Energy and competitiveness at the heart of new College of Commissioners

On Tuesday, President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen presented the next College of Commissioners*. With climate change continuing to be the major backdrop for EU policies, Teresa Ribera, a veteran advocate of climate action, has been tasked with leading the EU’s “clean industrial deal” to promote green companies, while Denmark’s Dan J?rgensen has been appointed Commissioner for Energy and Housing.

?As the first-ever Commissioner for Housing, Dan J?rgensen will oversee all aspects from energy efficiency to investment and construction.?The Dane will likewise keep a firm focus on bringing down energy prices, invest in clean energy and ensure that Europe cuts its dependencies - a crucial component of the EU's renewed focus on competitiveness and repeated attention to building a decarbonised economy.

?While much more is yet to materialise, the developments in recent years show that dedicated efforts are paying dividends: In the first half of 2024, half of the EU's electricity generation came from renewable sources. The green transition has also proved to be to the EU’s financial benefit, as the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 32.5% from 1990 to 2022. In the same period, its collective economy has grown by around 67%.

?Efforts, however, will need to be stepped up further for the EU to meet its 11.7% final energy consumption reduction target by 2030. In this vein, heat electrification, increased rates of building renovations, risk reductions of energy investments and a greater focus on efficiency measures across the board are earmarked as high-potential deliverables. With J?rgensen now having a big say, these are areas high on the agenda during Denmark’s?upcoming?Presidency?of the Council of the?European Union starting 1 July 2025, where Danish solutions providers look to showcase a demonstrated track record.?

During J?rgensen’s tenure as Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Denmark adopted one of the world’s most ambitious climate targets —?a 70% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Denmark also successfully began to transition workers away from oil and gas extraction jobs in the North Sea, while setting up the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), a global coalition of governments and partners seeking to end fossil fuel exploration.

*Although von der Leyen has officially nominated her new line-up, the appointments are still not set in stone. A longer approval process awaits, where all commissioners must be approved by the EU’s Council of Ministers and the European Parliament respectively.

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