Get ready for the second edition of this collaborative and transformational event, which unites cities, governments and industry to explore how technology and innovation can support Europe’s climate action goals.
Europe has long been at the forefront of global efforts to tackle climate change and following the publication of the IPCC’s synthesis report, the EU has reaffirmed its commitment to ambitious climate action and to continue leading on the path of climate neutrality. The EU acknowledges, however, that more must be done to accelerate efforts.
Through its vision set out in the EU Green Deal and the preparatory path offered by the Fit for 55 package, the EU’s climate policy is based on clear targets and measures that aim to reduce emissions, increase the use of renewable energy sources, and improve energy efficiency. Policymakers have also reiterated the importance of different technologies as an enabler of climate action efforts.
This year’s conference will again convene different stakeholder groups, including policymakers from the EU and Member States, local government, industry representatives, NGOs, and academia, to explore the role of technology and innovation more broadly in supporting Europe’s climate action goals.
The conference will give particular attention to the role of technology in its support for decarbonising different industries, the transition to clean energy, and increasing energy efficiency. We will also explore the wider support that is required to meet these goals and those set out more broadly in the Green Deal Industrial Plan and the Green Deal, including the type of regulatory environment that is required, easier and faster access to finance, as well as enhancing the necessary skills to enable the green and digital transition.
“Climate change is one of the most pressing long term challenges of our time. Technology and innovation have an important role to play in helping to address it, and this conference is an opportunity for relevant actors to come together and join forces.”
~ Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries.
Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries 2019-present
Minister of Economy and Innovation 2017-2019
Member of the Parliament 2016-2019
Chair of the Committee on Economics of the Parliament 2016-2017
Deputy Leader of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union 2016-present
Team Leader of the Group for Regulatory Affairs, Invest Lithuania 2016
Project Coordinator, Lithuanian Airports 2015-2016
International Group Project Manager, AB Lietuvos Paštas 2014
Assistant Project Manager, Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPÁ), Washington (USA) 2013-2014
Author and Editor of news portal The Lithuanian Tribune 2011-2015
Master of Arts in European Studies, Maastricht University (Netherlands)
2012-2013 Bachelor of Economic and Social Studies, Aberystwyth University (United Kingdom) 2009-2012
Stephen Quest is the Director-General of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) as of 1 May 2020. He is also the chair of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) that brings together various EU institutions and bodies to identify and analyse the medium- and long-term trends facing the European Union and their implications for policy-makers.
Prior to this, Stephen was the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (TAXUD) from 2016-2020 and the Director-General for Informatics (DIGIT), driving the digital transformation of the Commission, between 2013-2016.
His career spans more than 30 years in the European civil service, and has included work on the EU budget, social and environmental policy. He was Head of Cabinet to the Commissioner for the EU Budget (D. Grybauskaitė) between 2004-2009 and spent four years as Assistant to the Secretary-General (D. O’Sullivan). Prior to joining the European Commission, Stephen was a UK civil servant in the Department of Employment.
As Director-General, Stephen is particularly focused on modernising organisational culture and promoting innovation within the Commission, both as regards the use of technology and empowering and involving staff in decision-making. He is particularly passionate about communication and the interface between policy, technology and science.
Markku Markkula is the President of the Helsinki Region. He is Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), having been the President in 2015-2017.
His professional experience focuses on knowledge creation, lifelong learning, societal innovations, and change management. On these, he has worked for years as the Advisor to the Aalto University Presidents and as the Director of Lifelong Learning Institute Dipoli at the Helsinki University of Technology.
He has been a Member of Parliament of Finland 1995-2003. As an MP, his international role included the Presidency of EPTA Council, European Parliamentary Technology Assessment Network.
Mr Markkula has many influential roles in EU policy, including the CoR Rapporteur on important opinions such as innovation, digitalization, research policy, European Missions, industrial renaissance, start-ups, and climate.
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Jeremy Rollison is Head of EU Policy, Senior Director of European Government Affairs, within Microsoft’s Corporate, External & Legal Affairs (CELA) group. Based in Brussels, he leads Microsoft’s EU policy team focused on Microsoft’s regulatory and legislative engagement across all relevant policies impacting regulatory and legal frameworks for digital, cloud, and increasingly AI development and take-up for Microsoft’s customers in Europe. With a background and expertise on data policy in particular, he has led and managed corresponding public policy campaigns and engagements covering AI, privacy, non-personal data, cybersecurity, cloud, intellectual property and copyright. Prior to joining Microsoft, he worked in the Government Relations team at Nokia in the company’s EU representative office and was previously Director of the online services association Dot.Europe in Brussels. He has close to 20 years of experience in Brussels at the company, association, and consultancy levels, engaging with EU stakeholders and regulators on issues related to the development and delivery of digital technology in the Internal Market and, increasingly, support for Microsoft customers’ twin transition journeys across different sectors.
