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Towards a green industrial transition: strategic opportunities for the EU

The Think2030 Dialogue Sweden, hosted by SEI on 20 April 2023, gathered decision-makers and analysts from policy, business and research communities across Europe to debate the key sustainability issues at stake for EU policy. 

Carly Evaeus, Felipe Sanchez, Timothy Suljada / Published on 19 June 2023
Download  Think2030 Session Brief #3 / PDF / 198 KB
Citation

Evaeus, C., Sanchez, F., Suljada, T., & Mobjörk, M. (2023). Towards a green industrial transition: strategic opportunities for the EU [Session Brief]. Think2030 Dialogue Sweden.

The Think2030 Dialogue Sweden is one of several activities within the Think2030 platform, created by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) in 2018 to provide science-policy solutions for a more sustainable Europe.

As part of the Think2030 dialogue, Formas and the SEI organized a session titled “Innovation and industry transition: towards a green industrial strategy” and this session brief summarizes the key take-aways from this session.

Co-leads: Formas & SEI

Moderator: John Tumpane, Head of Department for Environment, Formas

Rapporteur: Felipe Sanchez, Research Associate, SEI

Keynote Speakers:

  • Janez Potočnik, co-chair for UN International Resource Panel and former EU commissioner for Environment

Policy Panel:

  • Elina Kamenitzer, Department Director, Operations Support & Climate, European Investment Bank, EIB
  • Doris Schröcker, Head of Unit, Industrial Research, Innovation and Investment Agendas, European Commision, DG Research & Innovation
  • Ola Hansén, Director Public Affairs, H2 Green Steel
  • Nina Ekelund, Executive Director, Haga Initiative

The Think2030 science and policy session on innovation and industry transition focused on EU policy and enterprises across the heavy industry value chain. The session posed questions such as: can the European Green Deal remain relevant beyond the current political cycle – and achieve necessary change? Is the EU doing enough to reach the Green Deal goal on decoupling economic growth from resources use? The session participants also discussed how to meet human needs in the most resource efficient way, the need for innovation at the system level, strengthening incentives for new business models to thrive, mobilizing finance, and increasing the efforts of implementing the goals of the EU green deal through targeted interventions.

The discussions resulted in the following recommendations: 

Key Messages 

  • Ensure that respect for biophysical boundaries and the value of social and natural capital is reflected in markets and policy. That fundamental transformation will help to achieve the European Green Deal goal of decoupling growth from resource use. 
  • Incentives are needed for new business models that send the right market signals for finance to flow to sustainable investments, contrary to existing models that predominately favour established conventional production. 
  • Targeted interventions are needed that can support implementation, such as pushing for demonstration projects and aligning government support both within EU member states and at the EU level.  

More about the event

Other session briefs

Download

Think2030 Session Brief #3 / PDF / 198 KB

SEI authors

Carly Evaeus
Carly Evaeus

Fellow

SEI Headquarters

Felipe Sanchez
Felipe Sanchez

Policy Fellow

SEI Headquarters

Timothy Suljada high res
Timothy Suljada

Head of Division: Resources, Rights and Development

SEI Headquarters

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