1. The forum
It is named European “Energy and Climate Modelling Forum” (ECMF) and is the result of the Horizon 2020 funded project ECEMF, together with the former EFECT network, whose aim is to establish a European forum for energy and climate researchers and policy makers to achieve climate neutrality. Its goal is to contribute to modeling exercises aiming at a better understanding of the ground-breaking energy and climate transition in Europe.
2. Mission
ECMF 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 2-6 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.
- ECMF Stakeholder Group
The Stakeholder Group is led by one ECMF member which will be appointed by the Co-Directors for four years and can be reappointed.
4. Membership of the ECEMF
The project partners of the ECMF H2020 project and the EFECT network are the founding members of the forum. Research institutions, universities, and other private and public entities can apply to become members of the forum by filling in an application form (see Annex) and sending it to info@ecmf.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. An ECMF Member may withdraw from the Consortium with a minimum of three months’ notification to the Secretariat.
5. Funding and financial contributions
The ECMF does not have a legal personality. Eventually financial contributions to the forum, the annual ECEMP conference, or specific ECMF activities can be processed by the ECMF secretariat, and the host institutions of the Co-Directors.
6. Activities and Services of the Forum
- Policy-driven modelling mission calls
The ECMF will release a research challenge / call for contributions and model comparison project addressing a key question in the landscape of European energy transition strategies for climate neutrality..
- 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
7. Miscellaneous
- Each Forum Member is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards within ECMF.
- Each of the Forum Members shall avoid conflicts of interest in contacting organizations and/or persons performing tasks associated with the Project.
- Each of the Consortium Participants shall take reasonable and effective measures to ensure that its performance of the Consortium Agreement respect Human Rights consistent with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011).
- The Consortium Participants agree that to the extent personal data as defined in EU Data Protection Legislation is submitted to any Consortium Participants, the involved Consortium Participants shall comply with all applicable requirements of the EU Data Protection Legislation and, if necessary, enter into a separate legal agreement in respect of the submission and/or the processing of personal data subject to EU Data Protection Legislation.
- Each Forum Member will have ownership rights to the results produced (generated) by that participant, its employees or suppliers.