Rodrigo Fernandes is director of ES(D)G (Empowering Sustainable Development Goals) at Bentley Systems, leading the company’s sustainability initiatives. Rodrigo advocates for a culture of sustainability, empowers sustainable development goals through Bentley software and services, and evangelizes Bentley’s environmental handprint. Rodrigo is also European Climate Pact Ambassador and serves as an external expert for the European Commission and the Portuguese Ministry of the Sea (DGPM).
Previously at Bentley, Rodrigo worked as a senior consultant and project manager on the Water Infrastructure Team, and then as business development / environmental industry expert for the Acceleration Team and Digital Cities. He joined Bentley in 2017 with the acquisition of Action Modulers’ Water Business Unit, and before that, he was a Researcher in Marine, Environment & Technology Center (MARETEC), University of Lisbon. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and has designed and managed over 20 European innovation projects on modeling water resources and environmental safety issues.
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Joost started Closing the Loop, a company that makes ‘circularity for tech’ tangible, appealing and understandable, today. He works with the technology sector and its stakeholders in turning circular ambitions into results. His company is known for its work in emerging markets, for its customer centric approach towards circularity and the fact that it got some of the leading telecom brands on board for the path towards a closed loop industry. Joost has been an entrepreneur for 12 years and has worked in consulting and for the Global Reporting Initiative in the past.
Quotes:
1)“The complexity of creating a closed loop in an industry is usually left to researchers or governments. But companies can contribute greatly, for example by creating appealing and customer-centric services around waste reduction?”
2) “Closing the Loop is proud to offer its circular ‘waste compensation’ service to CLIENT NAME. We are confident it will create value for their customers and positive impact for society and the telecom industry itself”.
Barton Finn coordinates the EU purchaser support and engagement activities of TCO Development, the organization behind TCO Certified – the world-leading sustainability certification for IT products. He specifically focuses on helping EU institutions and purchasing organizations in the Benelux and French-speaking Europe to drive environmental and social responsibility through their IT tenders. His areas of expertise span technology, (public) procurement and sustainability. Before joining TCO Development, he previously worked for the European Parliament and, more recently, as part of the government affairs department of a major IT company. Barton holds a Master’s degree in PR, communication and European affairs.
Keynote Video Presentation:
Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans & Fisheries, European Commission (confirmed)
Keynote Presentation:
Stephen Quest, Director General, Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission (confirmed)
Keynote Presentation:
Markku Markkula, Vice President and Rapporteur for “A new Innovation Agenda for Europe”, European Committee of the Regions (confirmed)
To remain a global climate and technology leader, Europe must overcome key economic and social challenges. This session will focus on these key challenges and the opportunities presented by overcoming them. Speakers are encouraged to give particular attention to ways we can achieve a more simplified regulatory environment, faster and easier access to finance for tech and climate entrepreneurs, and a more equitable and just outcome for all citizens and businesses, leaving no-one behind.
Speakers:
Ville Niinistö MEP, Rapporteur for LULUCF Regulation; and Shadow Rapporteur for Renewable Energy Directive; Member of the ENVI Committee, Group of the Greens, European Parliament (confirmed)
Maria Teresa Fabregas Fernandez, Director, Recovery & Resilience Task Force, European Commission (confirmed)
Krista Kampus, Executive Director of Tallinn – European Green Capital 2023, City of Tallinn (confirmed)
Britta Behrendt, State Secretary for Climate Protection and the Environment, City of Berlin (confirmed)
Additional speaker to be confirmed
Keynote Presentation:
Paloma Aba Garrote, Director, Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, European Commission (confirmed)
Technology plays a key role in driving the clean energy transition and recent innovations have ensured the efficiency and affordability of new renewable energy systems. Furthermore, breakthroughs in energy storage technologies have addressed the intermittency challenge of renewable sources, enabling a more reliable and consistent energy supply. This session will look at the different technologies that are supporting the clean energy transition, including, but not limited to, smart grid technologies, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies and low-carbon fuels. Speakers will also consider how the EU and Member States are implementing policies to drive the clean energy transition, including the establishment of a grand coalition of stakeholders. We will explore the work that still needs to be done for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. This includes the EU’s highly anticipated 2040 milestone targets set to be announced in early 2024.
Speakers:
Paula Pinho, Director, Just Transition, Consumers, Energy Efficiency & Innovation, DG ENER, European Commission (confirmed)
Emma Wiesner MEP, Shadow Rapporteur, EU ETS, Renew Group, European Parliament (confirmed)
Rodrigo Fernandes, Director for Empowering Sustainable Development Goals, Bentley Systems (confirmed)
Aušrinė Vitkutė, Mission Cities Coordinator, Climate Neutral Vilnius, City of Vilnius (confirmed)
Additional speaker to be confirmed
The amount of global e-waste is increasing at a dramatic rate, and it is contributing to a staggering increase in global health and environmental issues. Yet, governments are playing a significant role in addressing the e-waste problem by leveraging circular solutions and sustainable procurement processes.
