[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/12008\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EIn Europe\u2019s race for green success, research impact is vital\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs France prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, a top Austrian climate official thinks the games can serve as guide of sorts for viewing Europe\u2019s green ambitions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHenriette Spyra, director general for innovation and technology at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, says slashing EU greenhouse gas emissions involves tests and rewards much like an athletics contest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOn your marks\u2026\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The challenge we all have is to decarbonise but not to deindustrialise,\u2019 Spyra told the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/en\/events\/upcoming-events\/research-innovation-days\u0022\u003EEuropean Research and Innovation Days\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;event in Brussels on 20-21 March 2024. \u2018But let\u2019s frame it as a race \u2013 a race to a better future.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe said that European research is crucial to achieving the EU\u2019s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EU has spent the past two years putting in place a range of laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030 compared with 1990 levels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn February, the European Commission\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/climate.ec.europa.eu\/eu-action\/climate-strategies-targets\/2040-climate-target_en\u0022\u003Erecommended\u003C\/a\u003E a 90% reduction in EU emissions by 2040, further underpinning the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/strategy-and-policy\/priorities-2019-2024\/european-green-deal_en\u0022\u003EEuropean Green Deal\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA third of the technologies needed to decarbonise by 2050 remains at the stage of research and development, according to Spyra, who said authorities across Europe have a role in ensuring more green tech moves from the laboratory or pilot scale to the market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Funding for applied research is crucial to cover the many incremental steps needed to move research results towards application in practice,\u2019 she said. \u2018We are convinced that this needs a whole-of-government approach to transform industry.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAustrian advice\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAustria\u2019s own experience offers a potentially useful lesson for Europe as a whole about the road to decarbonising.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe country invited its 11 largest industrial companies at the end of 2020, including chemical, steel and cement manufacturers, to forge a joint action plan finalised in 2023.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe move led to the establishment in 2022 of a\u0026nbsp;\u20ac5.7 billion \u201cClimate and Transition Fund\u201d. It includes\u0026nbsp;\u20ac3 billion for the transformation of industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EThe challenge we all have is to decarbonise but not to deindustrialise.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EHenriette Spyra\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENine large-scale projects have been funded in 2023, with a total expected emissions cut of 2.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). In 2019, Austria emitted 83 million tonnes of greenhouse gases,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/RegData\/etudes\/BRIE\/2021\/696186\/EPRS_BRI(2021)696186_EN.pdf\u0022\u003E2.2%\u003C\/a\u003E of the EU total.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one project, steelmaker Voestalpine will build two electric furnaces by 2027 and trim 3% to 4% off Austria\u2019s CO2 emissions, according to Spyra.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is the sector with the largest CO2 emissions, but also a sector which is very, very important for our industrial base,\u2019 she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpyra hopes to deepen climate collaboration among Austrian governmental agencies and to align their activities more closely with European and global counterparts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018There is no magic wand,\u2019 she said. \u2018We must turn over every stone.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEU benefits\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an interview with Horizon Magazine after R\u0026amp;I Days, Spyra said the EU research programme can be especially proud of its projects on renewable and clean technologies, such as solar power and batteries, as well as on digital technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe praised five \u201cMissions\u201d in the EU research programme. They\u2019re aimed at adapting to climate change, tackling cancer, restoring oceans, cleaning up soil and creating 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAustria, along with Australia, leads an international initiative to help achieve the EU\u2019s climate goals. It\u2019s called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mission-innovation.net\/missions\/net-zero-industries-mission\/\u0022\u003EMission Innovation Net-Zero Industries\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is about global competitiveness,\u2019 Spyra said. \u2018The only chance we have is to stay on top of developments.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a degree in politics and economics from the University of Oxford in the UK and in international studies from Johns Hopkins University in the US, she highlighted the scale of the climate challenges facing Europe by joking about the lengthy name of her own ministry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I sometimes say I\u2019m working for the Ministry of Magic,\u2019 she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut Spyra also said the underlying reality is that Europe must deliver on its green promise.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Let\u2019s be clear: not being successful is not an option,\u2019 she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe views of the interviewee don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-u-ep5-0urmjkm5r-cacxslan5hgu6rps-s2jh9pqmk\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-u-_EP5-0URMjKM5r_CaCXsLAN5Hgu6rps-s2jh9pqmk\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]