Report “Carbon Crossroads: Balancing Decarbonization and Competitiveness in Bulgaria’s Industrial Sector“
The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) recently published a report “Carbon Crossroads: Balancing Decarbonization and Competitiveness in Bulgaria’s Industrial Sector“
Industrial decarbonisation is becoming a defining factor for Europe’s economic security and global competitiveness. As carbon pricing tightens, energy markets remain volatile, and clean technologies reshape industrial value chains, countries that can combine affordable low-carbon electricity, modern infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing will be best positioned to attract investment and sustain growth.
Thе report examines Bulgaria’s pathways to industrial decarbonisation through five scenarios to 2050, showing that carbon pricing alone will not deliver industrial electrification. It argues that phasing out coal, modernising the power grid, expanding storage, and deploying hydrogen and other low-carbon technologies are essential to decouple industrial growth from emissions. The analysis also demonstrates how industrial decarbonisation can reinforce Bulgaria’s ambition to become a regional hub for advanced manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and lowcarbon technologies, provided energy, industrial, innovation, and economic security policies are aligned under a coherent long-term strategy.