Sandrine Dixson-Declève

Co-President of Club of Rome

Sandrine Dixson-Declève is an environmental scientist and an international climate change, sustainable development, sustainable finance, and complex system thought leader. She is Co-President of the Club of Rome and divides her time between leading the Club of Rome, advising on non-Executive corporate and academic Boards, lecturing, and facilitating difficult conversations. She is a TED global speaker and was recognised most recently by Reuters as one of 25 global female trailblazers in 2023 and by GreenBiz as one of the 30 most influential women across the globe driving change in the low carbon economy and promoting green business.

Lasse Frimand Jensen

Mayor, Aalborg, Denmark, ICLEI Europe Vice-President

Lasse Frimand Jensen holds a Master’s degree in Development and International Relations. Prior to his appointment as Mayor in 2023, Jensen was Head of the International House in Aalborg. He has been a member of the City Council of Aalborg since 2014 and has also served as the chairman of the Danish Water Association, the Port of Aalborg and Aalborg Utilities Company. Jensen has been key in setting up Green Hub Denmark, a strong public-private partnership that uses green innovation, sustainable business models, and large-scale testing to address climate challenges. 

Since being elected Mayor, Jensen serves as Chair of the Finance Committee, Chair of Aalborg Business Council and Chair of the Regional Council of Municipalities. Furthermore, he sits on the board of Destination North Denmark. Jensen has experience in engaging citizens in the green transition, and set up the Green Agent's project, which aims at promoting sustainability among residents of the city. 

As host of the European Conference of Sustainable Cities and Towns on 1-3 October 2024, Jensen sees involvement in ICLEI key to understanding the bigger picture when working on local sustainability. 

Ovidiu Cîmpean

State Secretary, Ministry of Investments and European Projects, Romania

Ovidiu Cîmpean is a State Secretary at the Ministry of Investments and European Projects (MIPE), where he holds a pivotal role in managing the EEA and Norway Grants. Coordinator of M100 - Mirror Misson Cities Hub Romania, a national hub designed as a support platform for the Romanian cities in their transformation processes towards smart and climate-neutral cities by 2030.

With over 15 years of experience, Ovidiu has was the development director at Cluj-Napoca Municipality, being in charge with European funded projects. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and European Studies from Babeș-Bolyai University, providing a solid academic background for his career.

Mayor Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh

Mayor of Malmö, Sweden, President of ICLEI

Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh is the Mayor of Malmö, Sweden, since 2013 and is the first woman to hold the mayor’s office in Sweden’s third largest city. Before elected Mayor, she served as Deputy Mayor in charge of education, as well as welfare and security.

Mayor Jammeh served as a commissioner in the National School Commission and is currently on the national board of The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) and the national board of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. She has a strong national voice, representing the collective cities and regions of Sweden and has been ranked as the most influential local politician in Sweden.

Internationally, Stjernfeldt Jammeh is the President of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, where she leads 2600 cities and regions in sustainable urban development. She is a strong advocate for equitable and human centered sustainability, and for greater influence and funding to the local level, where the work is being done.

Chantal Zeegers

Vice Mayor, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, ICLEI European Regional Executive Committee

Since June 2022, Chantal Zeegers has been working as Vice Mayor in the Municipality of Rotterdam. She is responsible for the Climate, Building and Housing portfolios.

Previously, Zeegers has held a variety of different positions within the Ministry of Education and the Municipality of Rotterdam. She has been active in politics for the D66 party since 2011. She started out as an Executive Director of the Hillegersberg-Schiebroek sub-municipality, specifically focussing on outdoor spaces, sustainability, and traffic and transport. She was the D66 Party Chairperson in Rotterdam’s municipal council between 2018 and 2022. She is also vice-president of the regional environmental protection agency DCMR.

Zeegers believes that urgent action is needed to make the transition to a more sustainable, resilient and socially just society. To meet the challenges brought by climate change, she believes that international cooperation and legislation are required to make the necessary next steps.

Erion Veliaj

Mayor of Tirana, ICLEI European Regional Executive Committee

Erion Veliaj was re-elected for his third term as Mayor of Tirana in May 2023. Prior to his tenure, Veliaj served as a Member of Parliament of Albania and Minister of Social Welfare and Youth from 2013 through 2015.

