EU Cleantech Industrial Policy
Context
Europe has long been a global climate leader – the first major economy to commit to net-zero and a driver of clean-technology innovation and standards. Yet, today that leadership is being tested. China’s dominance in cleantech manufacturing, supply chains, and deployment and the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act have reshaped global markets, exposing the scale of Europe’s challenge in matching fiscal firepower and policy coordination.
At home, a new consensus is forming: Europe’s climate, competitiveness and security goals must advance together. An ambitious cleantech agenda is now essential – not only for decarbonisation, but to sustain Europe’s competitiveness, industrial strength, strategic autonomy and economic resilience.
Achieving this requires focus. With limited fiscal capacity and a fragmented policy landscape, the EU needs to prioritise and channel its resources where they deliver the greatest leverage. Climate innovation “Made in Europe” matters not only for Europe, but for global decarbonisation: with its market size and regulatory reach, Europe is uniquely positioned to drive climate innovation, set standards, drive costs down, and diffuse clean technologies worldwide. As a leader in climate innovation, scale-up and deployment, the EU can accelerate global transitions while renewing its own industrial leadership.
Objectives and partners
In this project, I4CE works to help the EU sharpen and strengthen its clean industrial policy. The project produces research to position Europe as a leader in climate innovation and to encourage policies that reinforce strategic cleantech manufacturing. It aims to equip policymakers with evidence needed to make informed industrial policy choices and challenge entrenched approaches. This work is carried out through both original I4CE research and through collaboration with other think tanks, NGOs and cleantech industry associations – particularly in I4CE‘s role as co-chair of the Innovation Hub, a coalition dedicated to strengthening Europe’s role as climate innovator.
This project is funded by
