EU’s path to decarbonising without deindustrialising

On 2 October, we brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to address a pressing question: How can the EU achieve its ambitious climate and energy targets while remaining internationally competitive? 

In his opening remarks, Christian Ehler, EPP Coordinator for the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, stated that we need a completely different dialogue between EU politicians and the industry and highlighted the need to align policy with industrial realities. In a fireside chat with Euronews journalist Angela Barnes, our President Fredrik Persson delved into the findings of our in-depth study conducted in collaboration with Compass Lexecon. “We did not want to question the 2050 climate neutrality target. The study was modelling an ‘optimistic’ scenario and ‘politics-as-usual' scenario for the green transition. And both of these scenarios reach climate neutrality, but at different costs to society and companies”, he stated. Persson pointed out that even in the optimistic scenario, by 2050, energy costs in Europe could still be at least 50% higher than those in the US, China, and India. To overcome this energy cost gap as quickly as possible, BusinessEurope has formulated seven distinct policy recommendations, check them out here. A panel discussion then explored how the EU can decarbonise without deindustrialising. Speakers also highlighted the next steps towards building a competitive and sustainable Europe.