Energy and Climate Summit 2026

Europe’s clean industrial ambition will ultimately be measured by its capacity to move from targets to delivery, and to make decarbonisation investable at scale whilst protecting its industrial base. Beyond a long-term growth strategy, clean industrialisation is also central to strengthening energy security, competitiveness and resilience.  

The Clean Industrial Deal is intended to address these structural challenges by aligning industrial and energy policy, state aid, public procurement and demand-side measures, providing clearer long-term signals for investors and industry. This alignment must be at the basis of a truly European growth strategy, which genuinely fosters harmonisation and creates instruments that can protect the key sectors in the European industrial base. 

At the heart of this shift is the creation of lead markets for low-carbon and circular products and services, reducing exposure to volatile raw material markets while strengthening European value chains. More predictable frameworks and more effective risk-sharing between public and private actors can reduce execution risk, lower the cost of capital and keep strategic industries in Europe. 

• Where can we identify best practices of the alignment between industrial policy, energy security and decarbonisation? 

• Which demand-side instruments can help create bankable markets while preserving competition and affordability? 

• How can Europe effectively reward first movers and attract private capital at scale? 

• What can realistically be delivered within the current institutional cycle to accelerate implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal? 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are accelerating energy demand in Europe. Availability and resilience of energy supply, predominantly electricity, are a decisive factor in investment and location choices as AI remains on a strong upward trajectory. On the other side, the technology has the potential to be ever-present across the whole energy value chain. Indeed, AI applications can optimise very complex systems, reduce costs and integrate renewables more effectively.  

The main constraint is no longer access to land or connectivity, but the availability of reliable, affordable and clean power. This shift reinforces the need for a more resilient and flexible energy system. Grid expansion, storage deployment, demand-side flexibility and digital optimisation must evolve in parallel to ensure that new demand supports, rather than destabilises, Europe’s industrial transformation. Technology companies are accelerating their demand for carbon-free electricity and long-term partnerships with utilities and system operators, bringing new procurement models and investment opportunities into the energy ecosystem. 

How these developments are reflected in regulation, infrastructure planning and market design will shape Europe’s ability to host the next generation of industrial and digital activity.  

• How can Europe align the growth of data centres with grid capacity, storage deployment and system resilience? 

• What does responsible expansion look like in practice and where are the latest wins for the ‘greening of AI’? — in terms of flexibility, location, cooling, heat reuse and long-term clean power procurement? 

• How can market frameworks better enable storage, flexibility and corporate procurement of electricity at scale? 

At a time of global supply chain disruptions, Europe’s clean energy transition is dependent on the critical raw materials and rare earths that play a crucial role in various sectors, from energy grids to storage, Artificial Intelligence, and defence systems. China holds a dominant position in the production of energy-related critical minerals, and even with various projects in development around the world, key bottlenecks and supply shortages are set to remain without concerted efforts from European and national policymakers.  

The Clean Industrial Deal aims to make the EU a world leader in circularity by 2030scaling both supply and demand for high-quality recycled materials. Yet the potential of recycling, particularly for strategic materials, remains underexploited. A true Single Market for secondary raw materials could strengthen resilience while supporting industrial ambitions. The debate around circularity and strategic resources thus poses essential questions for Europe’s economic model. 

• Which role can Europe play in the global supply chain of critical raw materials and is circularity a real option? 

• What are the main barriers from a business, consumer and regulatory perspective? 

• What steps will be required to build a Single Market for secondary resources in Europe? 

Electrification is emerging as a key lever for both climate neutrality and industrial competitiveness. Affected by rising energy costs, low demand and strong international competition, industrial sectors have experienced drops in production in many European countries. At a time when renewable energy has the potential to offer lower prices, the electrification of industrial processes could significantly strengthen Europe’s competitive position. Fifty to seventy percent of industrial heating processes could already be decarbonised today with existing technology, and several studies show that in the next ten years, we can expect to have mature and alternative solutions for almost the entirety of industrial processes. 

However, progress has been slower than expected. A more decentralised and decarbonised system, combined with rising demand is placing new pressure on grids, permitting and market design. The upcoming Electrification Action Plan is a key opportunity to define a pathway and bring economy-wide electrification to 32% in 2030. 

• How is electrification related to Europe’s competitiveness and which best practices can be highlighted to show its potential? 

• What is holding back electrification in Europe’s industrial base: prices, grids, skills, permitting or market design? 

• How can long-term contracting and flexibility reduce costs and volatility for industry? 

• Where is cross-border cooperation most needed to scale electrification across value chains? 

A more integrated energy market is essential to reduce costs, strengthen resilience and attract investment. As both the Letta and Draghi reports have shown, fragmentation continues to hold back progress, while high prices and limited innovation investment call for a more systemic approach. In the context of deepening market integration across European countries, completing the Energy Union remains an important objective to reduce price disparities across European countries and to decarbonise the economy. 

Data from the European Commission shows that the EU internal energy market already allows consumers to save €34bn annually. In the current geopolitical context, the economic case for deeper integration has never been stronger, as more interconnectors, fewer national barriers and deeper cross-border cooperation can further reduce inefficiencies and bring down prices, not only for industry, but also for households, reinforcing public support for the transition. 

• Where are the most visible benefits of market integration today? 

• How can progress be made to remove the remaining barriers to a fully integrated European energy market? 

• How can better implementation of Single Market rules unlock private investment in clean energy? 

• How can the benefits of integration be shared fairly across all member states and regions?