On May 5th-6th the Global Solutions Summit took place at the ESMT Berlin. As part of an institutional partnership, United Europe hosted a closed session about “Powering Europe” and curated United Europe company member Leonhard Birnbaum, CEO at E.ON for a Panel to discuss “Just Transition” alongside Stefan Kapferer, CEO at 50Hertz, and Izabella Texeira.
Leonhard Birnbaum highlighted that the energy transition must balance affordability, security of supply and decarbonization – the so-called energy trilemma. Recent incidents, such as in Spain, have underscored the urgency of ensuring a reliable energy supply.
He emphasized that the challenge is no longer about building more renewable assets, but rather about creating an integrated energy system that leverages existing resources efficiently and affordably. “Electrification is a key driver – improving access, lowering emissions, and strengthening energy security.”
We need to overcome the view on individual assets and celebrating every wind turbine, regardless of where it is built and what it actually does for the grid, and instead focus on the entire system including the grid and reserve capacities; where does which asset benefit the most to the energy system?
We need to adapt the expansion of renewables to realistic scenarios for demand and also involve producers in the costs of expansion, especially if they do not require subsidies or the plants are not yet generating any benefits.
Leonhard Birnbaum also noted that the meaning of a “just” transition varies greatly across contexts. In Germany, debates focus on distributional fairness – who benefits and who bears the costs. In the Global South, the core issue is access itself: having energy versus not.
Ultimately, he argued that a just transition must be grounded in viable business models. Projects that offer clear returns will attract investments and scale. Without this, the transition risk stalling.
Not least because of the persistent North-South divide, the discussion highlighted the need for a positive presentation of progress, success stories and investment opportunities.
As Leonhard Birnbaum put it: “If it’s good business, it will happen. If not, it won’t.”