New Research Concludes EU will Miss Climate Goals Unless Cleantech Innovation Is Scaled
23.3.2021 12:37:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Newly-published research from Cleantech Group®, the global authority on clean technology innovation, with the support of Breakthrough Energy, found the EU’s venture capital investment into cleantech from 2011-2020 grew by a remarkable 7.5x to more than EUR 5 billion in 2020.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210323005539/en/
EU Cleantech Venture Capital Investment grew by 7.5x between 2011 and 2020 (Cleantech Group)
But research also discovered progress is concentrated on early-stage development and lacks scale-up investment and policy support. The EU attracted 23% of global cleantech seed-stage funding in 2020, but only 7% of global cleantech growth equity funding (compared to 54% for North America). The EU risks missing key climate targets by failing to scale clean technologies and letting promising innovators scale in North America and Asia instead.
Cleantech for Europe is a new initiative launched by Cleantech Group®, with the support of Breakthrough Energy, to help the EU lead the global clean transformation through targeted research and recommendations on EU cleantech investment and policy. The initiative connects EU policy makers to entrepreneurs and investors.
Its first position paper, published today, Making Fit for 55 a green demand shock to scale EU cleantech, analyses the EU cleantech landscape. It advocates for leveraging the EU’s upcoming Fit for 55 regulatory package to create leadership in five key innovation sectors: green hydrogen, green steel, low-carbon construction materials, sustainable aviation and soil carbon. The paper makes the case for a green demand shock that would pull EU innovators to continental scale and maximize climate impact.
“The EU’s climate future is at a crossroads. Deploying mature technologies such as solar and wind can only take us halfway. To lead the race to net zero, and gain a competitive advantage for decades, the EU needs a green demand shock to scale early-stage clean technologies” said Jules Besnainou, Director, Cleantech Group.
“With the forthcoming ‘Fit for 55’ package, the EU will update almost all of its energy and climate legislation, changing the policy framework for a long time to come. With investment cycles averaging 25 years, what happens in 2050 is essentially being decided today. The stakes couldn’t be higher as only a new generation of clean technologies can lead Europe towards climate neutrality. That is why this study sheds light on persistent challenges in the European innovation ecosystem that urgently need to be addressed – from lack of growth equity and weak demand signals for green products to poor exit routes for successful entrepreneurs” said Ann Mettler, Vice President, Europe, Breakthrough Energy.
Link to research: https://www.cleantechforeurope.com/
About Cleantech Group
At Cleantech Group, we provide research, consulting and events to catalyze opportunities for sustainable growth powered by innovation. We bring clients access to the trends, companies and people shaping the future and the customized advice and support businesses need to engage external innovation. Industries are undergoing definitive transitions toward a more digitized, de-carbonized and resource-efficient industrial future. At every stage from initial strategy to final deals, our services bring corporate change makers, investors, governments and stakeholders from across the ecosystem, the support they need to thrive in this fast-arriving and uncertain future.
The company was established in 2002 and is headquartered in San Francisco with people based in London, Paris and Boston.
