\n\t\t\tTrade\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
European governments are looking to bolster the region\u2019s competitiveness without jeopardizing its low-carbon transition. High energy prices, supply-chain disruptions, and persistent labor and skill shortages are straining the region\u2019s industrial base. At the same time, global trade wars are exacerbating uncertainties in the market.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This pressure is felt acutely in clean-tech manufacturing. According to recent BNEF research, a quarter of the EU\u2019s exports are destined for the US, which renders the bloc particularly vulnerable to US President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201creciprocal\u201d tariffs. Negotiations on a final trade deal between Washington and Brussels are still ongoing, and the uncertainty created by Trump\u2019s mercurial negotiating style could prove just as damaging as the tariffs themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tFinance\u00a0\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Investors today face the urgent challenge of turning net-zero pledges into practical outcomes. Yet there remains a yawning gap between real-world investment and climate goals. According to BNEF\u2019s Energy Supply Fund-Enabled Capex Ratio (ESFR), last year, funds enabled just 48 cents of low-carbon energy supply for every dollar spent on fossil fuels. That ratio needs to rise to 4:1 this decade to be on track for net zero.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The investment landscape is also shifting rapidly. The US is reversing climate-aligned finance directives and sustainability disclosure rules, while the EU has proposed easing corporate ESG requirements in the name of competitiveness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The global financial ecosystem will be critical in enabling flows of capital to the energy transition. Panels and talks such as Weighing the Investment Opportunity: Conventional Versus Clean Energy and BNEF Talk: Letting Balance Sheets Do the Talking will consider how to strengthen these flows even as political headwinds blow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tIberian blackout\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Europe is experiencing record levels of renewable deployment, but this boom is also exposing systemic flaws. Negative power prices are becoming more frequent and severe, while curtailment and price cannibalization deepen revenue uncertainty. When a blackout swept the Iberian Peninsula in April, it underscored the urgent need for power-system flexibility and stronger grid stability as Europe\u2019s energy transition accelerates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The risk revealed by the blackout is not unique to Spain, however. Advanced grid technologies, which could have helped avoid the blackout, and increased grid investment will both be critical components of preparing Europe\u2019s power grid for the future. Summit sessions including The Grid Transformation: Reliability in a Changing System and Fireside Chat: How to Spur Grid Innovation will consider how new technology and approaches can keep the grid resilient as the share of renewables rises.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Related BNEF analysis:\u00a0 \t\t\t \n\t\t\tJoin us in London\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Inside the Blackout That Froze the Iberian Power Grid<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n