Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The European Round Table for Industry (ERT) is actively engaged on climate change policy in the EU. Despite broadly supporting scaling up renewable energy and generally supporting top-line climate objectives, the association has consistently advocated to weaken carbon pricing policies in the EU and emphasized the risks of deindustrialization from climate action in Europe in 2024.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: The European Round Table for Industry (ERT) is supportive of climate action in its top-line communications but takes an ambiguous stance on government regulation. In an April 2024 position paper, ERT supported the European Green Deal and climate neutrality in the EU by 2050. However, in the same position paper it advocated for a “leaner regulatory framework,” while also supporting government regulation such as accelerated permitting processes for electricity grids. In a joint statement published in April 2024, the ERT emphasized the threat of deindustrialization from climate policies. In an October 2023 position paper ERT advocated against any additional EU regulations or climate targets, stating public and private investments in decarbonization should be the priority going forward, and emphasizing the risk of deindustrialization from climate policy and the costs of the green transition.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policies: The European Round Table for Industry (ERT) supports specific climate policies with some exceptions, having consistently advocated to weaken carbon pricing policies. In an April 2024 position paper, the association advocated to prolong the phase out of free allowances in the EU ETS due to industry competitiveness concerns and stated that the CBAM “fails to ensure the competitiveness of European energy intensive industries.” In a January 2025 position paper on the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism, it appeared to not fully support its introduction, advocating for higher value or weight thresholds for products falling under the CBAM’s scope. In an April 2024 report on European Energy Infrastructure, the association broadly the revision of the EU Renewable Energy Directive and the Delegated Acts on renewable hydrogen and recycled carbon fuels.
Positioning on Energy Transition: The European Round Table for Industry (ERT) is broadly supportive of the energy transition but takes positions on the future role of hydrogen and fossil gas which do not appear to be aligned with IPCC recommendations on limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. The association called for upgrading EU-wide energy infrastructure to stimulate the deployment of renewable energy, while also generally advocating for fossil gas, hydrogen and CO2 pipelines, and carbon capture storage and utilisation (CCUS), in an October 2023 position paper. ERT advocated for a continued role for fossil gas as a transition fuel in the global energy mix, and generally supported hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, with some mention of the need for CCS, in an April 2024 position paper.