March 3, the opening of the Pioneer the Possible exhibition took place with an event organized by the Embassy of Sweden in USA in partnership with Sweden-US Green Transition Initiative, Mistra Carbon Exit Research Program (Mistra, Stiftelsen för miljöstrategisk forskning), and Resources for the Future. Linda Andrén, Executive Director, Sweden-US Green Transition had the honour to moderate a fantastic panel on “Industrial innovation and decarbonization in the US and EU – technical and policy pathways.

The recent AR6 report calls for deep, rapid and sustained mitigation and accelerated implementation of adaptation actions in this decade, as it would reduce projected losses and damages. Transitions across all sectors and systems are necessary to achieve deep and sustained emissions reductions and secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. The report states that effective climate action is enabled by political commitment, well-aligned multilevel governance, institutional frameworks, laws, policies and strategies and enhanced access to finance and technology. With the release of the AR6 report, this event was timely.

During this panel we had the opportunity to listen to experts on technical pathways to decarbonization of the basic material industry and policy pathways to decarbonize the basic materials industry. We had the pleasure to listen to a broad range of experts. Covering both research, policy and industry leaders. Ida Karlsson, PhD Candidate within Mistra Carbon Exit at Chalmers University of Technology was one of the panellists sharing valuable insights on the composition of materials in buildings and where emissions reductions can occur – Sweden and EU pathways.

Followed by Filip Johnsson, Professor, Department of Energy and Environment, Energy Technology, Chalmers University of Technology and also Part of the Management group of Mistra Carbon Exit shared insights on the future of Carbon Capture and Storage, including challenges and opportunities. We also had the privilege to listen to US perspectives from Andrés Clarens is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia sharing learnings on technical innovation in specific material(s) and US pathways. Last but not least, we had the privilege to listen to Ben Kowing, Vice President Chief Technical Officer for SSAB, Industry perspective on opportunities for innovation and barriers to implementation.

The discussion was truly insightful exploring the transformative pathways that are required for this transition to address challenges pointed out in the IPCC sixth assessment report. As we move forward, it's clear that innovation and collaboration will be key to driving progress in the direction of the Green Transition. We need to continue working together to Pioneer the Possible.