EU must give industrial regions more freedom, funding to go green – analysis
Clean Energy Wire
Europe’s industrial heartlands need easier access to EU funding and binding climate strategies that extend beyond political terms to achieve decarbonisation by 2050 and remain competitive, according to the Ruhr Regional Association (RVR).
The development authority for Germany’s Ruhr industrial heartland said the regions also require targeted support for research and development as well as technology transfer through closer links between academia, industry and start-ups. It called for greater political and financial autonomy for regional authorities to tailor investment and funding programmes, a Europe-wide training drive for green-industry skills, and binding targets by 2030 to expand hydrogen production, storage and transport in line with industrial demand.
The calls stem from a Fraunhofer ISI report commissioned by the RVR that examined 10 European industrial regions, including Germany’s Ruhr and Belgium’s Flanders, to identify factors for driving a successful green transition. The regions were selected for criteria such as a focus on energy-intensive industries and comparatively low air pollution as an indicator of progression on cutting emissions.
RVR’s director Garrelt Duin said in a statement that regional actors needed strong EU, federal and state government backing for their climate-neutrality plans and not backtracking on climate policy. The Ruhr region shows climate protection and competitiveness aren’t mutually exclusive if politics charts the right course, Duin added.
In February 2025, the European Commission put forward its Clean Industrial Deal, which aims to transform the EU’s industry to climate friendly production while ensuring it remains competitive on the global stage.