Before joining the ranks of the Socialist Party of Albania in 2011, Veliaj had a long experience as the leader and founder of the youth movement “MJAFT”, a civic organization which gained huge popularity for inspiring peaceful protest since its creation in 2003. Veliaj has also worked with several international humanitarian organizations in the Americas, Eastern Africa and Kosovo.
Veliaj holds a Master’s degree in European Integration from the University of Sussex and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Grand Valley State University.

Minna Arve

Mayor, Turku, Finland, ICLEI Europe Vice-President

Minna Arve has served as the Mayor of Turku, Finland since 2017. Prior to this, she was the Managing Director of the Turku Chamber of Commerce and the Secretary General of the Finnish National Coalition Party. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics and participated in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative from 2022 to 2023. As Mayor, Arve prioritises sustainable growth, climate and nature initiatives, and the prevention of social exclusion, actively advocating for innovative cultural, industrial, and business policies. 

Arve is an active member of Finland's circular economy steering group and chairs the working group on cities and regions. She has contributed to numerous Finnish and European processes and actively participated in COP25, COP26, and COP27, as well as the UN Secretary General Climate Summit in 2019, where she delivered several keynotes and panel contributions on climate action and the circular economy. During her tenure, Turku has made significant progress towards achieving climate neutrality by 2029. Arve is keen to continue her active engagement in the ICLEI network to create new solutions to our challenges together. 

Martin Horn

Lord Mayor, Freiburg, Germany, ICLEI Europe President

Martin W. W. Horn, Lord Mayor of Freiburg im Breisgau since July 2018. He studied International Social Work at the University of Applied Sciences in Ludwigsburg and then completed a Master’s degree in “European and World Politics”. Until he took office in Freiburg, Horn was the European and Development Coordinator of the city of Sindelfingen and, among other things, Executive Director of the European city net-work Eurotowns.

As Lord Mayor of Freiburg, Martin W. W. Horn is committed to climate protection, affordable housing, digitization, social justice and closeness to citizens. Among other things, he is also President of ICLEI Europe - Local Governments for Sustainability. When it comes to climate protection, Horn pursues an integrated policy approach, especially for future generations. Part of this policy is a climate conservation offensi-ve of the city of Freiburg with many concrete climate preservation measures.

Gino Van Begin

Secretary General of ICLEI

Gino has worked for ICLEI for 20 years. In his former positions as Regional Director for Europe and Deputy Secretary General, and now as Secretary General since 2013, he has consistently worked towards ensuring ICLEI performs as a responsible, forward-looking, not-for-profit local and regional government organization serving its Members worldwide.

Throughout his 20 years at ICLEI, Gino has witnessed cities becoming home to over half of the global population, while facing an increasing number of challenges. At the same time, he worked with and witnessed local and regional governments as they respond to these challenges, despite their sometimes limited means. Without waiting for nations to take action, over the years, local and regional governments have found solutions to mitigate the effects of urbanization, climate change, inequity and ecosystem degradation, while increasing their resilience, lowering their dependent on fossil fuels and becoming more sustainable overall.

In his position as Secretary General, Gino also ensures that ICLEI takes every opportunity to decisively influence global negotiation processes and increase the presence of local and regional governments on the global stage, in order to promote the sustainability agenda at all levels.

Gino Van Begin was born in Belgium and graduated with a law degree from the University of Brussels. Before joining ICLEI, Gino worked in Russia for seven years as an advisor and as team leader at the EU-funded Environmental Centers for Administration and Technology in Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg. Prior to that, he worked in Brussels for five years at the European Commission, DG Environment.

Manuela Álvares

Councillor, Matosinhos Municipality, Portugal

Holds degree in Civil Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering, U. do Porto, a master’s degree in Public Administration from the School of Economics and Management from the University of Minho and a Postgraduate Degree in Public Regulation and Competition from the Center for Public Law Studies and Regulation – Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra - 2021. A PhD candidate in Planning at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, 2014 and a PhD candidate in Bioethics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, 2020. Councilor for Environment, Energy Transition, Public Space, social Housing and Municipal Works at the Municipality of Matosinhos (term 2021-2025) Chairman of the Board of Directors of MatosinhosHabit EM, Member of the Board of Directors of LIPOR – Intermunicipal Waste Management Service of Greater Porto, Vice-President of the Porto Energy Agency, and Member of the Executive Board of the Corredor do Leça Association.

