This week in EU policy: Major renewables conference, a focus on Oceans and trouble from Berlin

"When we protect marine areas, life returns," so said UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in the South of France on Monday.

Oceans are really in the spotlight this week, even as the Impact community is still digesting the announcement last month of the EU's new Startup and Scaleup Strategy.

The two themes, water and innovation – which we at Impact Loop know are on a lot of investors' minds at the moment – have collided nicely this week, with the launch of an EU Oceans plan. But that's not the only thing we've got on the Blue Economy agenda this week.

1. Commission launches European Ocean Pact

The news: Ahead of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, the European Commission has launched its framework to bring together policies around ocean conservation and sustainability.

What happens now: There is to be a corresponding Ocean Act introduced by 2027, which will solidify the operations of the pact.

What it means for impact companies and investors: There are six priorities in the Ocean Pact, several of them with strong impact connections. The EU has already made clear it wants to boost sustainable competitiveness in the blue economy, particularly with an eye to emissions reduction and innovation, both of which should be of great interest to impact companies working in the water space.

Another part of the pact is the introduction of a Blue Generational Renewal Strategy, which aims to foster the next generation of water-tech and sustainability researchers, potentially a rich area for recruitment.

2. EU Sustainable Energy Week in Brussels

The news: Europe’s de-facto capital is hosting its annual conference on all things renewables, green transition and affordable energy.

What happens now: The three-day policy conference kicks off today, Tuesday the 10th, and runs for three days.

What it means for impact companies and investors: This is the biggest annual European policy event around renewables and energy. There will be keynote speeches from the Commission and others, as well as dialogues and roundtables on myriad policy issues. Investors in particular would do well to watch for what clues we can get about the future of the Clean Industrial Deal, particularly now with ‘simplification’ measures chipping away at the overall strategy.

There are also loads of lower-level discussions on everything from decarbonising transport to AI sustainability. Plenty to learn here about the future Impact investing landscape in Europe.

3. German auto lobby pushes for C02 rollback

The news: The German Association for the Automotive Industry (VDA) – the country’s main car lobby – is pushing to weaken the EU’s 2035 internal combustion engine ban, leaving room for some auto manufacturers to continue producing carbon-emitting cars past the deadline.

What happens now: This demand is reportedly part of a 10-point plan the VDA plans to present, presumably to try to pressure the new German government for support.

What it means for impact companies and investors: This isn’t exactly happening in Brussels, but the ripples are already being felt there. The new German chancellor Friedrich Merz is widely seen as more interested in what the business world has to say than climate scientists, and his party had previously pushed to reverse the EU’s ban.

It’s a problem in itself, as climate experts are warning that what the VDA wants would mean billions of tonnes of needless carbon emissions. It also signals rocky days ahead, as the EU tries to keep Germany, arguably the most powerful and influential country in the union, onside with its climate ambitions.

4. New roadmap for Climate-Health research funding

The news: The Commission has announced what it calls an ‘ambitious’ roadmap for funding of research and innovation on the Climate-Health nexus.

What happens now: The strategy report is available here. It’s being done through the Horizon Europe science and research programme, which has already doled out billions in innovation funding.

What it means for impact companies and investors: The Climate-Health nexus is still a concept that’s only emerging in the public consciousness, but will prove ever more salient as Impact companies turn their attention towards climate adaptation.

The realities of climate change are already here, and are affecting peoples’ health and wellbeing, so startups and investors looking at how to mitigate those effects with innovative – and ambitious – projects should be paying close attention to this report and the funding opportunities that may emerge from it.

5. New jobs board for the Blue Economy, with a focus on conservation

The news: The EU has been touting a new jobs board focused on the Blue Economy, maritime conservation and sustainability.

What happens now: The board appears to be active already, here.

What it means for impact companies and investors: We’ve been talking a lot about water this week, so this oddity – while not a policy matter – seems worth noting. Amid all the other contested areas of the green transition, the EU seems very keen on ploughing money into the blue economy. Impact startups and companies looking to take advantage of that funding to boost recruitment will likely find this board invaluable, though at the moment it doesn't seem to have too many jobs there yet.

If you have any thoughts on this round-up, what should or should not be in here, or you want to reach out with a tip of your own, feel free to get in touch – editorial@loop.se.