Von der Leyen: “If we want true independence, we must accelerate electrification”

Brussels – “As long as we rely on oil and gas, we remain vulnerable. If we want true independence, we must accelerate electrification,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in her opening speech at the Clean Tech Conference 2026, which began today (19 May). “Consumers are already moving – electric vehicle purchases, for example, have risen by 51 per cent since the start of the war,” she continued, praising the clean technology sector, which creates 100,000 new jobs in the European Union each year, while “incredible innovation is happening across our continent.” According to von der Leyen, however, we need to “do more at a European level” and for this reason, the Commission “will present an Electrification Action Plan – with clear targets to end our exposure to fossil fuel price shocks for good.” 

The situation in the Middle East “is sending shockwaves across the world.” The European Union is “less exposed than before, but we are not immune,” the President pointed out. The path to independence, therefore, centres on “electrification and homegrown clean energy”. This means, however, ensuring “that these technologies are developed and manufactured in Europe.” For von der Leyen, the foundations are solid: “from offshore wind to electrolysers. And two-thirds of Europe’s heat pumps are made here.” 

The President of the European Commission warned of global competition, which is “increasingly tough and often unfair.” “That is why we introduced the Industrial Accelerator Act – to simplify rules, speed up permitting, and ensure that foreign investments deliver real value to Europe,” she noted. Also to ensure real benefits, the EU introduced ‘Made in EU’ and low-carbon criteria in public procurement. This way, von der Leyen explained, “we are making sure that taxpayers’ money flows to our own European industry.”

But the EU must not just use the clean technologies of the future; we must build them,” the President concluded. And, to do so, investment in the transition must be unlocked. “The emissions trading system is key. And we know it works – since 2005, emissions have fallen by 39 per cent in covered sectors, while the economy has grown by 71 per cent. It has generated over EUR 260 billion.” At the  European level, von der Leyen pointed out, “100 per cent of these revenues are reinvested into clean innovation.” This is not the case, however, at a national level, because the billions generated by the emissions trading system are not always reinvested in the green economy. This is precisely the core issue of the ETS (Emission trading System) reform, expected this summer.