Carlos Alvarez Pereira

Secretary General of The Club of Rome

Carlos is the Secretary General of The Club of Rome, where he promotes research and action for a paradigm shift towards wellbeing in harmony with the biosphere. He is an Aerospace Engineer by training and has a background in systems dynamics and complexity theory, exploring especially the reframing of science, technology and digitalization to address the existential challenges of humanity. His experience spans 25 years as entrepreneur in IT consulting in Spain, Switzerland, France, and Germany. He has been a lecturer and researcher in Applied Mathematics at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM). He created in 2006 the Innaxis Foundation to promote research in complex systems and responsible innovation. Carlos advises the UNESCO Chair of Global Understanding for Sustainability at the University of Jena and the International Bateson Institute, as well as the SWEET programme on energy transition in Switzerland. He also collaborates with the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions (MAK´IT) and is a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS).

Andreas Amundsen

Senior advisor, Municipality of Ålesund, Norway

Andreas is a senior advisor with the municipality of Ålesund where he works on several research and EU-projects on topics such as culture, digitalization, sustainability, and municipal planning.

Leonidas Anthopoulos

Professor, University of Thessaly

Dr. Leonidas Anthopoulos is a Professor in e-business at the University of Thessaly, Greece and Project Manager for the city of Trikala under the ICC European project. During his current mission and at his previous job positions he planned and supervised several critical projects, worth mentioning the smart city of Trikala. He is the Director of the “Intelligent Production Systems and Smart Cities” Research Institute and the Director of the Postgraduate Program in Agile Management at the University of Thessaly, Greece. He is a member of numerous committees, worth mentioning working for the ITU. His research interests concern, among others, smart city, e-Government, Enterprise Architecture, and Strategy.

Angela Badami

Professor, University of Palermo

Angela Badami, Architect and PhD in Urban and Regional Planning, is Full Professor of Urban Design at the Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, Italy. She conducts research on sustainable urban development, natural and cultural ecosystem services and the enhancement of cultural heritage. Among the most recent publications are: La rigenerazione urbana di Aalborg: un modello di sviluppo sostenibile per il futuro delle città, Milano, FrancoAngeli; Gibellina, la città che visse due volte. Terremoto e ricostruzione nella Valle del Belice, Milano, FrancoAngeli; “Management of the image of the city in urban planning. Experimental methodologies in the Colour Plan of the Egadi Islands”, “Managing the Historical Agricultural Landscape in the Sicilian Anthropocene Context. The Landscape of the Valley of the Temples as a Time Capsule.”

Dr Malgorzata Bartyna-Zielinska

Project Manager, Wroclaw Municipality, Poland

Malgorzata Bartyna-Zielinska completed her doctorate at the Faculty of Architecture, Wroclaw University of Technology. Her research focused on the role of NBS in spatial planning documents. Professionally associated with the Wroclaw Municipality, for eleven years an urban planner in the Wroclaw Development Office, since June 2017 in the Sustainable Development Department as a project manager and head of an environment and climate unit. She is also a Vice-president of the Wroclaw branch of the Society of Polish Town Planners and member of the International Academic Association on Planning, Law, and Property Rights (PLPR).

Margarida Bento Pinto

Head of Environmental Department, Matosinhos Municipality, Portugal

Margarida has a Master's degree in Urban Engineering from the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Coimbra (2001), and Bachelor in Civil Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto (1991). She has held various positions as Division Head in the environmental area of the Municipality of Matosinhos, with the responsibility for environmental education, and is currently the Head of the Environmental Monitoring Division. Between 1992 and 1999, was a lecturer in Higher Education at ISHT - Higher Institute of Humanities and Technology of the Lusófona University, in the Industrial Production Engineering course.

