The Importance of Leadership in the Green Transition Gathers 100 participants at the European Parliament’s Summit

More than 100 managers, policymakers, stakeholders and business representatives from across Europe gathered today at the European Parliament for the Sustainable Leaders’ Summit 2025, jointly organized by CEC European Managers and Ledarna.

Under the theme “The Crucial Role of Leadership in the Green Transition,” the event explored how Europe can combine climate ambition with competitiveness — and why empowering managers is essential to achieve both.

Opening the Summit, Maxime Legrand, President of CEC European Managers, reflected on the journey that brought this initiative to life.

“Thank you to the Members of the European Parliament who support this initiative accross political lines – showing that it is indeed possible to come together for a higher common purpose. Managers have the will, but too often lack the means, the training, and sometimes even the recognition to lead this change.”

On the other hand, Andreas Miller, the President of Ledarna, highlighted the need for policymakers to work more closely with leaders and managers.

“We must listen more to the manager and their daily reporting. Managers are in touch with the daily work of the companies. We want to take responsibility. Every time we decide about a transition, we must remember that it is the managers who will have to implement it. If decision-makers think long-term, they will be more respected.”

The Science Behind Climate Change

After the opening remarks and political speeches, a science briefing by Dr. Lisen Schultz of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, set the stage with the sobering reality that seven of the nine planetary boundaries have already been crossed, according to the latest Earth system analysis (Sakschewski and Caesar et al., 2025).

Dr. Schultz reminded participants that we are “entering the unknown,” as climate-related disasters — from wildfires in southern Europe to floods in the west — are now ten times more likely due to human-driven climate change.

The scientific data underscored that the biosphere’s resilience is under unprecedented strain.

Yet, Schultz’s message was not one of despair, but of agency. She argued that leadership is one of the decisive social levers for planetary recovery.

Leadership is not about predicting the future, but about creating the conditions under which a liveable future remains possible.

The Economic Case: Fossil-Free Competitiveness

The scientific evidence also shows that the transition is economically feasible, as exemplified by the case of Sweden.

As presented by Svante Axelsson, National Coordinator of Fossil-Free Sweden, the cost of innovative technologies — from batteries to green hydrogen — has dropped by over 90% since 2010.

The “23 Roadmaps for Fossil-Free Competitiveness” that we currently have in Sweden provide concrete examples of how every major industry can achieve net-zero emissions by 2045 while remaining globally competitive.

Axelsson called for coordinated European ambition:

“We live in a unique situation — European countries need to help each other. We need a clear target for 2040. Innovative technologies are 90% cheaper than in 2010 — we cannot go back. We must work closely between EU states, ensure financing and guarantees in decision-making, and scale up the roadmaps we already have. What Europe needs now is more self-confidence.”

Climate action can help Europe achieve energy independence, increase job creation, and foster health improvements. The transition is not only necessary but beneficial for Europe’s social fabric.

Volvo’s Path to Carbon-Neutral Transport

A highlight of the Summit was the presentation by Lars Stenqvist, Senior Advisor at Volvo Group, who shared the company’s roadmap toward carbon-neutral powertrain solutions and the scaling-up of electric heavy-duty transport across Europe.

Stenqvist showcased Volvo’s pioneering work on electric mobility since 2015, as well as its strategic shift to battery-electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles.

He presented new figures revealing the infrastructure gap: while Europe currently operates around 1,000 heavy-duty charging stations, it will need 40,000 by 2030 — a ramp-up of roughly 500 chargers per month.

“Let politicians be politicians, and engineers be engineers,” Stenqvist said, underscoring the need for mutual trust between political leadership and industrial expertise.

His message resonated strongly with the Summit’s audience: political ambition must be paired with managerial capacity and technical realism.

The Volvo example illustrated how strategic leadership in companies can make the climate transition tangible — one fleet, one supply chain, one decision at a time.

Listening to the Managers’ voice

The panel debate — moderated by journalist and sustainability expert Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson — featured high-level speakers from politics, business and civil society. Discussions centered on how to maintain Europe’s competitiveness while advancing the green transition.

Andreas Miller, President of Ledarna, underlined the importance of managers’ practical role:

“We must listen more to the manager — their daily reporting. Managers want to take responsibility. Every time we decide about a transition, we must remember that it is the managers who will have to implement it. If decision-makers think long-term, they will be more respected.”

Svante Axelsson, National Coordinator of Fossil-Free Sweden, emphasised Europe’s unique opportunity to act collectively:

“We live in a unique situation — Europe needs to help each other. We need a clear target for 2040. Innovative technologies are 90% cheaper than in 2010 — we cannot go back. We must work closely between EU states, ensure financing and guarantees in decision-making, and scale up the roadmaps we already have. What Europe needs now is more self-confidence.”

Isabella Lövin, Member of the European Parliament and political host of the event, stressed that smaller companies must not be left behind:

“If small SMEs are excluded, it will be a problem. There are several ways to support the reporting mechanisms — public procurement and certification are key.”

Representing the European Commission, Paulina Dejmek Hack, Head of Cabinet for Commissioner Jessika Roswall, reminded the audience that competitiveness and sustainability go hand in hand:

“Competitiveness is not a new debate, but this time it is more urgent than ever. This is a momentum for leaders and managers to put competitiveness at the centre. Every Commissioner has received the task to look into their legislation and foster competitiveness. We don’t control the geopolitical situation, but we do control our single market.”

Leadership as Europe’s Missing Link

The Summit concluded that Europe’s green transition is not just about technology or regulation, but also about leadership — the ability of managers to connect long-term political visions with daily implementation in workplaces across Europe.

Speakers agreed that supporting managerial leadership through training, recognition, and social dialogue is essential to make the transition fair, efficient, and inclusive.

The event, hosted in the European Parliament, showcased the power of collaboration between social partners, industry, and institutions, and reaffirmed that managers are key agents of change in achieving Europe’s climate neutrality goals.

This is the fourth edition of the Sustainable Leaders Summit. This year, the high-level event was organized by CEC, the European Managers’ Swedish member organisation, Ledarna.