Reflecting on how dramatically the global context has changed since the event’s launch, EIB Climate Chair Jos Delbeke highlighted the increasing complexity of delivering on climate ambitions in today’s political and economic landscape:
"The first edition [of EUI Climate Week] was in the middle of the Green Deal, before the war in Ukraine, before Mr Trump was there, before we faced the tough competition with China and before the crisis in Iran," Delbeke explained. "So the geopolitical context was completely different, and now, given this context, it's more difficult to reach these targets, but that's what makes it so exciting to be a part of this discussion."
This year’s edition also took place in the context of the European University Institute’s 50th anniversary, marking five decades of academic research, policy engagement, and international cooperation. Against this backdrop, EUI Climate Week highlighted the Institute’s longstanding commitment to addressing transnational challenges and fostering dialogue between academia, policymakers, and civil society on the future of climate governance.
Opening the conference, STG Director Johanna Mair emphasised the centrality of climate governance in today’s fractured international environment: “For the School of Transnational Governance, climate is not one policy area among others; it is the litmus test of whether transnational governance can still deliver in a world of war, strategic rivalry, and deep social anxieties.”
Over the course of the conference, participants explored topics ranging from carbon pricing and the EU ETS/MSR review to industrial transformation, investment needs, adaptation finance, and international cooperation. The event created a platform for timely exchange at what many speakers described as a pivotal moment for Europe’s climate strategy.
“We need to make sure that we can have a smart use of resources that are really efficient, for having the maximum impact,” said European Investment Bank Vice President Ambroise Fayolle.
Hosted at the School of Transnational Governance’s Palazzo Buontalenti, plenary sessions on 5 and 6 May welcomed participants both in person and online. Alongside the public sessions, closed-door discussions held under the Chatham House Rule enabled focused exchanges on key issues including the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, international carbon credits, and strengthening Europe’s clean tech industry.
A key focus of this year’s programme was strengthening international cooperation on carbon pricing. As more countries turn to market-based mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and modernise their economies, discussions examined how greater alignment between systems could accelerate global climate action.
Countries including Brazil and Türkiye are advancing cap-and-trade systems, while others such as Singapore continue to rely on carbon taxation. Against this backdrop, significant attention was given to the Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets, an initiative led by the COP30 Presidency in Brazil.
On the sidelines of EUI Climate Week, the Coalition convened its first high-level meeting to discuss long-term objectives and frameworks for future collaboration. The discussions also looked ahead to COP31, which will be hosted and chaired by Türkiye as the country continues progress toward establishing cap-and-trade legislation.
Chairing the session on enhancing international cooperation on carbon pricing, Jos Delbeke stressed the importance of connecting emerging emissions trading systems and improving interoperability between jurisdictions: “I think that the open coalition that has been created is creating a new opportunity around a difficult but important buzzword: interoperability - meaning the extent to which different systems can be made comparable, and how they can converge over time through MRV and other technical issues. So I think that is a very encouraging agenda.”
The conference concluded on 7 May with the European Commission’s 'Finance for Resilience' conference on adaptation, held alongside the 10th session of the Florence Process and the first meeting of the Governing Board of the Open Global Coalition of Compliance Carbon Markets.
Read more about EUI Climate Week
More about the EUI's 50th anniversary.