World Resources Institute (WRI), We Mean Business Coalition, and Strategic Perspectives convened high-level policymakers, business leaders and experts on the 11 June at the Press Club Brussels Europe to push for a robust 2040 emissions target and a credible 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the EU. Over the past decade, climate-related damages in the EU exceeded €145 billion, while fossil fuel imports reached €376 billion in 2024 alone. Meanwhile, renewable energy now supplies a record 48% of EU electricity, underscoring the potential for a cleaner, more resilient economy.
Keynote speakers included Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group (IKEA); Stientje van Veldhoven, Vice-President from World Resources Institute; María Mendiluce, CEO, We Mean Business Coalition; Cedric de Meeûs, VP Group Public Affairs and Social Impact, Holcim; Anne-Sophie Cerisola, Distinguished Fellow, Strategic Perspectives; and Kurt Vandenberghe (PHOTO), Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General Climate Action (DG CLIMA).