Navigating the Global Food Value Chain: Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st Century

The white paper discusses energy challenges in the food industry, emphasizing the need for efficiency amid rising global energy demands. It outlines strategic energy assessments and technological solutions like variable speed drives for reducing energy use and improving sustainability, citing case studies demonstrating significant energy savings.

The European Round Table for Industry reports, authored by the Boston Consulting Group, highlight challenges in Europe's energy transition, advocating for regulatory changes to foster competitiveness amid higher energy costs, risk of deindustrialization, and the need for large-scale investment in energy infrastructure to meet Green Deal goals.

The UK's food and drink sector aims to cut emissions from electricity and heat by up to 80% from 2012 levels, but heat decarbonization lacks clear strategies. Transition hinges on overcoming financial, technical, and policy barriers, requiring government-industry collaboration and supportive measures.

European food and drink manufacturers must decrease their 94 Mt CO2e emissions to align with the EU's 2050 net-zero goal. Decarbonisation involves sustainable practices, overcoming high costs, leveraging renewable energy, and adopting measures like advanced energy management to reduce emissions efficiently.

The European R&I Days highlighted the need for a comprehensive government approach involving research and innovation to achieve the European Green Deal’s decarbonization targets. Showcasing success stories, it emphasized collaboration for transforming energy-intensive industries and integrating R&I for a sustainable future.

The article examines the efficacy of decentralizing environmental taxes to address region-specific environmental issues, contrasting it with centralization that may cause fiscal competition and efficiency losses. It suggests harmonizing economic incentives with environmental protection to optimize the impact of environmental taxes on sustainability.

The OneNet Project Final Event marked the culmination of efforts to reshape Europe's electricity system. Key topics included TSO-DSO coordination, market design, consumer engagement, and leveraging data for grid operations. The initiative aligns with EU interoperability objectives and promotes a sustainable, unified market.

The "From Farm to Fork" strategy under the European Green Deal sets ambitious targets like reducing pesticides, increasing organic farming, and halving food waste by 2030. It emphasizes environmental health and economic benefits, advocating technological innovation and stronger global partnerships for sustainable food systems.

The eceee industrial energy efficiency conference in Antwerp focused on the imperative for industry to achieve deep decarbonisation while remaining competitive. Themes included future challenges, energy management, and change drivers, acknowledging the complexity of decarbonising industries in under three decades.