EuChemS attended this year’s EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), themed ‘Leading the clean energy transition’. The week-long series of conferences and workshops provided a crucial insight into the present state of affairs of the clean energy transition. From innovative batteries to the latest solar-energy developments, we were pleased to see the enthusiasm and commitment being expressed. Bertrand Piccard, pilot of Solar Impulse, the first round-the-world solar powered flight gave a speech in which he explained the crucial importance of communicating the need to fight pollution and climate change in specific terms with comprehensible and practical solutions.

Among the many parallel sessions, EuChemS attended the thought-provoking session on ‘Energy Storytelling’ which looked at the role of telling stories when communicating science and energy policy. Introductory remarks by Member of the European Parliament Paul Rübig highlighted the manner in which policymakers prefer to receive scientific feedback and advice. Carolien Peeters, Corporate campaign manager at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communication described the Commission’s recent eye-opening communication strategies that aim to summarise complex policy and scientific ideas into short and digestible stories accessible to citizens.

The week-long series of events successfully showcased the latest developments taking place in the clean energy transition, and enabled policymakers, innovators, scientists and stakeholders to debate the way forward.