Dr Anna Bernstad Saraiva

Head of sustainability and procurement, City of Malmö Service Department, Sweden

The construction and facility management sector is known as a bad guy in terms om climate impact. Anna Bernstad has dedicated the last 10 years in different public sector construction and facility management organisations, with the aim of reducing climate impact and increasing circularity in the sector.

Thomas Birket-Smith

City planner, Municipality of Aalborg, Denmark

Thomas is an architect and city planner in the city of Aalborg. He been working on the transformation of the habour front of Aalborg for more than 15 years, and more recently, on the listed former distillery plant Spritten, which is a new district with a focus on industrial heritage and culture. He has also worked on a climate adaptation project in the western part of Aalborg, focusing on the rising water in the fjord. He is also involved in strategic work with sustainability in the municipality.

Bjarke Bjørch-Haderup

Selected Member, Danish Youth Climate Council

Bjarke Bjørch-Haderup is a selected member of the Danish Youth Climate Council (YCC), a council under the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities dedicated to representing and amplifying the voice of Danish youth in the climate debate, providing direct feedback to the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities. Bjarke recently graduated with an MSc in Environmental Management and Policy from Lund University, where he completed his thesis on the social acceptance of offshore wind energy, focusing on the involvement of local communities in planning processes. Bjarke will now devote his professional endeavours to advancing the green transition from the outset of his full-time career.

Jens Bley

Initiator/Founder, ANN RADAR

Jens Bley is Initiator/Founder of ANN (A New Normal) RADAR a digital radar for smart cities, sustainable and innovative precincts, originally financed by the ICLEI Action Fund in cooperation with Google.org and currently in a North German Business Accelerator. Jens Bley initiates and leads knowledge-based and data-driven urban testbed projects at HafenCity University in Hamburg, Germany, including the EU/Interreg funded Baltic Sea Region project UrbanTestbeds.JR. for data-driven and artificial intelligence supported co-design of sustainable neighbourhood scenarios with young citizens. Senior advisor and Smart Cities & Digital Transition Cluster Manager for the European Union International Urban and Regional Cooperation programme IURC for Asia and AustralAsia. Senior expert in a consortium delivering New European Bauhaus strategic business, governance and technical assistance to place transformations for multiple cities in Europe for the DG Region.

Pernilla Bodin

Deputy Mayor, Växjö, Sweden, ICLEI European Regional Executive Committee

Pernilla Bodin, politician from the Green Party with a strong focus on society's transition towards a sustainable society where people's well-being must go hand in hand with business development, the use of natural resources and the impact on nature's conditions. As chairman of the sustainability committee to the municipal board, she drives the work to move logics and working methods within the municipal group to enable the transformation that is necessary for the entire society.

Pernilla has a master in environmental science from Lund’s University and have worked in 15 years professionally with strategic environmental work in the public sector. She has developed documentation for strategic policy plans in waste, environmental strategy, circular economy and Agenda 2030 and led processes to implement change management within the public organizations and in society. A few years ago, she decided to step into the political arena to be the type of politician that she herself was missing.

Dr Hannah Bolz

Local Green Deal Manager Biodiversity, City of Mannheim, Germany

Dr. Hannah Bolz studied biology with a specialization in ecotoxicology and subsequently completed her doctorate on the topic of "Spray drift of pesticides". During her professional career, she focused on increasing biodiversity in urban and agricultural areas. Since February 2023, she has been working for the City of Mannheim as Local Green Deal Manager in the field of biodiversity and ecosystems. In this role, she works closely with other city departments, associations and citizens with the aim of increasing biodiversity in and around the city. She also coordinates the participation of the city of Mannheim in the EU-project Urban Nature Plans plus.

Frida Brett-Smith

Local Green Deal Manager Farm to Fork, City of Mannheim, Germany

Frida Brett-Smith works on Urban Food System Transformation as a Local Green Deal Manager for the City of Mannheim, driving change towards a fair, healthy and sustainable food system. She fosters collabortion between actors across the administration, civil society, research insitutions, organisations and companies, and supports concrete action on issues like environmentally friendly food production; healthy and accessible food; fair and sustainable food chains; food waste and consumer education. Frida has a scientific background in Governance & Public Policy and holds a Masters of Science degree in Environment and Resource Management. She specialised in Global Food Challenges and Sustainable Food Systems with complementary insights into ecosystem services and biodiversity. Among other, she gained practical experience at the service agency of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation.

