Delivering on the European Green Deal: A Private Sector Perspective

The report finds that while European companies have reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 28% between 2019 and 2023, Scope 3 emissions remain stable and current trajectories are insufficient for net zero by 2050. Key obstacles include regulatory complexity, fragmented markets, and slow permitting processes, with 81% of EU wind capacity stuck in permitting. The document highlights a significant private funding gap of €477 billion and the need for a just transition for 14 million workers in 'brown' sectors.

• European companies have made significant progress in reducing direct emissions, with Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions of analysed companies decreasing by 28% between 2019 and 2023. However, Scope 3 emissions remained relatively stable during this period.
• Current emission reduction trajectories are insufficient to meet the 2050 net-zero goal. The International Energy Agency suggests that approximately 30% of current EU emissions will remain by 2050, while for the manufacturing sector, 45% are forecasted to remain.
• A small number of industry sub-sectors drive the majority of emissions. Half of the Scope 1 and 2 emissions are attributable to electric services (20%), petroleum refining (17%), and steel (13%). For Scope 3, petroleum refining (33%), automotive (11%), and metal mining (8%) are the primary contributors.
• Regulatory complexity and permitting delays are major barriers to green innovation. 69% of surveyed companies identify regulatory uncertainty as the top barrier to scaling green solutions, and 81% of wind capacity in the EU is currently stuck in the permitting process.
• The EU faces a substantial investment gap to reach its 2030 targets. The European Commission estimates a private funding gap of €477 billion, with only 20-25% of the total €1.2 trillion annual investment need expected to be covered by the public sector.
• EU public funding processes are criticized for being overly complex compared to other regions. One interviewed applicant reported that an EU application required 400 pages and took nine months, whereas a similar process under the US Inflation Reduction Act took three months and required only 40 pages.
• The green transition will necessitate a massive workforce shift, affecting 14 million people in 'brown' sectors who will need to reskill or redefine their roles. While the European Green Deal is expected to create 950,000 net new jobs by 2030, these may not appear in the same locations where brown jobs are lost.
• European companies are global leaders in target-setting, with 96% of European G2000 companies having emission reduction targets in place as of 2024. The adoption of full net-zero commitments in Europe is twice as high as in other regions.

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). Delivering on the European Green Deal: A Private Sector Perspective. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Delivering_on_the_European_Green_Deal_A_Private_Sector_Perspective_2025.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Delivering on the European Green Deal: A Private Sector Perspective. 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Delivering_on_the_European_Green_Deal_A_Private_Sector_Perspective_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Delivering on the European Green Deal: A Private Sector Perspective |date=January 2025 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Delivering_on_the_European_Green_Deal_A_Private_Sector_Perspective_2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2025delivering, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Delivering on the European Green Deal: A Private Sector Perspective}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Delivering_on_the_European_Green_Deal_A_Private_Sector_Perspective_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }