Europe positions itself as the global driver of the decarbonization agenda. Ambitious targets, regulatory reform and large-scale public funding define the direction. Yet behind the strategy, project pipelines narrow, execution slows down and many initiatives struggle to progress beyond early development. The gap between ambition and delivery continues to widen, making execution-level insight increasingly relevant.
At DECARBON 2026, this perspective takes center stage through insights shared by Marek Drywa, Senior Director Business Development at Worley. His presentation, “Decarbonisation agenda in Europe: market and project observations from the engineering contractor’s perspective,” examines how Europe’s decarbonization efforts perform when viewed from inside active projects.
Drawing on recent European project experience, Worley observes a slowdown since spring 2024 in both the volume and progression of decarbonization projects entering execution. While regulatory frameworks and public funding remain in place, fewer initiatives advance beyond planning into sustained implementation.
At the execution stage, delivery is increasingly shaped by technical complexity, operational constraints and coordination across stakeholders. Engineering timelines, asset readiness and integration challenges now play a more decisive role than strategic intent in determining project outcomes.
Practical perspectives from DECARBON 2026 build on hands-on experience across hydrogen, CCUS, energy storage, pipeline safety and low-carbon fuels. Speakers from LiveEO, SLB, Gasunie and ORLEN reflect on concrete challenges encountered across different segments of the value chain.
Taken together, these contributions highlight recurring structural constraints as well as effective approaches already being applied in practice. The discussion offers a realistic view of what currently supports progress in European decarbonization projects and where delivery continues to stall.
Join the discussion to gain practical insight into Europe’s decarbonization agenda and the realities of turning commitments into executed projects: https://sh.bgs.group/3py