Wopke Hoekstra, EU Commissioner for Climate Action: “Europe wants to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050”
“Europe has made a choice: it wants to be the first climate neutral continent by 2050”, said Wopke Hoekstra, the EU Commission’s Commissioner for Climate Action, at the 12th Annual Energy Meeting organized by EsadeGeo, the Bureau of the EU Commission in Spain and EIT InnoEnergy. Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, also took part in this event which once again brought together business leaders and public-sector representatives to discuss strategies for achieving a green, competitive Europe.
During his video conference, Hoekstra highlighted “the success of policies designed to combat emissions” in the European Union (EU), which enable the bloc to envisage a reduction of at least 55% by 2030 compared to levels in 1990. He also analyzed the three key mechanisms with which the EU hopes to build this climate-neutral future, in the sense of reducing emissions to levels equal to or lower than those naturally absorbed by the planet: the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the Emission Trading System (ETS) and the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA).
The Dutch commissioner pointed out that the climate challenge has “a geopolitical pillar” too. “Europe cannot save the planet by just cutting its 7% of global emissions. The rest of the world is responsible for the other 93%, and that needs to be tackled as well,” he explained. Finally, he championed a transition that takes industry into account. “We must not forget the competitiveness of our businesses and a just transition for our citizens. We think about well-being, jobs and competitiveness,” he concluded. “We need to create the right environment for companies to prosper. And that is why today’s topic is so important.”
The green transition: “a great opportunity”
Minister Hereu has also championed the green transition as “a great opportunity” and a driving force for industrialization. “Industry is roaring back. It generates more resistance, social cohesion, and more stable employment with better salaries. It is more innovative and exports more on average. More industry will mean a model of greater productivity in the medium and long term, and therefore a more consistent model of economic growth,” he explained. At the same time, he said there were “several reasons” for adopting decarbonization as a key factor in this process. “It's not just about doing things better. The energy transition makes money and is a reason for creating new industrial sectors in themselves. It is also of geopolitical interest because it transforms us into a more resilient country, society and model. “The energy transition as a reindustrialization factor is a very important element.”
The 12th Annual Energy Meeting entitled “The green transition and the reindustrialization of Europe” gathered together dozens of business and public-sector leaders. The different speeches focused on analyzing the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), an innovative legal framework that is now a cornerstone of the EU strategy to boost green technologies and achieve a sustainable industrial future. The experts discussed issues such as the scope of the legislation, the challenges it poses and its governance.
The meeting was opened by Lucas González Ojeda, acting director of the Representation of the European Commission in Spain; Javier Solana, president of the Esade Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics (EsadeGeo), and Diego Pavía, CEO of EIT InnoEnergy.
