifts towards more diverse and broader concepts of work both within Europe and around the world.

As highlighted by the European Commission, full-time employment with a permanent contract had become the norm in the 20th century. However, more and more people shift to other types of work in search of more opportunities to work and  flexibility. For example, a study conducted by the Oxford Martin School of the University of Oxford demonstrated that more than 80% of drivers operating on the Uber would prefer to remain independent contractors rather than be classified as an employee. Within this context, European social, political and economic institutions, which have established their respective objectives and operational frameworks after the middle of the last century, have become increasingly confronted with the question of how to adapt to the changing nature of work and ensure adequate social protection and rights for all types of work.

The Internet and the spread of digital technologies, apps and online platforms are notably accelerating the transformation in how citizens work and live, as well as how businesses are organizing their tasks. The looming unemployment crisis could last for years. Diverse forms of employment, including independent work, can be a way to introduce people back in the labour market and will continue to grow as salaried employment becomes scarce. The COVID crisis demonstrated that the social protection schemes within the Member States are often not fit for these diverse forms of work, thus the workers fall through the cracks of the system due to the difficulty of categorizing them.

As a result, in order to keep up with the pace of the technological and societal shifts brought about by digitisation, and address the critical changes that the financial crisis stemming from the global pandemic brings, it will be crucial to ensure that the challenges emerging from this process are translated into opportunities to offer the widest range of sustainable options to businesses, workers and society as a whole. Indeed, the challenge which lies ahead for Europe consists of helping the whole business environment to transform in order to succeed in the digital age, while finding ways to maintain and adapt the European social model.

This event will be held under the Chatham House Rule. Participants are free to use the information received but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the attendees may be revealed. For this reason, unless explicitly authorised by PubAffairs Bruxelles, the filming and/or the recording of the event by any means are strictly forbidden.

The event will commence at 6.00 pm and it will be held in streaming. After the panel debate there will be an opportunity for questions and discussions.


We look forward to hosting you at 6.00 pm on the 10th of June 2020