During a first panel discussion dedicated to greening glass manufacturing, Glass for Europe’s Chairman, Davide Cappellino from AGC Glass Europe engaged in a discussion with Kurt Vandenberghe from DG CLIMA, Elena Donazzan, Member of the European Parliament and a representative from the container glass sector.
Mr Cappellino touched upon several issues, including the technological challenges that remain to be overcome for the full decarbonisation of the flat glass production process, the importance of glass recycling, and the limited market acceptance of lower-carbon glass products successfully developed by the European industry in the recent years. This was followed by a debate on possible policy responses to these issues with the high-level policy officials involved in the panel.
Recommendations for a more conducive policy environment
Following a second panel dedicated to investment drivers and trade conditions, Glass for Europe’s Secretary General, Bertrand Cazes, who is also acting Secretary General of Glass Alliance Europe, delivered the event’s closing remarks. He presented policy recommendations in six areas to create a more conducive policy environment:
· Ensuring access to low-carbon energy, infrastructures and recycled glass
· Supporting electricity efforts by making the glass sector eligible to indirect cost compensation
· Addressing investment gaps to support decarbonisation efforts, especially in sectors like flat glass where the decarbonisation technologies are not yet available
· Reforming the EU ETS to guarantee liquidity on the carbon market and ensure protection against carbon leakage
· Creating lead markets for low carbon European-made products
· Introducing timely trade defence measures in case of unfair competition from third countries
Thomas Davreux, Chairman of Glass Alliance Europe and Director General of INDUFED – a national partner of Glass for Europe – added a reminder that glass and glazing products are essential to Europe’s transition to climate neutrality and strategic autonomy, thanks to glazing’s exceptional energy-saving properties in buildings.
