From Laggards to Leaders: Green Innovation and CEE’s Climate Opportunity
New ICE Policy Brief | October 2025
As Europe accelerates its push toward climate neutrality, Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are often portrayed as lagging behind:less innovative, more emission intensive, and politically cautious. A new policy brief from the Institute for Central Europe challenges this narrative, arguing that it overlooks both the region’s potential and its strategic importance.
Far from being peripheral players, CEE countries possess the industrial base, technical talent, and access to EU funding that could position them at the forefront of the green transition. The key lies in reframing climate policy as a pathway to economic modernisation and technological leadership, rather than treating it as a regulatory burden.
The brief sets out seven actionable recommendations for turning this potential into progress, from strengthening innovation ecosystems to enhancing regional cooperation and aligning EU instruments with national reform strategies.
If CEE countries connect climate ambition with their industrial strengths, they will not only accelerate their own transformation — they will help shape Europe’s clean future.
