European Forum Alpbach 2026
Alpbach, Austria
1 September 2026, 8:00-8:45; Ort Alpbach - Feuerwehrhaus
"Morning Briefing - How Europe Can Have Both Climate Action and Growth"
The Green Deal has been watered down, geopolitical pressure is growing, and industry complains about a loss of Europe’s competitiveness. This Morning Briefing examines the case that Europe does not have to choose between climate action and growth, and asks what it would take for the green transition to deliver quality of life and resilience.
Speaker:
Gernot Wagner, Climate economist, Columbia Business School
Moderator: Philip Pramer, Der Standard
1 September 2026, 14:00-15:30; CCA – Hayek-Saal
"Turning Uncertainty into Resilience: Building Future-Ready Businesses"
Global supply chains are increasingly exposed to uncertainty – from geopolitical shifts to climate risks. This session explores how companies can build resilience in practice while creating long-term value. Focusing on concrete examples and cross-sector perspectives, the discussion will examine what works, what can be scaled, and how resilience can be strengthened across the value chain.
2 September 2026, 10:30-12:00; Hotel Böglerhof – Fichtensaal
"Powering Prosperity: Energy the decisive lever for Europe`s future"
Sustainability. Affordability. Security of supply. Can Europe have all three? This panel dives into the hard trade-offs of the energy transition – from Austria to Europe to the world – with experts who connect the dots across every scale.
Speakers:
Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism, Austria
Pascal Lamy, Chairman, Climate Overshoot Commission; former Director General, WTO
Maria Kalina Oroschakoff, Journalist, New Zürcher Zeitung
Michael Strugl, CEO, Verbund
Gernot Wagner, Climate economist, Columbia Business School
Moderator: Anita Malli, Head of Environment & Sustainability, ORF
3 September 2026, 12:30-13:30; CCA – Loggia
"Brown Bag Lunch – How Europe Stands to Gain from Tackling the Climate Crisis"
Recent geopolitical upheavals show that Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels is not only a climate and security risk, but also an economic vulnerability. The global race for clean energy and green technologies is in full swing. This discussion brings up the questions of which countries stand to benefit, which are falling behind – and how the EU should respond to the US.
Speaker:
Gernot Wagner, Climate economist, Columbia Business School
Moderator: Paula-Marie Pucker, trend
