Against the backdrop of today’s decisive Net zero challenges for the glass industry, the Glass Decarbonization Conference already ranks among the defining highlights of the 24th edition of VITRUM. Organised by GlassOnLine during this year’s leading trade show for the global glass industry at Fiera Milano, the event drew exceptional attention for insights, relevance and key takeaways. With the EU pressing forward on its climate goals—a binding 55 percent emissions cut by 2030, net-zero by 2050 and a proposed 90 percent reduction by 2040—the conference set the stage for strategic discussions on how the glass industry can transition towards a sustainable future.
Mapping industry progress so far
The day opened with a welcome address from Dino Zandonella Necca, President of VITRUM, which was followed by two in-depth sessions chaired by Nicolaas François Fouché, Senior Editor of GlassOnLine, Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories, and Glass-Technology International. The morning session, “Technologies and Solutions for New-Generation Furnaces,” highlighted breakthroughs in furnace design, alternative energy sources and digital optimisation.
Presentations came from leading companies across the sector, including Glass Service Italy, Stara Glass, Glass Futures, Fives, RHI Magnesita, Celsian, Land Ametek, Topsoe, Schneider Electric, BDF Industries and Linde Technology. Together, these demonstrated how innovation in furnace technologies is central to reducing emissions and preparing the industry for the transition ahead.
Sustainability across the value chain
The afternoon session, “Environment and Sustainability: Innovations and Developments,” shifted the focus to sustainability across the entire glass value chain. Here, representatives from Assovetro, FEVE, OCMI OTG, Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro, NSG-Pilkington Italy, Iocco Group, Saint-Gobain Italy and Glass for Europe jointly demonstrated how technological innovation and collaboration across the supply chain is already fast tracking practical, scalable answers to the industry’s most pressing challenges.
Indeed the message was clear throughout the conference: decarbonization continues to be top of mind as an urgent necessity. Here, presentations went far beyond mere policy insights, going the extra mile to detail what is currently being leveraged in—among other solutions—SOEC electrolysis, all-electric melting, AI-driven process optimisation, hydrogen combustion trials and sustainable packaging. Each provided a glimpse of the tangible progress being made—accentuating exactly where innovation is currently redefining the industry’s future.
A veritable hub of industry synergies
All this transformed the glass decarbonization conference into more than just another sector gathering, making it also a moment of strategic synergy for the global glass community. Indeed, by uniting policymakers, technology providers and industrial leaders, the event emphasised once again how Vitrum 2025 continues to serve as the place where the future of glass is still being shaped. As Europe advances toward its ambitious climate-neutral goals, the industry’s role is being fundamentally reimagined, and VITRUM and GIMAV have teamed up superbly to help chart that course forward in collaboration with GlassOnLine.