The Environment is for all of us:
European and Global Politics of Climate Justice
Annual Conference of the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence
FIU – Modesto A. Maidique Campus – 11200 SW 8th Street – Miami, FL 33199
Monday, March 9 | 2:00 PM–3:15 PM | Keynote Address | FIU MMC | MARC Pavilion
Tuesday, March 10 | 9:15 AM–4:15 PM | Conference | FIU MMC | SIPA II – Room 102
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. The European Union cannot be held responsible for them.
Please join us for a timely conference examining how the climate crisis is reshaping justice, inclusion and responsibility in EU environmental politics. While climate change is a global challenge, its impacts—and the benefits of mitigation—are deeply unequal. Socio-economic, ethnic and social minorities, often least responsible for emissions, face disproportionate exposure and limited support. This conference asks urgent questions: How can climate policies address intersectional vulnerabilities? How can sustainability efforts avoid reproducing inequality? And how can the EU and its partners reconcile competing priorities while advancing environmental and social justice? Bringing together scholars, policymakers and practitioners, the conference explores transatlantic, local and global pathways toward a greener, more equitable future.
Program
Monday, March 9, 2026 | MARC Building – MARC Pavilion
2:00 PM — Welcome & Opening Remarks
Shlomi Dinar, Ph.D.
Dean, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Markus Thiel, Ph.D.
Professor, Politics & International Relations; Director, Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Florida International University
2:05 – 3:15 PM — Keynote Address
Ambassador Javier Sancho Velazquez
Head of Global Issues and Innovation
Delegation of the European Union to the United States, Washington, D.C.
«The EU's global efforts for a green inclusive and sustainable future»
3:30 – 5:00 PM — Reception
(By invitation only)
Tuesday, March 10, 2026 | SIPA II – Room 102
9:15 AM — Welcome & Opening Remarks
Markus Thiel, Ph.D.
Professor, Politics & International Relations; Director, Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Florida International University
9:30 – 10:45 AM — Panel I: Contemporary Perspectives on the Environment & the Climate Crisis
This panel discusses the current state of environmental and climate change policies at the intersection of scientific expertise, governmental policy frameworks and civil society advocacy as well as intergovernmental coordination. It highlights the urgency of addressing anthropogenic climate change through political, economic and social innovations, while recognizing the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations.
Moderator
Markus Thiel, Ph.D.
Professor, Politics & International Relations; Director, Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Florida International University
Participants
Whitney A. Bauman, Ph.D.
Professor of Religious Studies
Florida International University
«Beyond the Extractive Times of the Fossil-Fueled Era: Reattuning to our planetary contexts»
María C. Donoso, Ph.D.
UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security
College of Arts, Sciences, and Education
Florida International University
«Water Security: Addressing New Challenges to Attain Sustainability»
Leslie Paul Thiele, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Florida
«Thinking like a Commons: Sustainability and the European Union»
Click here for conference participant bios.
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM — Panel II: European & Transatlantic Policies of Climate Change Mitigation
European and transatlantic climate change mitigation policies have evolved into comprehensive frameworks centered around the European Green Deal and the EU’s attempt to get international partners, including the US, to adhere to the UN’s Paris Agreement. These policies emphasize coordinated approaches to carbon neutrality by mid-century and encompass ambitious regulatory mechanisms and joint initiatives in clean energy technology development while addressing competitiveness concerns, though tensions remain over policy approaches, the circular economy and the pace of fossil fuel transitions. How can a just and inclusive transition occur through these policies?
This session will be conducted with all speakers participating virtually, while the moderator and the audience will attend the event in person.
Moderator
Tatiana Kostadinova, Ph.D.
Professor, Politics & International Relations; Director, European & Eurasian Studies Program
Florida International University
Participants
Brianna N. Hernandez, Ph.D.
Gordon Morgan Fellow, Instructor in the Department of Political Science
University of Arkansas
«Ecofeminist Governance and Relational Justice: Reimagining Global Climate Policy through Care and Place»
Beatriz Perez de las Heras, Ph.D.
Professor of European Union Law and Jean Monnet Chair on European Integration
Deusto University, Spain
«Climate neutrality, energy independence, and social justice: assessing the EU’s path toward a just and competitive green transition»
Louisa Rosemary Parks, Ph.D.
Professor in Political Sociology
University of Trento, Italy
«Civil society in the transformation of environmental governance»
Click here for conference participant bios.
12:30 – 1:45 PM — Lunch break
2:00 – 2:50 PM — Consular Roundtable on National Perspectives on Europe’s Climate Action
Moderator
Markus Thiel, Ph.D.
Professor, Politics & International Relations; Director, Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Florida International University
Participants
Amb. Belén Alfaro Hernández
Consul General of Spain in Miami
Mr. Giacomo Montrasio
Deputy Consul General of Italy in Miami
Hon. Raphaël Trapp
Consul General of France in Miami
Click here for conference participant bios.
3:00 – 4:15 PM — Panel III: Beyond Climate Pessimism? Creating Inclusive, Sustainable Climate Futures
Despite increasingly pressing climate challenges, a new discourse is increasingly moving beyond narratives of despair and inevitability toward approaches that emphasize agency, innovation, and equitable solutions for building resilient communities. This shift recognizes that effective climate action requires inclusive participation from diverse stakeholders, particularly marginalized communities who are disproportionately affected by climate impacts yet often excluded from decision-making processes. How can we foster hope and address systemic and global inequalities at the same time?
Moderator
Markus Thiel, Ph.D.
Professor, Politics & International Relations; Director, Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Florida International University
Participants
Yovita Ivanova, Ph.D.
Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research/CGIAR & New York University
«Green finance supporting climate-related agriculture adaptation in Latin America»
Marcie Washington, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies
Politics and International Relations
Florida International University
«FIU Commons for Justice: Building Community Capital Through Language»
William J. Osceola
Secretary, Miccosukee Tribe
«Can Culture Centric Communities Contextualize Climate Change?»
Co-sponsored by:
European & Eurasian Studies Program
Global Indigenous Forum
Department of Politics & International Relations
Institute of Environment, College of Arts, Sciences & Education
Václav Havel Program for Human Rights & Democracy
Ruth K. & Shepard Broad Distinguished Lecture Series
Dorothea Green Lecture Series
Made possible through generous support from the European Commission. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. The European Union cannot be held responsible for them.