Dr Martin Brynskov

Founding Director and Standardisation Lead

Martin Brynskov, PhD (CS), is an academic and standardisation expert who has led some of the world’s largest pilot studies on smart and sustainable cities and communities, as Associate Professor at Aarhus University and later as Senior Researcher at Technical University of Denmark (DTU), both in Denmark, leading groups focusing on connected communities, interoperability and ecosystems in the context of data spaces, local digital twins, AI and Internet of Things. He is also Founding Board Director, and previously Chair, of the Open & Agile Smart Cities & Communities (OASC), a Brussels-based global network of cities acting as a voice of the needs of citizens and their communities towards Big Tech and regulators, promoting Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs).

Tommaso Buso

Associate, Bankers without Boundaries

Tommaso is an associate at BwB, where he covers numerous projects of sustainable finance, ranging from sovereign green bond issuance, NBS investments, cities decarbonisation modelling, structuring of financing facilities, all the way to support the deployment of reforestation financing. In the BwB urban space, he is responsible for the brokerage and execution of Capital Hub deals for Italy, French and Belgium as well as of the technical assistance support to small and middle-sized cities through the Smart Cities Marketplace Over 4 years, he has worked with companies and organisations across Asia, Europe, Africa and America. Previously, he has worked for the retail ESG practice of Amundi AM, Europe’s largest asset manager, and the sustainable finance division of Deloitte France, the largest European sustainability advisory team. Tommaso holds a master’s degree in Economics and Public Affairs at Sciences Po Paris and speaks 4 languages.

Jonas Byström

Lead Engineer, European Investment Bank

Following studies in Civil Engineering and Engineering Geology, Mr. Byström worked 20 years as environmental and waste management consultant, based in Sweden, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. He also held a position as Assistant Technical Attaché at the Swedish Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Byström joined the EIB in 2007 and following many years of due diligence and monitoring work for solid waste and circular economy projects, he now focuses on the Circular City Centre - C3.

Susana Campos

Post doc in Feast Project at IPVC, Institute Politechnique of Viana do Castelo

Susana Isabel Almeida Campos holds a PhD in Development, Societies and Territories. She is a post-doc researcher at CISAS (Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, IPVC). Her research focuses on sustainability, especially the critical understanding of the diversity of socio-economic development models and their applicability in a territorial context; the analysis of multidimensional solutions raised by development processes in communities, organisations and territories, taking into account the articulation with the dynamics of change on a global scale. Recently, she has been involved in processes of transdisciplinary co-creation of knowledge and experience, working closely with the school community, municipalities and companies, in the context of action research and based on a multi-actor participatory approach.

Maurizio Carta

Deputy Mayor for urban regeneration, Municipality of Palermo, Italy

Maurizio Carta is architect and full professor of urbanism at the Department of Architecture of the University of Palermo. Founder and Director of the Augmented City Lab, an international research agency about the cities of the future. He is senior expert in strategic planning, urban design and local development, drawing up several urban, landscape and strategic plans in Italy. In 2019 he was Italian Design Ambassador for the Foreign Affairs Ministry. He is visiting professor or keynote speaker in several universities and institutions. He currently is the Deputy Mayor for the urban regeneration of the Municipality of Palermo. He is author of more than 350 publications, the last are Augmented City. A Paradigm Shift (ListLab, 2017), Cosmopolitan Habitat (Jovis, 2021), Resilient Communities and the Peccioli Charter (Springer, 2022), Homo urbanus. Città e comunità in evoluzione (Donzelli, 2022), Romanzo urbanistico. Storie dalle città del mondo (Sellerio, 2024).

