EC: publication of guidelines to assess the sustainability and circularity of emerging clean technologies

The European Commission and Cinea (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) have released a ‘Study on circular approaches for a sustainable and affordable clean energy transition’, on 16/02/2026.

It aims to strengthen the European Commission’s knowledge-based approach in the early and continuous assessment of innovative clean energy technologies in the context of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

"Given that half of the GHG emissions reductions expected by 2050 will require technologies that are not yet ready for the market, Research and Innovation (R&I) activities will be a crucial component to overcome sustainability, circularity, EU resilience and technological autonomy challenges and ensure a sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply. In this context, it is crucial that the EU and other relevant stakeholders gain a deeper understanding of the sustainability, circularity, resilience and autonomy aspects of emerging clean energy technologies", state the authors.

Assessment methodologies of five groups of emerging…