Video message by President von der Leyen at the ONS Conference

Ladies and gentlemen,

For more than fifty years, ONS has brought together governments and industry to tackle the world's energy challenges. Today, that mission matters more than ever.

In just five years, the world has faced two major energy crises. Europe has weathered these storms because we acted together. We diversified supplies with trusted partners – with Norway at the heart of this effort. We worked with industry to keep homes heated and hospitals running in Ukraine. And through coordinated action after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, we helped to stabilise markets and reassure citizens and businesses. The global energy system has proved more resilient than many expected. And this was thanks to the kind of cooperation that ONS has always championed.

But this cannot be a moment for complacency. As long as Europe remains dependent on fossil fuels, we remain vulnerable. That is why we are accelerating the transition to clean, homegrown energy.

This is already making a difference. Last year, over 70% of the EU's electricity came from clean sources. And for the first time, wind and solar alone generated more electricity than all fossil fuels combined. This progress was vital to cushion the impact of the last energy crisis.

But producing more clean electricity is only half the task. We must also use it. Today, electricity accounts for less than a quarter of our final energy consumption. We need more of our mobility, our heating, and our industries to run on clean homegrown electricity. We are putting the foundations of an electrified economy in place.

We have proposed a Grids Package to make Europe's energy infrastructure fit for the electrification age. And last month, we set out an Electrification Action Plan. It sets an ambitious target. That 46% of our total energy should come from electricity by 2040. This is how we end our exposure to fossil fuel price shocks for good. 

Finally, we must develop the technologies that make the clean transition possible. Here again, we are strongest when we work together. Take our cooperation with Norway. Just a few hundred kilometres from where you are today, CO₂ captured from industries across Europe is being safely stored beneath the seabed. It is a powerful example of European innovation becoming an industrial reality.

And with support from the European Union, this project is now expanding to store more than five million tonnes of CO₂ every year. This is exactly what the clean transition should look like. Combining our strengths to cut emissions, create new industries, and strengthen our competitiveness. So that the next generation of clean technologies are not only used in Europe, but are designed and built here.

Ladies and gentlemen,

ONS has always been more than a place to discuss the future of energy. It is a place to shape it. The world needs your ideas, your technologies, and your investments. So that together, we can build the energy system of the future.

Thank you and I wish you a successful summit.