Jos Delbeke

As one of the principal architects of the EU’s climate framework, Jos has turned policy into a lever for innovation.

Jos Delbeke is one of Europe’s most influential climate policymakers. As former Director-General for Climate Action at the European Commission, he played a central role in designing and implementing the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), the world’s largest and most ambitious carbon market, now emulated globally.

He was also a key figure behind the 2030 EU Climate and Energy Framework, which established binding targets on emissions, renewable energy, and efficiency across all member states. His leadership was critical in preparing the EU’s position for the Paris Agreement, ensuring Europe took a front-row seat in global negotiations.

Now as a professor at the European University Institute in Firenze, Jos continues to bridge policy and practice. Advising governments, mentoring the next generation of climate leaders, and spotlighting where institutional inertia still holds back green innovation.

At and& connect, he’ll offer a rare inside-out view of the systems that govern climate progress and what it takes to align breakthrough technologies with the pace of planetary need.