Program
Sustainable Solar Europe 2025

The 3  finalists of the European Solar Sustainability Award 2025 will compete in this session for this year’s award. After a short presentation of each finalist, followed by a Q&A with the Jury, participants of the conference will vote for the winner, who will be officially announced during the closing session.

This session will explore key policy and industry developments impacting sustainability in the solar sector’s supply chain, including the simplification efforts under the EU Omnibus Proposal on Corporate Due Diligence, the implementation of the Forced Labour Ban, and the role of the Solar Stewardship Initiative in promoting responsible practices.

How are companies turning rooftops and idle land into engines of sustainability, resilience, and cost control? This session brings together industry leaders using on-site solar not just as a climate solution, but as a strategic asset. We'll explore how solar PV is being deployed to decarbonise operations, hedge against volatile energy markets, and meet corporate sustainability targets — while also offering long-term financial and operational benefits.

As the solar sector scales, reducing carbon emissions across the entire supply chain is becoming both a responsibility and a competitive edge. This session brings together sustainability experts from leading companies along the solar value chain to explore proven strategies for cutting emissions. Participants will join targeted breakout sessions to dive deeper into specific challenges and solutions, gaining practical insights and actionable takeaways to apply within their own organisations.

From production to end-of-life, the environmental performance of solar products is becoming a defining issue for Europe’s clean energy transition. In this session, we delve into the evolving policy landscape, including solar PV Ecodesign requirements and the implications of the Net Zero Industry Act. We will explore how these initiatives are driving innovation and circularity across the value chain. With an opening address by the European Commission, followed by a multi-stakeholder panel, we’ll examine how industry and policymakers can work together to shape a new generation of solar technology that’s truly sustainable.

As solar expands across Europe, there's a growing opportunity — and responsibility — to ensure that clean energy growth goes hand in hand with nature. This session explores how nature-positive solar parks can become the norm, not the exception. Through a roundtable discussion and real-world case studies from the Netherlands and the UK, we’ll examine how developers can be incentivised to prioritise nature, and whether EU-wide policy instruments are sufficient to help scale these practices.

What happens when a solar module reaches the end of its life? How do we ensure it’s dealt with responsibly? This session explores the logistical, operational, and communication challenges of solar module decommissioning and recycling. We’ll look at how stakeholders manage take-back schemes and reverse logistics, and how they communicate these responsibilities to customers.

As solar deployment scales up, how do we ensure it’s done in harmony with nature, communities, and climate goals? This session focuses on the policies helping to speed up solar deployment — from the Renewable Energy Directive to national permitting reforms — and how they can support biodiversity protection, community engagement, and responsible land use alongside accelerated project timelines. Industry voices and policymakers will explore how to strike the right balance: fast-tracking solar while safeguarding the social and environmental fabric of Europe.

Delivering truly sustainable solar means looking beyond deployment targets and addressing the full lifecycle and impact of solar technologies, starting with supply chains. As regulatory pressure mounts and scrutiny increases from stakeholders and civil society, corporate buyers face a growing list of ESG and due diligence expectations. However, navigating this landscape remains challenging: data is hard to access, audit fatigue is rising, and alignment between actors is still limited. This session, hosted by the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI), will explore how smarter, more collaborative procurement strategies can help turn these challenges into opportunities. Marking a key milestone for the initiative, we will officially launch the SSI Buyer’s Guide and its companion digital platform; practical tools designed to support buyers in implementing responsible sourcing practices and strengthening cooperation across the solar value chain.

This session will explore the potential of offshore solar and identify the concrete actions needed at both EU and national levels to move from the pilot phase to full-scale commercial offshore solar projects.