1. The forum
It is named “European Climate and Energy Modelling Forum” (ECEMF) and is the result of a Horizon 2020 funded project, whose aim is to establish a European forum for energy and climate researchers and policy makers to achieve climate neutrality.
2. Mission
ECEMF brings together the community of European energy and climate modelers and policy makers, the data, scenarios and tools to apply them to scientifically sound and policy-relevant activities in the energy and climate policy domain. These activities generate the required coherent scientific evidence base and communicate the insights to accelerate progress towards policy goals, inform the implementation of measures at the national and European level while removing barriers to participation, and championing transparency and openness.
3. Governance structure
There are three elements to the organizational structure of ECEMF:
- ECEMF Co-Directors
The ECEMFs 2-4 Co-Directors will be appointed by the General Assembly for a duration of 3 years, can be reappointed once, and must be members of institutions of the general Assembly. The Co-Directors have the main duties to implement and report on the ECEMF’s activities, and to prepare the General Assembly meetings and decisions.
- ECEMF General Assembly
The General Assembly (GA) is the main decision-making body of the Forum. As of the start of the forum it is composed by one representative of each of the 15 partner institutions of the ECEMF H2020 project. Institutions can apply to become a member (see below) and each send one representative to the General Assembly. The General Assembly decides all main decisions including approval of new membership applications, the election of Co-Directors, etc. All decisions are to be taken by simple majority of participating members, with the exception of changes in this by-laws, for which a two-third majority is required. No quorum applies. The GA is convened by the ECEMF secretariat twice per calendar year.
- ECEMF Secretariat
The Secretariat supports the Co-Directors in leading overall activities and manages online dissemination activities as well as administrative duties. It is a (potentially rotating) in-kind contribution to the Forum by one of the member institutions.
- ECEMF Technical Providers
Technical infrastructure and data storage, software tools, etc. are provided by members.
4. Membership of the ECEMF
The project partners of the ECEMF H2020 projects are the founding members of the forum. Research institutions, universities, and other private and public entities can apply to become members of the forum filling an application form (see Annex) and sending it to info@ecemf.eu. The member directory is reviewed by the GA annually, and inactive members (members who have not participated in GA, activities, discussions, events, or research in the previous 24 months) will be removed from the forum member directory following a 6-month notice period.
5. Funding and financial contributions
The ECEMF does not have a legal personality. Eventual financial contributions to the forum, the annual ECEMP conference, or specific ECEMF activities can be processed by the ECEMF secretariat, the institutions of the Co-Directors, or the ECEMF Technical Providers.
6. Activities and Services of the Forum
- Policy-driven model intercomparison calls
Every 12 or 24 months, the ECEMF will release a call for contributions and model comparison project related to European Climate and Energy Policies.
- ECEMP Conference
The European Climate and Energy Modelling Platform (formerly called the Energy Modelling Platform for Europe EMP-E) constitutes a forum for exchanging research, development and practice of energy system modelling in Europe. It is annually organized by a rotating ECEMP Organization Committee (OC) based on 2-4 representatives of different EC funded projects and co-organized by the ECEMF forum (one Co-Director of the ECEMF is a member of the OC).
- Discourse community forum
- IIASAdb instance
- Futuresight Tool
- Website www.ecemf.eu
- Mailing list and bi-annual Newsletter
