who we are

The EU is facing a dual energy and climate crisis. The urgency to wean ourselves off fossil fuels has never been clearer. But we need to do so while creating a better, prosperous future for all. The EU has already developed most of the technologies it needs to get to net zero and energy autonomy. By massively deploying them, and developing earlier-stage ones, we will meet our climate ambitions and create a new industrial leadership.

Launched in 2021, Cleantech for Europe represents the trailblazers developing, deploying and investing in clean technologies across the EU. Our mission is to bridge the gap between cleantech and policy leaders. We equip policymakers with insights about cleantech, and build coalitions to chart a new path for the continent.

meet our team

At Cleantech Group, we provide research, consulting and events to catalyze opportunities for sustainable growth powered by innovation. We bring clients access to the trends, companies and people shaping the future and the customized advice and support businesses need to engage external innovation.

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Jules Besnainou

Jules leads the Cleantech for Europe initiative. As a director at Cleantech Group, he advises the world’s foremost cleantech investors, corporates and governments, helping them assess new innovations and reach climate leadership. After starting his career in San Francisco and London, he moved back to France to head the group's EU presence and clients. Jules graduated summa cum laude from Sciences Po Paris.

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Sofia Karagianni

Sofia is an EU qualified lawyer, and leads policy analysis at Cleantech for Europe. Before joining the Cleantech Group, Sofia worked on EU climate and financial policy matters with a leading US international law firm in Brussels. Sofia is a member of the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum and is passionate about diversity and inclusion, having co-founded two initiatives focusing on women’s economic empowerment.

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Joel Boehme

Joel oversees the communications of Cleantech for Europe, tasked with bridging the divide between European policymakers and the cleantech community. With a background in European politics, public affairs and think-tank work, Joel brings experience from both consulting and civil society. He also previously served on the European Board of Directors of the pan-European party Volt. Joel graduated from Lund University, and holds an executive diploma in Leadership, Organizing and Action from The Harvard Kennedy School.

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Suzana Carp

Suzana Carp is a senior European climate & energy policy specialist, supporting Cleantech for Europe as Deputy Executive Director. She comes from an NGO and Parliamentary background, and has formed and led successful coalitions and campaigns – in particular around the EU ETS, the EU Climate Law, the Electricity Market Design and CBAM. She has written extensively on funding mechanisms to finance the energy transition in Central and Eastern Europe and was involved in the original discussions shaping criteria for the Modernisation and Innovation Funds of the EU ETS.

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Ruben Davis

Ruben is a policy officer specialised in energy and innovation policy, leading work on the scale-up of clean technologies at Cleantech for Europe. Ruben is based in Brussels and joined Cleantech for Europe following experiences at the International Energy Agency and the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). He is a graduate of the City University of New York and Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

initiated by

At Cleantech Group, we provide research, consulting and events to catalyse opportunities for sustainable growth powered by innovation. We bring clients access to the trends, companies and people shaping the future and the customized advice and support businesses need to engage external innovation.

The company was established in 2002 and is headquartered in San Francisco with people based in London, Paris, Boston and Brussels.

supported by

Established in 2015 by Bill Gates and a coalition of private investors concerned about the impacts of accelerating climate change, Breakthrough Energy supports the innovations that will lead the world to net-zero emissions.

We are building on the proven model of public-private partnerships that Gates has already used to transform health, education, and public welfare around the world. Breakthrough Energy is a network of entities and initiatives, including investment funds, nonprofit and philanthropic programs, and policy efforts linked by a common commitment to scale the technologies we need to achieve a path to net zero emissions by 2050. We are encouraging the development of new net-zero energy technologies, championing policies that speed innovation from lab to market, and bringing together governments, research institutions, private companies, and investors to expand and enhance clean-energy investment.