Technical Briefing Series “Coffee & Cleantech”

Join us in our next iteration in Berlin in January 2025!

Coffee & Cleantech - Briefing policymakers on neglected sectors.

Our series of 45-minute insightful and engaging technical briefings is aimed at providing policymakers and advisers in Brussels and Berlin with a concise yet sufficient overview on technological innovations for decarbonizing the most neglected hard-to-abate sectors. Based on FCAs research and analyses, our Cleantech Analysts summarize the key facts and figures on some of the most challenging issues, such as decarbonizing cement production, bringing long duration energy storage to scale, and fast-tracking sustainable aviation.

Coming up: 2nd Berlin edition in January!

Guest impressions

"FCA's coffee and cleantech offers me the two things I need to start my day as an MEP: caffeine to focus and stimulating science-based analysis to sharpen the mind."

Thomas Pellerin-Carlin

MEP | Socialists & Democrats, France

"Science facts and coffee while debunking myths and false promises. Perfect recipe for an early breakfast meeting."

Dominykas Mordas

Policy Advisor | Renew Europe, European Parliament

''I am very impressed by this Cleantech-event. The information is presented in a clear and accessible manner and it is easy understandable.''

Thomas Rudner

MEP | Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament

''The policy factsheet presented was one of the most effective and succinct on the topic I have seen.''

Jakop Dalunde

MEP | Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance

''You are very effective in going straight to the point in the policy debate, providing high level evidence of the key reasons to pursue the propoped solutions, with a fair and independent comparison of alternatives, which summarizes in a few graphs complex concepts to animate policy debate.''

Antonio Marco Pantaleo

Programme Manager | European Innovation Council

''The transformation of the transport sector, in line with the objectives of the Green Deal, requires the market introduction of fundamentally new technologies and close cross-sectoral cooperation across the different modes of transport. By investing in research and development, this transformation will create jobs and, in the long term, help Europe become a leader in green technologies.''

Jane Amilhat

Head of Unit | Clean Transport Transitions in the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD)

Previous Sessions

First Berlin edition of Coffee & Cleantech in the Bundestag, November 2024

In a turbulent time for German politics, our technical briefing series for policymakers took place in the German capital and today it was all about hydrogen and its derivatives. We were delighted to host our 45-minute briefing discussing questions such as:

What is the current status of hydrogen as of now from a global perspective and how will demand develop?
Which production pathways are there and what energy penalties do they come with?
Which sectors should be prioritized for hydrogen and which are better decarbonized without.

Some of the key takeaways from the event were:

Today, hydrogen production emissions remain significant.
Hydrogen is energy intensive to produce and does not contribute to energy security.
Clean hydrogen should be prioritized in sectors such as ammonia, chemical, and steel. Clean hydrogen should be excluded in sectors where electrification is the most efficient decarbonization route.

April 2024 Brussels session on Cement and Construction

Concrete, a mixture of cement, air, water, sand, and gravel, is the most used man-made material and an indispensable building block of our modern society. Cement production emissions amount to 5% of the global greenhouse gas emissions per year. The cement industry is highly competitive, with low margins and little innovation and needs comprehensive support to decarbonize. But why is the cement sector so relevant for reaching a net-zero 2050? What challenges do we face in decarbonizing the cement sector? What alternatives or solutions can we implement to decarbonize cement production? Find answers in our factsheet on Cement.

Our first edition! October 2023 session on LDES in Brussels

Electricity generation is responsible for over 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the vast majority of which come from coal and gas-fired power plants. Decarbonizing electricity will require large amounts of solar and wind energy. Solar and wind are already the cheapest and fastest-growing energy sources globally; however, they fluctuate over time. How can LDES enables the integration of large shares of solar and wind into the power grid? Find answers in our factsheet on LDES and this blogpost on the different LDES technologies and their applications.

October 2024 Brussels session on High-Temperature Heat in Industry

High-temperature processes in hard-to-abate industries, such as steel forging and cement production, are essential to modern society and achieving net zero. Although they still rely on burning fossil fuels to generate the necessary heat (500–2000°C), they can be largely electrified in the medium term, often in combination with thermal storage. Commercialization is already underway for many applications, and while significant engineering R&D and economic challenges remain when scaling up, no fundamental scientific breakthroughs are necessary to electrify these processes. Learn more about this on our new technical report, which comprehensively compares the different technology pathways available for decarbonizing high-temperature heat processes in industry.

January 2024 Brussels session on Aviation

Aviation is the fastest-growing emitter in the transport sector. At the same time, it is very hard to switch the sector to a more sustainable path. Why is that? What technological alternatives are available? What would a holistic solution pathway look like? Find answers in our latest factsheet on aviation, read the release on contrails in our joint series with German newspaper Handelsblatt, and take a look at this short film, anchored by our CEO Peter Schniering, featuring Clara Pfeffer (RTL Deutschland), Eleanor Webster (Mission Innovation), Ingrid El Helou (FCA), and Marlène Siméon (FCA).