The European Industrial Carbon Management Summit 2025 gathered a remarkably broad group of stakeholders in Brussels for a full day of discussion, insight, and collaboration. Policymakers, industry leaders, NGOs, and national representatives came together with one shared goal: to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Europe.
The atmosphere throughout the day was focused and forward-looking. From the opening panel to the final reflections, one message stood out clearly — Europe is at a crucial moment, and the time to act is now.
A meeting of minds and mandates
The Summit featured interventions from key voices shaping Europe’s industrial and climate agenda. European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, delivered a video message from South Africa, underlining that industrial carbon management will be essential for achieving Europe’s climate targets while safeguarding its competitiveness. His message reinforced that CCS is no longer a niche technology, but a core part of the EU’s strategy for a climate-neutral and industrially strong Europe.
Dr Anders Hoffmann, Deputy Permanent Secretary at Denmark’s Ministry for Climate, Energy and Utilities, followed with a Danish perspective — showing how Denmark has gone from practically nothing on CCS in 2020 to becoming one of Europe’s frontrunners today. His message was clear: political will has been the decisive factor. With targeted policy support, collaboration across government and industry, and a commitment to move quickly, Denmark has demonstrated that rapid progress is possible.
From within the European Commission, Daniel Mes, Member of the Competitiveness Taskforce, shared how the new Commission sees CCS as part of a broader European competitiveness agenda. Europe’s green transition must not only cut emissions — it must also protect and grow the industries that provide jobs and innovation.
And in a fireside chat with Mes, Chris Davies — former Member of the European Parliament, rapporteur for the 2009 CCS Directive, and former Director of CCS Europe — reflected on how far the political conversation has come. He reminded us that while the Directive laid the foundation more than a decade ago, true progress depends on political delivery and cross-sector cooperation.
"Europe now has the talent, the technology, and the vision. What we need is political coherence, speed, and delivery. The ICM Summit showed that the partnerships and momentum exist." - Bergur Løkke Rasmussen, CCS Europe Director
From ambition to delivery
Throughout the Summit, one message resonated: Europe must move from ambition to delivery.
Participants agreed that success depends on a cohesive policy framework that connects legislation, infrastructure, and financing — not a patchwork of uncoordinated initiatives. Several speakers pointed out that fragmented permitting and slow national implementation remain major barriers to investment.
A recurring theme was the importance of including the emitters themselves — especially the hard-to-abate industries like cement, lime, steel, and chemicals. For these sectors, CCS is not optional; it is the only viable path to full decarbonisation. Policies must therefore be developed with industry, not just for it.
Financing was also identified as a decisive challenge. Many projects are ready to proceed but lack the conditions to reach final investment decision. Public de-risking, clear regulatory signals, and predictable funding are essential to attract the private capital needed to build Europe’s CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure.
And finally, public understanding remains vital. CCS must be seen as a tool to protect jobs, sustain Europe’s industrial base, and achieve climate neutrality. Transparency and accountability will be key to maintaining trust.
Bridging the gap
The Summit’s central theme — bridging the gap between ambition and action — was not just the title of the event’s final reflections. It was also the message I carried to Bucharest two days later at the Zero Carbon Conference, where I spoke about the same challenge at a European level.
Europe now has the talent, the technology, and the vision. What we need is political coherence, speed, and delivery. The ICM Summit showed that the partnerships and momentum exist. The next step is clear: to bridge the gap between policy ambition and industrial reality — and to make CCS the backbone of Europe’s net-zero future.
--By Bergur Løkke Rasmussen, CCS Europe Director