On April 29, 2025, a high-level international conference on hydrogen and sustainable energy took place at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), as part of a broader three-day European collaboration. The event, titled “Shaping Europe’s Sustainable Energy Future through Hydrogen”, gathered leading scientists, policymakers, and industry representatives to discuss hydrogen’s pivotal role in Europe’s path to climate neutrality.
Professor Phoebe Koundouri (AUEB & DTU) opened the conference, followed by speeches from representatives of AUEB, the “Athena” Research Center, SDSN, and the UNFCCC. Keynote speaker Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, former UAE Minister, called hydrogen the “final link” in full decarbonization. Experts from institutions such as DTU and the Academy of Athens presented research, and a final panel discussed Europe’s hydrogen ecosystem.
The conference underscored the need for evidence-based policy and cross-sector collaboration. A follow-up workshop addressed barriers to hydrogen adoption and stakeholder engagement.
The event concluded a three-day collaboration involving research presentations and a seminar by Professor Ali Mashayek (University of Cambridge) on the role of ocean history in climate change. Professor Koundouri emphasized that hydrogen, backed by strong science and cooperation, can drive Europe’s green transition.
Read the Press Release in English and Greek
The conference was organized by the Research Laboratory on Socio-Economic and Environmental Sustainability (ReSEES) of the Athens University of Economics and Business in collaboration with the Department of Technology, Management, and Economics at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the Sustainable Development Unit of the Athena Research Center, the UN SDSN Global Climate Hub, SDSN Europe, the Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Αephoria (AE4RIA), and the EU-funded project MAIA. The event was supported by the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) and INZEB,National Coordinator of the EU Climate Pact in Greece.