In early March 2026, the European Commission released its Clean Energy Investment Strategy, an important Communication designed to bridge the gap between Europe’s climate ambitions and the capital required to reach them. At CO2 Value Europe, we see this as a positive signal for the Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) community.
Private Investment Support
The Strategy explicitly states that the Commission will “step up support to private investments in innovative clean energy technologies,” mentioning carbon utilisation technologies. While the Communication uses broad terminology, we interpret this as a clear signal that CCU is recognised as a critical pillar of Europe’s industrial defossilisation.
Unlocking New Funding Streams
The strategy will likely align with two important workstreams:
- EIB Involvement: The Strategy underlines the expanded role of the European Investment Bank (EIB). By providing guarantees and de-risking innovative technologies, the EIB will be instrumental in making CCU projects bankable for private investors.
- The ETS Investment Booster: The Commission recently announced this new mechanism, which aims to make approximately €30 billion available for climate-friendly industrial projects through the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Looking Ahead
While we welcome the Communication, the CCU community now looks forward to a deeper dialogue with the Commission on how these different instruments will be articulated. Our mission is to ensure that the regulatory and financial framework is robust enough to support the large-scale deployment of CCU technologies across Europe to defossilise its economy.
Discover more about our work on CCU.
