Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General of DG CLIMA, European Commission

Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General of DG CLIMA, European Commission, will brief Asia House Corporate Members on the EU’s sustainability and climate change agenda, at an off-the-record digital briefing on Tuesday, 12 March.  

October last year marked the start of phase one of the European Union (EU)’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The measure is an extension of the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which sets a cap on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that can be released from industrial installations in certain sectors. CBAM will initially apply to companies exporting goods that are made in carbon-intensive processes, such as iron and steel, fertilisers, and electricity.  Importers will be required to buy certificates priced along the lines of the bloc’s emissions trading permits from 2026.   

Speaking from Brussels, Kurt will share his views on the impact of CBAM on economic relations between Europe and Asia and outline how the EU is supporting economies in Asia to accelerate their decarbonisation efforts. Collaboration efforts between the EU and its Asian partners, such as the EU-ASEAN Green Initiative and the European Green Deal, will also be discussed in the digital briefing. 

Kurt was appointed Director General of DG CLIMA, which oversees the European Commission’s global & domestic action to fight climate change, in January 2023. He was previously the Green Deal and Health advisor to President Ursula von der Leyen.    

The briefing will be held digitally for Asia House Corporate Members and moderated by Asia House Chief Executive Michael Lawrence OBE. To register interest, please email Thomas Scott-Bell, Programme Producer: thomas.scott-bell@asiahouse.co.uk