Climate-Friendly Materials Platform: Supporting the Transition in Central and Southern Europe

Project

The project will create networks of policy makers, industry, practitioners in industrial decarbonisation and applied researchers to facilitate a mutual understanding of what is needed by and from each key player, to effectively and jointly contribute to the overall goal of successfully decarbonising the basic materials sector. Through the networks, facilitated by the project’s provision of suitable ‘knowledge material’ and embedded in the national and EU-level policy discourses, the project will start to prepare a portfolio of key incentives (and corresponding instruments) for the large-scale use of climate-friendly options for selected materials sectors, and contribute first insights to inform appropriate structures and the effective coordination of innovation funding to transform the basic material sector.

The project will in particular: i) set up national roundtables in Poland, Spain and Hungary with industry, government, research and other relevant stakeholders; ii) organise a European roundtable on inclusive transformation; iii) translate academic research and high-level country-specific policy debates into tangible materials (e.g. roundtable briefs); iv) synthesise insights from national and European roundtables in a format that is accessible to broader policy audiences with the ambition to provide a common basis for national and European policy debates.

Background

Basic materials production is responsible for 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, both efforts and results on mitigation are limited. While BAU investments are declining due to concerns on stranded assets, the policy framework is insufficient for low-carbon innovation and investments. These challenges are particularly relevant for Southern and Central-Eastern European countries. It is therefore necessary to develop a shared understanding of development perspectives, including new technologies, materials and practices, as well as to identify conditions that are conducive to climate-friendly innovation and investment. Options for refinement and use of existing and additional policy instruments (national and European) need to be explored and opportunities and challenges in policy implementation should be discussed.