EU: What does the 2025 State of the Union say about sustainability?

Each autumn, the President of the European Commission delivers the State of the Union address to the European Parliament to share their vision for the EU and announce major upcoming initiatives. In her State of the Union speech on 10 September 2025, Ursula von der Leyen outlined the Commission’s priorities and flagship projects for the coming year. She also sent a Letter of Intent to the President of the European Parliament and to the Prime Minister of Denmark, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council, detailing the actions the Commission intends to take in the following year.

The address focused on geopolitical challenges and major themes such as security, defence, independence and competitiveness. However, sustainability remained an important element. The Commission President placed significant emphasis on the green transition, particularly on the intersection between green and digital transformation. The speech was also marked by a call to “buy European” across a number of sectors such as clean technology and food.

She stated in the Letter of Intent that the initiatives mentioned in the State of the Union and the Letter of Intent will be followed up by the Commission Work Programme for 2026, interinstitutional dialogue between co-legislators, and the Joint Declaration of Legislative Priorities to be signed by the Parliament, the Council and the Commission. The Commission Work Programme is expected in October. 

In this post, we look at the key sustainability-related topics covered in the 2025 State of the Union.

Green Deal

The Commission President reaffirmed her commitment to the European Green Deal and the EU’s climate goals, acknowledging the increasing threat posed by natural disasters. She noted that the EU is firmly on track to achieve the 2030 target to cut emissions by at least 55 per cent. She highlighted the need for the EU to stay the course on its climate and environmental objectives.

Climate resilience and adaptation

Ursula von der Leyen observed that climate change is making each summer hotter, harsher and more dangerous. She argued that the EU must step up its efforts on climate resilience, adaptation and nature-based solutions.

Whilst these remarks came towards the end of her speech - and she did not propose specific new initiatives in this area when speaking to Parliament - the Letter of Intent referenced a European Climate Adaptation Plan and an Ocean Act without detailing timing or content.

The European Climate Adaptation Plan was previously announced by the Commission as part of the Competitiveness Compass and is planned for 2026 (for more on the Competitiveness Compass and sustainability, see our previous blog post).

The Ocean Act is planned by the Commission for 2027. It was announced in the European Ocean Pact published in June 2025. The Act will build on a revision of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, providing a single framework to facilitate implementation of the Pact’s objectives while reducing administrative burden. It aims to modernise maritime spatial planning through greater cross-sectoral coordination at national level and to promote a more organised sea basin approach. It is not clear at present whether the Commission intends to expedite this Act.

Industrial Accelerator Act

The Commission will propose an Industrial Accelerator Act for key strategic sectors and technologies. Notably, Ursula von der Leyen dropped the reference to decarbonisation from the Act’s title. According to ENDS Europe (subscription required), a Commission spokesperson said this reflects an ambition to promote digital technologies - including AI and cloud computing - alongside other sectors shaping the world and the future in the upcoming legislative proposal.

The Industrial Accelerator Act was also announced in the Competitiveness Compass and is scheduled for Q4 2025. The aim is to accelerate administrative procedures and extend accelerated permitting to more sectors in transition, such as energy-intensive industries.

The Commission declined to confirm to ENDS whether it still plans to unveil the legislative proposal this year, as originally intended, or whether it will conduct a new public consultation in light of the Act’s revised focus.

Battery Booster Package

The Commission President flagged batteries as a key enabler of clean technology, particularly for electric vehicles. She announced a Battery Booster Package: an initiative to invest EUR 1.8 billion of EU funds in battery production.

Renewables and European Grids Package

The Commission President noted that, already today, low-carbon sources account for over 70 per cent of the EU’s electricity. She emphasised the need to generate more homegrown renewables, with nuclear as a baseload, and to urgently modernise and invest in infrastructure and interconnectors.

In this context, she proposed a new Grids Package to strengthen grid infrastructure and speed up permitting, as well as a new initiative called Energy Highways. She mentioned eight critical bottlenecks in EU energy infrastructure, from the Øresund Strait to the Sicilian Canal. The EU will now work to remove these one by one, bringing together governments and utilities to address outstanding issues.

Circular economy

Von der Leyen stressed that the EU must ensure industry has access to the necessary materials in Europe, and that the only answer is a truly circular economy. The EU needs to move faster on the Circular Economy Act. This Act - also included in the Competitiveness Compass - is expected in Q4 of 2026. It aims to create a single market for waste, secondary and reusable materials in order to boost efficiency and expand recycling.

Omnibuses

Von der Leyen highlighted ongoing work on a series of Omnibus packages - including to reduce sustainability reporting requirements - that would help cut administrative burdens for businesses by EUR 8 billion per year.

The Commission President further stated in the Letter of Intent that six ‘omnibus’ simplification packages have already been tabled, with more in the pipeline (for example, on military mobility or digital) to make it easier to do business in Europe.

For more information on the EU’s efforts to simplify existing sustainability rules, see our EU Omnibus Tracker.