What do shifting U.S. and EU climate policies mean for boards? In an exclusive discussion, CGI Greece explored the latest developments with Paulina Dejmek Hack, Head of Cabinet to EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall.
On 29 April 2025, Climate Governance Initiative Greece hosted an exclusive fireside chat entitled “Climate Governance in a Shifting Global Landscape” with Paulina Dejmek Hack, Head of Cabinet to EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall, moderated by Marina Niforos, President & Founder of CGI Greece.
The discussion came at a pivotal moment, as the U.S. signals a retreat from the Paris Agreement while the EU recalibrates the implementation timeline for its sustainability directives under the “stop-the-clock” Omnibus Proposal.
Key Themes & Takeaways for Boards
- A Shifting Global Landscape – While the U.S. is pulling back, the EU remains firm in its climate leadership role. Climate challenges are accelerating, and European companies must be prepared to navigate increasing complexity.
- Omnibus Proposal: Recalibration, Not Rollback – The initiative seeks to simplify ESG regulations (CSRD/ESRS, CSDDD) and cut administrative burden by up to 35% for SMEs, while staying true to long-term climate objectives.
- Competitiveness & Simplification Together – The EU aims to ensure regulations support competitiveness, using digital tools, proportional approaches, and harmonized implementation across member states.
- Industrial Policy & Circular Economy – Through the Competitiveness Compass and Clean Industrial Deal, the EU is aligning climate goals with industrial innovation and resilience. Circularity is seen not just as environmental policy, but as an economic and geopolitical necessity.
- Financing the Transition – Alongside public funding instruments (InvestEU, Innovation Fund), unlocking private capital and progressing toward a Capital Markets Union will be essential to finance the transition.
- International Alignment – The EU continues to engage with global partners to promote sustainability standards and maintain a level playing field in trade and investment.
- Boards Must Lead on Climate Risk – Closing the discussion, Marina Niforos reminded participants that climate risk is a material strategic and financial risk, not a peripheral ESG issue. Boards must integrate climate into governance, capital allocation, and long-term decision-making.
What’s Next?
The speaker announced the launch of a public consultation and Call for Evidence for the upcoming Circular Economy Act.
A recording of the webinar is available here: https://youtu.be/Q8gGutZBzkU?feature=shared
