32 MEPs launch Cleantech Friendship Group and meet with President Ursula Von der Leyen to champion EU clean technologies
March 6, 2025
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The Cleantech Friendship Group, a cross-party forum within the European Parliament, officially relaunched today with the participation of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Bringing together 32 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from across the political spectrum and representing 14 of EU Member States, the Cleantech Friendship Group (CFG) aims to foster collaboration beyond party lines and serve as a key interlocutor with the European Commission in shaping Europe’s Clean Industrial Deal. More concretely, the CFG advocates for policies that create strong demand for clean technologies, including setting technology-specific targets, sustainable public procurement, level-playing field measures, and large-scale strategic investments to drive Europe’s clean industrial revolution.
President Von der Leyen addressed the gathering with a keynote speech, emphasizing the European Commission’s steadfast commitment to supporting cleantech innovation and industrial transformation. She identified scaling up private investment into EU cleantech by orders of magnitude as a key priority for the Clean Industrial Deal, which was shared on February 26.
“The Clean Industrial Deal is a key pillar of our competitiveness-driven approach to decarbonisation, providing EU cleantech companies the certainty and targeted support they need to scale up and industrialise,” said President Von der Leyen. “My colleagues and I at the Commission will work closely with the Parliament to pass an ambitious Clean Industrial Deal and secure Europe’s leadership in the industries of the future.”
During the launch event at European Parliament, CFG co-chairs MEP Lídia Pereira (EPP, Portugal) and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (S&D, France) underscored the group’s role in advancing policies to drive Europe’s leadership in clean technology, energy autonomy, and economic competitiveness.
“The re-launch of the Cleantech Friendship Group in this new mandate sends a strong message to our domestic cleantech sector that Europe is united in its ambition to lead the global cleantech revolution,” commented Lídia Pereira, who also served as co-chair of the CFG in the Parliament’s previous mandate. “Our commitment goes beyond politics: this is about securing Europe’s industrial future, creating high-quality jobs, and ensuring a cleaner, more resilient economy for all.”
The event also featured contributions from leading investors and industry innovators, reinforcing the crucial role of public-private collaboration in accelerating Europe’s transition to a sustainable economy.
“In the face of worsening effects of climate change and energy security threats affecting Europe’s industries, the cleantech transition is not just an environmental imperative, but also an industrial necessity,” said CFG co-chair MEP Thomas Pellerin-Carlin. “This diverse group of MEPs from across the EU is committed building the political momentum needed to ensure that Europe’s clean industrial revolution benefits every region, worker, and entrepreneur.”
The launch was marked by the official signing of the CFG’s Mission Statement, which was presented to President Von der Leyen, symbolizing the group’s alignment with the European Commission’s ambitions for a competitive and sustainable industrial future. Going forward, the CFG will continue to serve as a dynamic platform for MEPs to connect with cleantech scale-ups and researchers by providing policy insights, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and advocating for the necessary financial and regulatory frameworks to strengthen Europe’s cleantech leadership.
