Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)’s Post

♨️The European Commission  released yesterday the first strategy governing carbon capture, utilisation and storage: The Industrial Carbon Management Strategy. 🌐For Romania and the whole CEE region, with potentially significant carbon storage capacity and important industries that will need to capture their emissions, this long-awaited Strategy sets a strategic direction which should enable firmer and quicker action on making #CCUS a reality. Moreover, it enables a fair geographical spread of new technologies and infrastructure across a currently West-centric Europe. Still, there are issues where the Commission could take a bolder, more in depth approach. 🔍Find out through EPG’s quick analysis written by Luciana Miu, PhD, our Head of Clean Economy, which are the strong and weak points of the strategy: https://lnkd.in/dsYAxqTd  

The #Antwerpdeclaration : a pivot-point day for Europe as commercial entities look towards accelerating the current EU Green Deal. Balancing commercial needs and realities, especially for #energytransition, between industrialists and the EU regulators will be challenging, but with dedicated focus clean technologies and new decarbonization projects can come to actual fruition- Quoting Handelsblatt below: More than 70 companies from across Europe have come together to demand an industrial deal from the European Commission and member states under fear of falling behind competition in the USA and China, reports business newspaper Handelsblatt. The companies together authored the Antwerp Declaration – a plan to complement the Commission’s existing Green Deal – with the aim of maintaining high-quality jobs for European workers. Behind the declaration are mainly companies from energy intensive industries like chemicals, steel and building materials. Within the document, the companies are asking for a range of interventions, from the use of incentives by EU states in the internal market to promote the use of green technologies, through to the relaxation of restrictive regulations on the EU level. https://lnkd.in/eCUAbPw9

Today in Brussels, ministers discuss ways to enhance Europe's industrial competitiveness and resilience. The Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) are initial steps, but the EU should go further.  Our recent report on energy and climate policy priorities for the next European Commission recommends several measures to boost domestic cleantech manufacturing and diversify global value chains for green materials. They include: ✅ strengthen economic incentives to achieve the domestic cleantech production targets of the NZIA and CRMA by offering below-market interest loans for investors in strategic value chains as well as affordable industrial electricity prices to reshore critical raw materials processing. ✅ undertaking an effort to renegotiate trade and investment relationships with both China and the US in sensitive value chains to ensure a more balanced trading relationship with both nations. ✅ developing clean industry partnerships that combine investment into clean technology and critical raw materials production in strategic partner countries with prioritised access to the resulting output, through, for example, preferential market access to clean industrial products from strategic partner countries.  Would you like to find out more about greening Europe’s industrial base while strengthening competitiveness? Head to our publication “EU policies for climate neutrality in the decisive decade: 20 initiatives to advance solidarity, competitiveness and sovereignty” here: https://lnkd.in/eJmEQ8sB   And if you are in Brussels on Tuesday, June 11, join Agora Industry's in-person event to discuss how to boost the transformation of Europe’s industry in the upcoming legislative cycle! If you can’t make it on site, you can also follow the event online. Find the link to the programme and registration in the comments below. #EUGreenDeal #competitiveness #greenindustry #cleantech #greenmaterials 

Europe is at a pivotal juncture as the global green manufacturing arena evolves. Beyond cost competitiveness, the EU's unique strength lies in setting global standards. While doubters will always be easy to find, Europe's commitment to sustainability shouldn't be underestimated. The Net-Zero Industry Act isn't just about matching numbers; it's a strategic move to redefine economic security. What's your take on reshoring vs. global collaboration in green manufacturing? #GreenEconomyShift #EUInnovation #SustainableFuture https://lnkd.in/dH3HN8Pz

I am delighted to share that today, together with 73 industry leaders and a number of leading associations, we presented ‘The Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal’ to Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo and Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. The declaration emphasises the critical importance of clarity, predictability, and confidence in Europe's industrial policy. It calls for a European Industrial Deal, based on 10 concrete actions, to be at the core of the next EU Strategic Agenda 2024 – 2029 while complementing the EU Green Deal.   It is time for Europe to turn the spotlight on its industry again; the European industry that will be supporting the implementation of the Green Deal by transforming its assets, developing green technologies and producing carbon neutral products for all EU citizens. The EU Green Deal has been the flagship at the heart of the current legislative period. Now we need to implement and deliver, and an EU Industrial Deal is needed, alongside the Green Deal, to make it happen. We, the fuel manufacturing industry, call for the recognition of the strategic importance of our sector’s industrial assets and the creation of a favorable framework for investments which will enable the production of renewable fuels and products that will be crucial to meet 2050’s objectives of climate neutrality. Indeed, during the transition, the competitiveness of our industry must be maintained in order to safeguard Europe's energy security and reduce its dependency on imports. However, for this to materialise, and within the context of a new Industrial Deal, Europe needs to develop an EU Strategy for the Transition of Liquid Fuels and Products. This strategy will enable a faster and economically sustainable decarbonisation of transport and the industrial value chain. Lastly, the European Industrial Deal should incentivise investments in the low and zero-carbon transition of the Fuel Manufacturing Industry, a pivotal element of the EU industrial value chain. The Antwerp Declaration outlines the industry’s vision for a European Industrial Deal and calls for creating a compelling business case for these crucial investments. Read the full Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal here: https://bitly.ws/3dFF8 #IndustrialDeal #CleanFuelsforAll

