Financing Water Resilience: Reconciling Environmental Sustainability, Equity, and Efficiency in the Water Sector for the Future of Europe

The event will take place in person in the European Parliament in Brussels.

A 2020 study by the OECD and the European Commission estimated that an additional €255 billion in investments would be required in the EU water and sanitation sector by 2030 to ensure compliance with existing legislation while improving efficiency. For some EU Member States, achieving these investment targets would require doubling current spending levels. At the same time, key EU water legislation has been revised to include stricter quality standards and new objectives for decarbonising the sector, thus further increasing investment needs. 

The OECD/European Commission study did not account for the impacts of climate change or socio-economic developments on water resources. Building resilience will be critical, not only to ensure continued access to essential water services and mitigate the effects of catastrophic phenomena; it will also be essential to guarantee food security and allow for the development of water-intensive industrial sectors vital to the green and digital transitions, as highlighted in a recent study by Water Europe. Addressing these challenges will therefore require additional investments in both traditional "grey" infrastructure and nature-based "green" solutions. 

In this context, there is an urgent need to rethink the economics of water to better balance the “3Es”: Environmental sustainability, social Equity, and economic Efficiency, as emphasised in a recent report by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water.

This seminar aims to explore the key elements of a new water economic model for Europe, by developing a dialogue with experts from leading international institutions, the financial sector, industry, civil society, public authorities, as well as European policymakers.

Please find the full programme on the event page.

Register here.