Participants will discuss a recent proven example implemented by the Dutch Government and consider how the actions of a few governments can have a hugely positive impact globally.
Speakers:
Barton Finn, Purchaser Engagement Manager, TCO Development (Moderator. Confirmed)
Joost De Kluijver, Founder, Closing The Loop (confirmed)
Albert Geuchies, CSR Advisor, Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture & Science (confirmed)
Keynote Presentation:
Pearse O’Donohue, Director, Future Networks, DG CONNECT, European Commission (confirmed)
Future connectivity solutions and systems provide the infrastructure and capabilities necessary to enable a greener and more sustainable society. This session will explore the energy efficient nature of future connectivity solutions, and the environmental impact of their applications, including, but not limited to, the benefits of smart transportation and autonomous vehicles, smart manufacturing, precision agriculture and energy-efficient buildings.
Speakers:
Peter Dunn, Director of European Relations, Cullen International (Moderator. Confirmed)
Johannes Theiss, Team Leader – Policy Coordinator, DG CONNECT, European Commission (confirmed)
Filipe Batista, Coordinator Digital and Telecommunications, Portuguese Permanent Representation to the European Union (confirmed)
Additional speakers to be confirmed
We are starting to see the impact of AI across many areas of society, including the workplace, economy, and the technologies we use each day. However, how can we leverage AI to support a more sustainable future? This session will explore the potential of AI in supporting EU climate goals. Participants will consider some of the applications of AI and the positive impact these can have in helping to support climate objectives. Participants will also discuss the transparency and human element that is required to ensure we use AI responsibly.
Speakers:
Gustav Kalbe, Director, Digital Excellence & Science Infrastructure, DG CONNECT, European Commission (confirmed)
Jeremy Rollison, Head of EU Policy & Senior Director, European Government Affairs, Microsoft (confirmed)
Bernard Lebelle, CEO, The Green Link (confirmed)
Representative, European Parliament (tbc)
Representative, City/Member State (tbc)
Additional industry speaker to be confirmed
With the window of opportunity closing, space-based technologies and applications offer enormous, new potential for supporting a greener future on Earth by revolutionising our approach to tackling a number of environmental challenges. This session will bring together different stakeholders from the policy and industry communities to explore how they are working together to maximise the positive impact of space based technologies on supporting the EU’s wider climate goals.
Speakers:
Aarti-Holla-Maini, Incoming Director, Office for Outer Space Affairs, United Nations (confirmed)
Dušan Chrenek, Principal Advisor – Digital for the Green Transition, DG CLIMA, European Commission (confirmed)
Niklas Nienaß MEP, Group of the Greens, European Parliament (confirmed)
Additional speakers to be confirmed
More information to follow
To discuss speaking opportunities at the event, please contact:
Tom Chinnock at tom.chinnock@techforclimateaction.com / +44 (0) 7785 795 015.
Closing the Loop is a social enterprise helping tech users and sellers across the globe to take a first step towards sustainable consumption.
We offer a pragmatic, positive and value-driven service called One for One. Through our service, we make electronics such as phones, laptops and tablets ‘waste-neutral’
One for One means, that for every new device that is sold, bought or leased, one broken device is collected and recycled by Closing the Loop.
The waste that Closing the Loop collects is waste that would otherwise not be recycled or collected from countries that lack proper waste management facilities.
Here is a video explaining waste compensation
https://www.cullen-international.com/
Cullen International helps organisations make effective decisions on policy, regulation and law in the digital world. Authorities and industry in over 90 countries gain clarity, time and insight from our neutral intelligence, supported by a network of real experts spanning the globe. Founded in Brussels in 1986, Cullen International has been the reference in digital regulation for four decades.
MotisCo is an events organizer and events consultancy business. We specialize in bringing communities together to address the world’s most pressing challenges. Through our own initiative events and strategic partnerships, our goal is to support existing efforts and build new networks to achieve meaningful change. The choices we make now will have a profound impact on our future. Start today, for tomorrow.
Where people and policy meet.
Applies to: Corporate, Trade Association, Law / Public Affairs Firm
until 9th October
from 10th October
Applies to: NGO/Not-for-Profit
until 9th October
from 10th October
Applies to: Academic / Student
until 9th October
from 10th October
Applies to: European Commission / Parliament / Council, EU Permanent Representatives, National Government / Regulator & Diplomatic Mission to the EU, Local Government / City Officials, Press
Disclaimer: The content of this website has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States
Venue: Stanhope Hotel
Brussels, Belgium
For more information on any aspect of this event, please contact Tom Chinnock using any of the details below:
tom.chinnock@techforclimateaction.com
Tel: +44 (0) 7785 795 015
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