EIC GHG Summit 2022: Brussels event to showcase the GHG tool, co-creation work and corporate pilots
- ›The European Innovation Council ran a GHG programme session on the morning of 7 December 2022 during the EIC Summit in Brussels.
- ›The event presented the EIC GHG Tool, GHG Badges and CO2 Neutral Label outcomes and a series of co-creation activities with corporates, regions and industry associations.
- ›Speakers included EIC officials, GHG tool awardees and partners such as Holcim, SUEZ, Euratex and the Helsinki-Uusimaa regional council.
- ›The EIC Business Acceleration Services organised the activity as part of their efforts to help EIC beneficiaries access corporates, procurement and market channels.
- ›Note that the EIC later announced the GHG Tool is no longer in use and signalled future activities will be announced.
EIC GHG Summit 2022: event overview
The European Innovation Council invited its beneficiaries to a physical session in Brussels on 7 December 2022 to present progress under its GHG programme. The morning session focused on a dedicated greenhouse gas calculation tool, labelling pilots including GHG badges and a CO2 Neutral Label initiative, and a set of co-creation activities linking startups and researchers with large corporates, regions and industrial associations.
Why the session mattered
The event aimed to do three things. First, show how EIC-supported projects measure and communicate greenhouse gas impacts. Second, surface lessons from working jointly with large buyers and regional authorities to accelerate decarbonisation. Third, give EIC beneficiaries visibility and networking opportunities with potential corporate partners and procurers.
Practical details and programme
The GHG session on 7 December 2022 ran from 9:40 to 12:30 Central European Time. It was moderated by Anna Gumbau, an EU climate and energy journalist. The format combined short keynote remarks, panel discussions, fireside chats with awardees and a final awards ceremony.
| Time (CET) | Session | Speakers and contributors |
| 09:40 - 09:50 | Opening words by the European Commission | Stéphane Quaki, Head of the European Innovation Council department |
| 09:50 - 10:05 | Keynote on scaling to carbon neutrality | Yousef Yousef, EIC Ambassador and CEO, LG Sonic |
| 10:05 - 10:15 | Presentation: Journey to carbon neutrality | Kristof Cuadros Perez, GHG project team member, Co2Logic |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Fireside chat with GHG tool awardees | Daniele Biffi, Chief Quality Assurance, DVP Vaccum Technology and Nadia Casatta, Researcher, Diapath |
| 11:00 - 11:10 | Overview of co-creation journeys | Lena Azzam, GHG project officer, EIC Business Acceleration Services |
| 11:10 - 11:35 | Best practices on co-creating with large corporations | Xavier Litrico, Chief Science & Technology department, Suez; Sascha Krause, Field Application Engineer, Senseair; Victor Pacheco, Global Innovation Process Manager, Holcim |
| 11:35 - 11:45 | Fireside chat on co-creation peer-to-peer | Giuseppe Spanto, CEO, IsCleanAir and Liang Wu, Co-founder & CIO, GreenCity Solutions |
| 11:45 - 12:15 | Public-private partnership and procurement perspectives | Bertrand Wert, Innovation Procurement Advisor, EIC BAS; Venla Virkamäki, Senior Adviser EU Affairs, Uudenmaan liitto Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council; Teresa Oberhauser, EU Project Lead, Circularise; Dieter Eichinger, Head of Standardisation and Innovation, Secretary-General of BISFA, Euratex; Alessandro Carfagnini, Co-founder and CTO, CO2BioClean |
| 12:15 - 12:30 | Closing words and award ceremony | Agnieszka Stasiakowska, Senior Adviser, Acting Head of Sector EIC Business Acceleration Services |
Who presented and which organisations were involved
Speakers and participants combined EIC officials, small innovators who received recognition via the GHG work, corporate innovation representatives and regional public procurement actors. The programme highlighted pilots and lessons with industrial partners such as Holcim and SUEZ, industry associations including Euratex and BISFA, and the Helsinki-Uusimaa regional council in Finland.
| Organisation or project | Representative listed at the event | Role or relevance |
| European Innovation Council | Stéphane Quaki; Agnieszka Stasiakowska | Hosts and organisers via EIC Business Acceleration Services |
| LG Sonic | Yousef Yousef | EIC Ambassador and presenter on scaling to carbon neutrality |
| Co2Logic | Kristof Cuadros Perez | GHG project team member providing method and tool insights |
| DVP Vaccum Technology | Daniele Biffi | GHG tool awardee |
| Diapath | Nadia Casatta | GHG tool awardee |
| SUEZ | Xavier Litrico | Corporate co-creation partner |
| Holcim | Victor Pacheco | Corporate co-creation partner |
| Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council | Venla Virkamäki | Regional public partner and co-creation participant |
| Euratex and BISFA | Dieter Eichinger and representatives | Industry association involvement in standards and innovation |
| Circularise and CO2BioClean | Teresa Oberhauser and Alessandro Carfagnini | Participants in public-private collaboration panels |
EIC Business Acceleration Services context
Follow up, current status and where to find more
At the time of the Summit the EIC positioned the GHG Tool and labelling pilots as active instruments to help beneficiaries measure and promote their environmental performance. Subsequent EIC notices on the EIC Community tools pages indicate that the GHG Tool is no longer in use and that new activities will be announced in due course. Interested parties were invited to follow the EIC Community events page and to use the EIC Business Acceleration Services to access corporate and procurement opportunities.
Implications and critical considerations
Voluntary tools and labels can support market signalling for low carbon solutions but they are not a substitute for robust regulatory standards. Labelling outcomes depend on data quality, boundary choices for scope 3 emissions and consistent methodological choices. Co-creation with large buyers helps startups scale but raises questions about negotiation power, intellectual property and the ability of SMEs to meet procurement conditions. Finally, pilot results require public validation and follow up if they are to influence sector wide decarbonisation at scale.
How to keep track of EIC activities
EIC beneficiaries and other stakeholders can monitor future calls, events and services on the EIC Community Platform and the EIC Business Acceleration Services pages. The EIC publishes event agendas and materials on the summit pages and a calendar of future events covering corporate days, trade fair participation and training activities.
If you want to review presentations or recordings from the broader EIC Summit 7-8 December 2022 the EIC Summit website hosts plenary replays and some workshop materials. To participate in EIC BAS programmes you need to sign up on the EIC Community Platform with EU Login credentials.