Think2030 Conference 2026

Think2030 Conference

21 April 2026

Area42 – Rue des Palais 46, 1030, Brussels

50 Years of the Institute for European Environmental Policy

Think2030 Conference under the Cyprus Presidency

This is a decisive decade for the European Union marked by geopolitical instability, accelerating climate impacts, and growing competitiveness and resilience concerns. In this challenging context, the question of how to sustain and strengthen EU environmental leadership has never been more pressing.

How can Europe deliver on its climate, biodiversity and zero-pollution ambitions while ensuring strategic autonomy in key sectors such as food systems, water management and industrial production? How can environmental policy continue to act as a driver of resilience, innovation and long-term prosperity? These questions hang there as the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) marks its 50th anniversary as the Brussels-based think tank specialised in EU environmental policy. For five decades, IEEP has supported evidence-based and impact-driven policymaking, helping to shape Europe’s environmental acquis and its global leadership in sustainability.

IEEP’s Think2030 Conference is thus the opportunity of the year to reflect on fifty years of EU environmental policymaking while looking decisively to the future. Together with Think Sustainable Europe, the IEEP network of think tanks, and our partners, the conference will welcome decision-makers, environmental experts, industry and civil society.

The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

— Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

About the conference

A highlight of the conference will be the participation of Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, whose keynote speech and panel contribution will set the strategic frame for discussions on how Europe can align environmental ambition with economic transformation, social fairness and global responsibility.

The event will deliver policy insights and recommendations on the key environmental priorities of the Cyprus Presidency to promote EU leadership on sustainability, resilience and competitiveness. In fact,the conference will take place during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which places a strong emphasis on climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, water management and reinforcing Europe’s global standing. These priorities will provide an important policy context for the discussions throughout the day.

The conference will feature a combination of high-level keynotes, plenary sessions, and a series of breakout ‘science and policy sessions’ for more in-depth policy discussions with prominent experts. The ‘science and policy sessions will focus on topics including sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and a balanced EU trade policy that delivers both for strategic autonomy and environmental sustainability.

High-level panel: Setting Europe’s direction for the next decade

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The conference will feature senior policymakers and thought leaders to debate the future of EU environmental and sustainability policy. Areas of discussion include:

Reconciling environmental ambition and competitiveness: how the EU can turn climate and environmental objectives into drivers of innovation, industrial leadership and economic resilience

Resilience and strategic autonomy in a context of climate impacts, resource constraints and geopolitical uncertainty

The role of environmental policy in a changing global order, including trade, international partnerships and EU leadership on climate and biodiversity

Delivering a just transition, ensuring that environmental and economic transformation works for citizens, regions and sectors across Europe

The conference is part of the Think2030 event series, a multi-stakeholder forum that provides science-based policy recommendations for a more sustainable Europe. This Think2030 builds on previous editions co-organised with the Polish Presidency (March 2025) and the Danish Presidency (September 2025).