Earlier this month, NACC Co-Chair Sophia Demetriades and NACC Member Anja Jones Gudbrandsen attended the EABC Ministerial Corporate Lunch and Industry Forum with European Energy Commissioner (Minister) Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy, and Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister the Hon Chris Bowen MP in Sydney.
Following keynote addresses by the Commissioner and Minister, an eminent panel of speakers led a thought-provoking discussion on domestic policy frameworks and bilateral initiatives necessary to facilitate Australia’s and the EU’s ability to achieve their energy and decarbonisation targets. Other topics included the investment, skills, R&D and technologies that will be required; opportunities and obstacles faced by industry and investors in both markets; and insights from each of the panellists on best-practice, business strategies, and the rapidly changing regulatory environment.
Minister Bowen and Commissioner Simson announced the release of a joint communiqué, together with Resources Minister Madeleine King, on the priority areas for closer EU-Australia cooperation to accelerate clean energy transition, resilient and sustainable global supply chains for net-zero technologies, while also delivering a just transition and long-term energy security. Highlighting the significant existing cooperation between Australia and the EU in the energy sector, the Minister and Commissioner underlined the strategic importance of deepening the partnership.
Specific areas for cooperation include the establishment of a bilateral Strategic Partnership on Critical Minerals (currently under negotiation); efforts to ensure the interoperability of standards in key areas of cooperation areas such as clean hydrogen; and initiatives to ease the bilateral flow of technologies, investment and skills that are critical to the energy transition and broader decarbonisation agenda. Please find a copy of the Joint Ministerial Statement here and the Commissioner’s Speech here
EABC would like to thank all our participating members including EABC Board Member Brett Wickham, Managing Director,ACCIONA Energía; EABC Board Member Stephen Forshaw, Chief Representative, Airbus; EABC Board Member Martin Merrick, President and CEO,Volvo Group; Professor Ross Garnaut AC, Director, ZEN Energy; Professor Emma Johnston AO, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), The University of Sydney and CSIRO Board Member; and EABC Corporate Council Member John Lydon, Co-Chair of the Australian Climate Leaders Coalition. Also joining members for the Industry Roundtable were Daniel Westerman, CEO, Australian Energy Market Operator; and Danny Nielsen, Senior Vice President and Country Head of Vestas.
EABC would also like to thank our event table sponsors Airbus, BDO, Enel Green Power and ZEN Energy and supporting partners from the diplomatic and Chamber network, including the Embassy of Denmark, Estonian Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, French-Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, German-Australian Chamber of Industry & Commerce, Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Norwegian Australian Chamber of Commerce, the Polish Australian Business Forum, and Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce.
View photo gallery here.