EUPD Group Event Putting a Spotlight on Progress and Responsibility
Bonn, November 27, 2025: At a time when sustainability initiatives are being scaled back politically and European regulation is increasingly under pressure, the European Sustainability Week (ESW) 2025 has sent a powerful signal. From November 25-27, 2025 the EUPD Group gathered more than 500 leading experts to discuss current sustainability issues at the Steigenberger Icon Grandhotel & Spa on the Petersberg near Bonn.
In times of increased political uncertainty, sustainability experts from the economy, science and politics came together at the ESW to shape a path toward further establishing sustainability as not just a luxury but a necessity. This year’s ESW was held under the motto “Built on Trust. Driven by Insight. Focused on Impact.”
As highlight of the week, the ESG Summit 2025 took place on November 26, 2025 and featured presentations and interactive panel discussions across six thematically different session blocks, e.g. social sustainability, finance at a turning point, reporting standards in motion or AI potential in ESG reporting. In addition, leading ESG voices from the European sustainability space shared their insights and engaged with the audience.
The discussions across sessions, topics and the exhibition floor showed that connecting those committed to sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Just this month, COP30 in Brazil brought upheaval into (corporate) sustainability guidelines. Staying on course to advance sustainability remains a vital task for everyone, as Ralph Thurm mentioned in his opening keynote: “None of us are victims, we are all influencers.”
One of the big topics concerning the industry today and tomorrow is the advancement of AI. Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg reflects on the significance of coming together to discuss future developments: ”This ESG Summit comes at the right moment: 2025 is the year where digitalisation, regulation and climate realities converge—and leadership must rise to match that convergence. Let’s make sure AI becomes a catalyst for measurable impact, not just measurable data.”
The conference hosted several in-depth panel discussions, such as the stakeholder roundtable “Decarbonizing Europe’s Industry – The Real Cost of Uncertainty” with Joachim Goldbeck (Goldbeck Solar), Dr. Robert Habeck, Dr. Max Koentopp (TÜV Rheinland Solar GmbH), Melanie Kubin-Hardewig (Deutsche Telekom AG), and Prof. Dr. Andreas Löschel (Ruhr University Bochum / IPCC). The panellists dealt with the higher costs of financial, regulatory and technical uncertainty connected to unmitigated climate change in comparison to actual decarbonisation. Their conversation covered how stakeholders across sectors can help avoid uncertainty by identifying the challenges slowing the transition down and building confidence.
“The only uncertainty I feel is that decision makers and politicians do not know if their decisions play out well for them. That might be an uncertainty, of course, but others would call it freedom or responsibility. So we should not hide behind the phrase of uncertainty,” commented Dr. Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection [2021-2025] / Federal Chairman of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen [2018-2022].
Conference participants were also able to join break-out sessions for in-depth discussions and visit the exhibition area. The ESG Summit was accompanied by award ceremonies for the ESG Transparency Award, the Energy Transition Award and the SolarProsumerAward that identify pioneers in their respective industries. Awards such as these play an important role in promoting good practices across the industry. By recognising companies that demonstrate excellence in sustainability, corporate health, and ESG, the awards provide benchmarks that other organisations can learn from. They highlight approaches that contribute to transparency, responsible management, and long-term impact, supporting the wider adoption of effective practices across the sector. Furthermore, the ESG Summit facilitated focused meetings between these leaders by hosting committee talks during the event, discussing roadmaps for the future from a business perspective.
In addition, the prestigious Corporate Health Award, presented jointly by the EUPD Group, Handelsblatt Media Group and the Deutscher bKV-Service for the 17th time, honoured excellent health management of employers and raised awareness of the growing social relevance of sustainably promoting the health, satisfaction and performance of employees. During an exclusive Gala Dinner on November 25, 2025, the spotlight was put on this year’s award winners and their accomplishments in Corporate Health.
“We sense a growing uncertainty regarding ESG importance in the market due to the current political setting”, states Markus A.W. Hoehner, CEO of the EUPD Group. “Thankfully, an increasing number of companies realises that sustainability needs to be at the core of all business actions in order to remain competitive in the future. With our European Sustainability Week, we aim to support this movement, ask uncomfortable questions and thus enable discussions among experts from various industries. We are looking forward to continuing this throughout the next year at the ESW 2026.”
Creating event formats such as the ESW and ESG Summit requires an ecosystem of support and cooperation between players from the economy, science, politics and media. The ESG Summit thanks its sponsors Arvato Systems GmbH, BG prevent GmbH, SAP Deutschland SE & Co.KG, DNV, eva service GmbH, OCELL GmbH, Pylon Technologies DE GmbH, SolaX Power Europe GmbH, Solplanet, TÜV Rheinland Solar GmbH, Unternehmen Bewegung, F&F Energy Innovation, Grubengold GmbH, GoodWe Europe GmbH, Solinteg, Zendure and Great Power, as well as media partners Haufe Sustainability, forum Nachhaltig Wirtschaften and zielNULL.
About the EUPD Group
Since its foundation in 2000, the EUPD Group has been developing innovative, integrated solutions for sustainability-oriented companies. We lead companies to success with our data-based market research and consulting services in the areas of energy, social and ESG. On the one hand, we have specialised in technology sectors such as photovoltaics, energy storage, heat pumps and electromobility under the topic of “Energy”. In the “Social” category, we also offer services in areas such as occupational health management and equal opportunities, while “ESG” focuses on corporate sustainability and responsibility issues, including their transparency in reporting. Our aim is to help companies become and remain competitive, create optimal framework conditions and develop business opportunities.
www.eupd-group.com
About the European Sustainability Week
The European Sustainability Week, organised by the EUPD Group, provides a unique platform to discuss the latest national and international sustainability developments with industry pioneers, expert councils and committees. The ESG Summit 2025 offers participants the opportunity to expand their knowledge, make valuable contacts and learn from industry leaders during a high-class conference, on the exhibition floor for solution providers and award ceremonies.
https://european-sustainability-week.com/
Press Contacts
Julia Lünnemann
International Communication and Event Manager
EUPD Group
j.luennemann@eupd-research.com
Katja Werner
Corporate Communications Manager
EUPD Group
k.werner@eupd-research.com