Economist’s 29th Annual Government Roundtable

Athens – Prof. Dr. Kostas Andriosopoulos, Director of the HELLENiQ ENERGY Center for Sustainability and Energy @ Alba Graduate Business School, participated in the 29th Annual Government Roundtable organized by The Economist, held from July 1 to 3 in Sounion, Lagonissi, Attica. He took part in the high-level panel discussion titled Combatting Climate Change: The Need to Re-Evaluate Strategy, alongside Alexandra Sdoukou, Chair of EmpowerMed Women, Sir David King, former Special Representative for Climate Change, and Aristotelis Chantavas, CEO of Principia. The discussion was moderated by John Andrews, Consultant Editor at The Economist, and Andreas Papandreou, Co-chair of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Greece.
During the session, Prof. Dr. Andriosopoulos addressed the critical role of sustainable finance in driving effective climate action, warning that current financing models face mounting pressure from macroeconomic volatility, high interest rates, and regulatory ambiguity. He stressed that while the global green transition is underway, financial systems must be recalibrated to reflect the evolving economic and energy reality. The forecasting of financial performance for renewable energy projects has become increasingly uncertain, undermining their bankability and slowing deployment at a time when global energy demand continues to rise in tandem with population growth, rising energy demand and electrification of various sectors.
Preserving investment momentum in green technologies is key, as they continue to attract capital due to strong ESG frameworks and declining costs. At the same time, we should not neglect conventional energy systems, fossil fuel consumption remains at record levels, surpassing 100 million barrels of oil per day. The global economy still relies on a secure and diverse energy mix, and the path to decarbonisation must be built with pragmatism.
Clean technologies such as green hydrogen and carbon capture and storage bring out new challenges. While technically feasible, these innovations remain economically constrained and require structured financial instruments and targeted policy support to become commercially viable. In the spotlight also emerged the contrast between the United States and Europe, with the former showing greater flexibility in financing transitional technologies like natural gas, which can support the energy system in the interim.

Industries must not be left in a state of midpoint, constrained between an outdated system that must be phased out and a future model that is not yet operational. For the energy transition to be successful, policy, finance, and technology must align and accelerate in unison.
Essential tools to achieve smoothly energy transition are education and capacity-building. Many of today’s policies and financial decisions are made without a full understanding of the complex realities ahead. Academic institutions have a duty to prepare tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the transition effectively and responsibly.
The HELLENiQ ENERGY Center for Sustainability and Energy @Alba Graduate Business School continues to provide research, strategic insight, and education to support Europe’s evolving energy landscape. Its mission remains focused on advancing a pragmatic, inclusive, and accelerated path toward a sustainable energy future.