About Breakthrough Energy
Founded by Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy is dedicated to helping humanity avoid a climate disaster. Through investment vehicles, philanthropic programs, policy advocacy, and other activities, we’re committed to scaling the technologies we need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. For more information about Breakthrough Energy visit breakthroughenergy.org.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210323005539/en/
Contact information
Jules Besnainou
Director, Cleantech Group
hello@cleantechforeurope.com
+33 6 23 12 00 08
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Takeda’s Zasocitinib Demonstrates Consistent, High Rates of Skin Clearance Across the Body, Including Hard-to-Treat and High-Impact Sites, in Phase 3 Psoriasis Studies17.7.2026 01:00:00 EEST | Press release
Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) announced new data from the two pivotal Phase 3 studies of zasocitinib (TAK-279), a next-generation, highly selective and potent oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (PsO).1 Presented at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Innovation Academy, these secondary endpoint data show that zasocitinib demonstrated consistent and high rates of skin clearance across hard-to-treat, high-impact sites, including the scalp, nails, palms and soles, compared with placebo.1-5 These data build on the topline results from the Phase 3 randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo- and active comparator-controlled LATITUDE PsO 3001 and 3002 studies.2,6 In those studies, about 70% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved static Physician Global Assessment (sPGA) 0/1 (clear or almost clear skin) at week 16, with a significantly greater Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75 response rate seen as early as w
Merz Completes Inaugural €450 Million Schuldschein Loan Issuance17.7.2026 00:36:00 EEST | Press release
The Merz Group has successfully completed its first-ever Schuldschein loan issuance, placing a total volume of €450 million in the debt capital market – a multiple of three relating to the launch volume. The debut transaction was significantly oversubscribed and attracted strong interest from all investor groups. The proceeds were settled and paid out today. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260716926041/en/ Dr. Almuth Steinkühler, Chief Financial Officer Merz Group The transaction comprises both fixed- and floating-rate tranches with maturities of three, five, seven, and ten years. Around 50 German and international investors participated, representing a broad range of institutions, including private banks, German federal state-owned banks, public savings banks, cooperative banks, pension funds and occupational pension institutions. With the successful placement, Merz has further diversified its funding base by
The Estée Lauder Companies Appoints Madeleine Boyd as Senior Vice President, Global Brand Communications16.7.2026 23:22:00 EEST | Press release
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today announced the appointment of Madeleine Boyd as Senior Vice President, Global Brand Communications, effective July 20, 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260716738393/en/ Photo by Esteban La Tessa As part of the company’s continued efforts to strengthen how its brands better connect with consumers, Ms. Boyd will establish and lead a newly integrated Global Brand Communications team. In this role, she will ensure the company’s diverse portfolio is anchored by a cohesive enterprise communications strategy, while accelerating bold, consumer-first storytelling that drives earned media, cultural relevance, and brand desirability. She will also strengthen creator engagement, helping the company’s brands gain attention where culture is being shaped. Ms. Boyd brings extensive experience spanning brand strategy, communications, consumer engagement, and cultural insight
Grid Dynamics Enters Strategic Partnership with Doosan Robotics to Accelerate Physical AI Adoption Across Manufacturing and Logistics16.7.2026 23:05:00 EEST | Press release
Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GDYN) (Grid Dynamics), a premier AI transformation partner for the Fortune 1000, announced today it has entered into a strategic partnership with Doosan Robotics, a global leader in collaborative robot solutions, delivering cutting-edge AI robotics to 45 countries worldwide. Grid Dynamics offers Doosan cobot users a GAIN Platform for Physical AI, which enables rapid creation of advanced robotic manipulation workflows, deployment of the latest physical AI models, and optimization and monitoring of robotic lines using digital twins. The GAIN Platform for Physical AI and corresponding integration services enable industrial users to solve advanced robotic automation use cases such as processing and inspection of complex-geometry objects, assembly with variability, and packaging of unseens and deformable items, which are not tractable for traditional robotics software. The partnership aims to accelerate the joint go-to-market strategy for the integrated
NetApp Acquires DataPelago, Making Data AI-Ready at the Infrastructure Layer16.7.2026 19:30:00 EEST | Press release
NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, today announced it has acquired DataPelago, a California-based AI data infrastructure company recognized for its innovative approach to eliminating data processing bottlenecks for AI and analytics workloads. The acquisition marks a foundational expansion of NetApp's portfolio, enabling GPU-accelerated data processing aligned directly with the storage layer. With this acquisition, NetApp establishes itself as the company that makes zero-copy activation of enterprise data for AI real. AI is the defining platform shift of our era, but enterprises are discovering that their greatest bottleneck is preparing, governing, and activating their data fast enough to put AI into production. The key to accomplishing this objective is to enable accelerated computing where the data is created and stored. DataPelago solves this challenge by fundamentally reimagining where accelerated compute happens: at the data layer, not above it. "
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom