BRUSSELS, 10 February 2022 – Gerd Müller, UNIDO Director General intervened at the EU Industry days and stressed the importance of global solidarity to achieve the twin green and digital transition.

EU Industry Days is Europe’s flagship annual event, organized by the European Commission, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders including senior policy makers and business leaders. The 2022 edition took place in a hybrid format in Brussels between 8 - 11 February, and allowed for discussions on green, digital, and resilient pathways for industrial ecosystems.

UNIDO new Director General, Gerd Müller, brought a global perspective to the high-level panel business case "EU industrial ecosystems on the path to the green and digital transition". He affirmed that the design and implementation of this transition had to take place at a global level: “Of course, a green and digital future is in the interest of us all. But if we only look for solutions in Europe, this is not realistic”. Thus, “to solve the current challenges of COVID-19, climate change, and persistent poverty, hunger and insecurity, we need a global response. We need a comprehensive Africa-EU partnership on climate and energy”

He emphasized the need for massive investments in infrastructure development, and especially in energy infrastructures, as well as an open market that reflects our values, where “economic growth goes hand-in-hand with improved living standards”, and “sustainability must be the basis for industry and economic cooperation and for global trade”. He made a clear call for commitment from the EU, governments, the private sector from all over Europe and beyond to a global level playing field.

On the same day, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, highlighted the need to create “balanced inter-dependencies with like-minded partners”, while Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market stressed the importance to build resilient industries and diversify supply chains.

In the framework of EU Industry Week 2022, UNIDO also organized two local events. The programme EU4Environment, financed by the European Union and implemented by five international partners including UNIDO, hosted two National Conferences to promote the Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) methodology for resilient industries and SMEs in Georgia on 8 February and in the Republic of Moldova on 10 February. The two events gathered national industrial enterprises and governments, bringing them closer to the path of green production, resilience, and green growth.

For more information, please contact:

Patrick Jean Gilabert

Head of UNIDO Office in Brussels

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