IE Competitiveness Hub Brussels and Alinnea highlight the role of the climate transition in driving Europe’s competitiveness and security

Madrid, June 2026. The IE Competitiveness Hub Brussels, the Brussels-based applied research platform of IE University, and Alinnea, IE’s Climate Think & Action Tank, recently highlighted the role of the climate transition in driving Europe’s competitiveness and security. International experts shared reflections on the climate transition as a catalyst for competitiveness, security and prosperity for Europe, at a time of growing geopolitical, technological and economic uncertainty.

The event, titled “Climate Transition and Competitiveness: Ambition, Advantages and Trade-offs,” brought together leading representatives from both the public and private sectors. Participants included Sara Aagesen, Third Vice-President of the Spanish Government and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge; Enrico Letta, Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs at IE University; and Ana Belén Sánchez, Director of Alinnea.

During their interventions, participants emphasized that climate ambition, industrial competitiveness and economic security must increasingly be addressed as part of a single agenda. They also emphasized the importance of strengthening Europe’s industrial base, accelerating the energy transition, ensuring access to critical technologies and raw materials, and building a more integrated European market capable of attracting investment and fostering innovation.

"We do not have to choose between competitiveness and the green transition. We must continue moving forward with determination, aligning our actions with our strategic vision in the short, medium and long term. This will enhance our security, resilience and autonomy across socio-economic, industrial and energy dimensions, while reducing vulnerabilities," stated Minister Sara Aagesen. "Europe must be smart. It cannot afford to replace one dependency with another, whether in energy, raw materials or clean technologies," she added.

"In recent months, another concept has become closely linked to sustainability: security. The lack of energy independence represents one of the most critical threats to our future. If the climate transition is to succeed politically and economically, it must be anchored in the strategic dimension of security," noted Dean Enrico Letta.

"Future competitiveness will depend on our ability to integrate climate ambition into the decisions we take today. At Alinnea, we create spaces for dialogue and collaboration that transform knowledge into action and the challenges of the transition into opportunities for innovation, resilience and long-term value creation," highlighted Ana Belén Sánchez, Director of Alinnea.

In a context of growing uncertainty, driven by geopolitical tensions, energy crises, supply chain vulnerabilities, and rising social and security pressures, speakers stressed that the key question is not whether Europe should pursue climate ambition, but how to do so without weakening its competitiveness. They underlined that dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets undermines economic stability and industrial resilience, and that the transition must be advanced in a way that safeguards competitiveness, supports investment and strengthens Europe’s long-term strategic autonomy.

The event also featured Frank Elderson, Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, and Lara de Mesa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Grupo Santander and Co-Chair of the Global Steering Committee of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). The event concluded with closing remarks by Isabela del Alcázar, Chief Purpose & Sustainability Officer at IE University.