At the European Industry Summit in Antwerp yesterday, several leaders of the port industry co-presented the 'Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal' to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The summit took place within the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of European Union in 2024. Port of Antwerp-Bruges, home to the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe, strongly supports a comprehensive action plan to: - Prioritise competitiveness, stressing the crucial role of a strong industrial cluster in our port for sustainable growth. - Focus on developing world-class EU Energy, digital, CCUS, and recycling infrastructure, with ports playing a key role in realising the EU's Green ambitions. To counter increasing fragmentation, it is crucial to strengthen the internal market and ensure a clear, stable and harmonized framework for new investments in our port and providing investors with the benefits of the EU's internal market. #PortOfTheFuture #PortOfAntwerpBruges #EnergyTransition

"The European Green Deal is entering a new phase focusing on industrial policy" Focusing more attention on the manufacturing of #decarbonisation technologies in Europe represents a tremendous opportunity for value creation with (green) jobs, the conversion of manufacturing activities, more security of supply as well as a boost to technology exports. The #ClimateAgenda is increasingly integrated with #IndustrialPolicy ... at last ! #cleanenergyahead #movetheworldforward Turboden S.p.A. #NZIA

The European Commission has recently released a summary of dialogues on the transition to clean energy with the industry and social partners, highlighting the industry's crucial role in this process. These dialogues aim to strengthen the implementation of the European Green Deal to promote a clean and competitive economy. President Ursula von der Leyen initiated these dialogues in 2023 to discuss with European partners how to reinforce the European Green Deal. Moreover, it is vital to emphasize that the industry plays a fundamental role in the transition to clean energy. It faces significant challenges due to security, geopolitical, and economic contexts, as well as the need for fair competitive conditions. The dialogues underscored the industry's commitment to defining and implementing the European Green Deal, recognizing the importance of ensuring social equity during the transition and creating quality jobs. The Commission highlights that the European industry has increasingly adopted measures to integrate sustainable practices into its business models. This reflects not only a commitment to environmental preservation but also an acknowledgment of the importance of competitiveness and sustainability as interconnected elements in Europe's future economy. Therefore, collaboration between the Commission, the industry, and social partners is essential to address these challenges and move towards a cleaner and more sustainable economy. In practice, the European Union aims to reduce carbon emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Among the measures adopted is the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), an EU-imposed tax aimed at encouraging cleaner industrial production and reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG). Read more about this topic in an article published on Asia Link Trade's LinkedIn page on February 9th, and follow us for further updates. 😉 Source: European Commission #internationalbusiness #importexport #logistics #asianbusiness #china #steel #combinednomenclature #CBAM #customs #business #strategicsourcing #sourcing #sourcingsolutions

“The future of our clean tech industry has to be made in Europe,” said Ursula von der Leyen   In her last State of the Union speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg before her five-year mandate expires next October. Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of Clean Transition Dialogues with European industries.   These dialogues, due to start this month, are aimed at boosting the competitiveness of all industries in Europe as they move towards #decarbonisation. It is promising to hear that these dialogues will span a whole range of industries.   The cement industry is responsible for over 7% of the world’s carbon emissions so investment into key #technologies that can rapidly decarbonise the industry is vital if #Europe is going to meet its Fit-for-55 targets 🌎Scalable low carbon cement technologies have the potential to do this by 2030 and need investment to deliver this potential.   We welcome these #CleanTransitionDialogues and the opportunity to discuss how we accelerate the scale up of clean technologies that will make a real difference to this hard-to-abate industry 🤝   Hear more about what Ursula von der Leyen had to say: https://lnkd.in/d4DxAuVD   #LowCarbonCement #CementIndustry #FitFor55 #Innovation #Technology

Don’t miss the first event of our new Policy Forum Series 2024 on sustainable trade and environment! Our first panel focuses on the intersection of trade and sustainability, with a specific emphasis on Critical Raw Materials (CRMs). In recent years, the EU has recognized the vital importance of CRMs for various industries, including renewable energy, electronics, and automotive manufacturing. However, the extraction and processing of these materials often poses significant environmental and social challenges. The EU has made strides in integrating sustainability into its trade policy framework. This panel will take stock of the synergies and limitations of the EU approach, reflecting on the coherence of the different aims advanced by the policies of fostering sustainable trade, achieving resilient EU supply chains. Panel Chair: João Teixeira de Freitas 🗓 Join us on Tuesday 14 May at 12:30. Register here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eYrVj4aF #trade #environment #sustainability #criticalrawmaterials #EU UGent