European Commission Publishes Report on Research and Innovation for Climate Neutrality by 2050

The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission has recently released a new report offering a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities surrounding Europe’s transition into a climate-neutral economy and society by 2050.

Titled Research and Innovation for Climate Neutrality by 2050: Challenges, Opportunities and the Path Forward, the report was developed through a methodology involving literature review, climate neutrality scenarios analysis, foresight workshops and stakeholder engagement with the goal of providing policy recommendations regarding the design, principles and solution landscapes needed for a long-term, forward-looking R&I agenda to accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions.

The report calls for a systemic approach to R&I, emphasising the need to move beyond individual technologies and focus on goal-oriented interventions. To better integrate systemic interaction of climate mitigation approaches in the development of R&I programmes, the report identifies key R&I areas under 17 solution landscapes grouped under three key nexuses for climate neutrality: 1) Mobility – Built Environment – Energy nexus; 2) Circularity – Industry – Carbon removals and capture nexus; 3) Agrifood – Carbon removals nexus. Additionally, the report advocates for strategic collaboration with key third countries to create competitive advantage across the international value chains emerging from the green transition.

You can explore the report in more detail here.

Contact:

Anastasios Kentarchos, Adviser R&I for the Green Transition: Anastasios.KENTARCHOS@ec.europa.eu