Cleantech for Europe reposted this
📈 Can Europe become a cleantech leader? 📈 This is the question I was asked by @Sonja van Renssen earlier this week, in the context of the publication event of the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO)’s second EU-wide progress report. The broader framing of my panel was how Europe can create a thriving net zero industrial base in the light of ECNO’s analysis, whereby most indicators show we are off-track. ECNO’s report offers analytical insights into the progress towards #climate neutrality, based on 124 separate indicators. Worryingly, their tracker highlighted that EU support for #cleantech is moving too slowly, and that financing for the green transition is moving in the wrong direction. The only indicator on which they found Europe to be on track was #governance. Indeed, the achievements of the #EUGreenDeal are Europe’s foundational pillar in developing long-term industrial competitiveness – but they won’t be enough. Just as it isn’t enough to develop #innovation, but remain unable to scale it at home, in Europe. Global cleantech leaders will be those jurisdictions that manage to bring clean technologies – and push the technology frontier – to the point where they change the landscape of our economy, within this decade. Europe can remain a cleantech #leader through accelerated, bold, strategic action. Concretely, we need to move to the next phase of the Green Deal. This means securing the confidence of investors that agreed-upon objectives are here to stay. Now is the time to complete the picture and steer investments to where they are needed. To support these efforts, we need a cleantech competitiveness deal, which will also need to come with a dedicated investment plan to fund the scaleup of innovative clean technologies all across Europe. This deployment of cleantech innovation is a cornerstone of the just transition. By fostering industrial leadership, we empower the European workforce for the next generation of our economy. This provides the job security, gainful employment and social support needed to bring everyone along, together, on the green transition. If we squander this opportunity, we risk not just a lost decade for European cleantech. If, instead, we rise to the occasion, the EU is poised to propel itself to new heights of net zero industrial prosperity. Thanks to ECNO for hosting a timely discussion! Next year, we hope your indicators will show Europe making great progress on the path to climate neutrality. Sonja van Renssen Matthias Duwe Eike Karola Velten Markus Hagemann Clara Calipel Maciej Sytek Giulia Laganà Robert Jan Jeekel