Master in Sustainability Management: Annual Conference

Event organised by Sda Bocconi's Master in Sustainability Management (MSM)
in collaboration with ECCO and Agora Verkehrswende

This conference is dedicated to prospective MSM candidates, MASEM Alumni, SDA Bocconi and Bocconi University students as well as companies, institutions and enthusiasts within the field of sustainability.

The context

The next five years of the new Commission's term will be crucial for reaching the objectives of the European Green Deal and for ensuring the continued competitiveness of the European industry in the era of green technologies. Yet the EU macroeconomic framework, recently revised, coupled with the high level of national debt within many of the EU 27 makes it clear that much-needed public money is in short supply and needs to be carefully targeted.

Against this backdrop, it is important to inform the national and European debate on options for directing investments. In this regard, it is deemed necessary to address the issue of technology neutral regulation from the perspective of economic theory for a critical assessment of this approach in European and national climate and industrial policies. This is particularly relevant for the automotive sector, in the context of the industrial transformation towards zero emissions technologies and at a time when the Letta Report on the Single market calls for an EU industrial strategy with a more European approach.

The conference

Aim of the Conference is to invite economists, policy makers and representatives of the industry to discuss about best options in designing climate policies, while simultaneously addressing the competitive transformation of the industry.

Is a technology-neutral approach really cost-effective? What are the risks for market failures of a strong technology-neutral regulations? Can technology-specific policies be compatible with innovation? Which key reforms in the single market can support the competitiveness of industrial transition while meeting climate goals? What does this mean for the future of European industrial policy for the automotive sector?