Dr Nuria Castell

Senior Scientist, NILU

Nuria Castell, Senior Scientist at NILU, is the coordinator of the Technology and Society group, leading national and international research projects focused on the uptake and validation of novel sensor technologies and the integration of citizen observations in policy and research. She is currently coordinating the Horizon Europe CitiObs project [Enhancing citizen observatories for sustainable cities - CitiObs], aiming at enhancing Citizen Observatories in 85 cities in Europe. Nuria’s academic pursuits encompass a wide-ranging spectrum of fields, including sustainable urban development, citizen science, environmental governance, planetary health, urban living labs experimentation and the intersection of science and art. Nuria also holds the position of co-chair of the Citizen Science Global Partnership group on Scaling-up citizen science Air-quality monitoring and the European Citizen Science Association's working group on air quality.

Simon Clement

Head of Circular Economy, ICLEI European Secretariat

With over 20 years experience working with cities across Europe on promoting urban sustainability, Simon leads ICLEI’s work in the field of circular economy. Simon has co-ordinated a number of European projects on the topics of circular economy and sustainable procurement including CityLoops, BuyZET, SPP Regions, and Clean Fleets. He has also managed a number of service contracts on behalf of clients such as the European Commission, including the Big Buyers Initiative, the GPP Training and Toolkit, and the development of sustainable procurement criteria for the UN. He is also the co-ordinator of the European Circular Cities Declaration.

Karl-Filip Coenegrachts

Chair of the Governing Body, Open & Agile Smart Cities

Karl-Filip is Chair of the Governing Body and acting Executive Director of Open & Agile Smart Cities, an international cities and communities network supporting its members in their digital transformation journey with a strong focus on interoperability. He is also Head of the Data, Governance and Communities Unit at the imec research group SMIT of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (imec-SMIT, VUB). The main focus of the work of his unit is on governance and business aspects of urban digital transformation and urban innovation, including data spaces, local digital twins and personal data management. Before joining OASC and SMIT, he served in government for 24 years, working at the local level as Chief Strategy Officer of the City of Ghent and at the Belgian FPS Justice on digital policies and digital transformation programmes. He holds a master of laws degree, specialized in European and International Law.

Aisling Connolly

Circular Economy Expert, ICLEI Europe

Aisling is an Expert in ICLEI Europe’s Circular Economy team, working on issues related to industrial- urban symbiosis and the circular economy for over two years. As part of ICLEI’s European Secretariat, Aisling works to support local governments in Europe in implementing sustainable urban development. Prior to joining ICLEI, Aisling worked as a Licencing Inspector at the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland for three and a half years, licencing public and private industry and waste management facilities. Aisling began her career as an Intern at Uisce Éireann, the public water utility of Ireland.

Joost van Cruchten

PMO COPPER, City of Ghent

Joost van Cruchten is a smart local energy system advisor and innovation manager supporting small and mid-sized European cities to prepare for the local energy transition. He currently supports the City of Ghent as PMO for their lead role in the collaborative innovation project Cities for Open and Participative Planning for Electricity Grid Resilience (COPPER), an EU-supported initiative led by six cities to develop Europe's first wave of Local Energy Action Plans (LEAPs). He is also supporting a top-5 Dutch housing provider to build a concept for a Virtual Power Bank, a series of buildings with battery storage connected into a virtual power plant. He also has experience in funding and project management support for European programmes including Horizon Europe, Interreg, and EIB ELENA funding.

Tue Damsø

Senior Advisor, CONCITO

Tue is a Senior Advisor at the Future Cities program at CONCITO. He is in charge of intiatives supporting local climate action, project management for the DK2020 initative in addition to his role as knowledge partner for the Danish Climate Alliance. Tue has a PhD in strategic energy planning and has worked on supporting local action on climate change for more than 15 years, combining insights from research and hands-on experience.

Karen van Dantzig

Dutch Urban Envoy, Kingdom of the Netherlands

Karen van Dantzig is the Dutch Urban Envoy since January 2020. Her mission is to ‘strengthen the position and role of cities/urban areas in the EU’.  The Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations extended the mandate of the Envoy till January 2028. With the new mandate the envoy will continue to contribute to sustainable urban development, green&digital transition and promote & strengthen multilevel governance and Better Regulation. Relevant programs being Urban Agenda for the EU and 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities. Furthermore, Karen is Chair of the Working Party Urban (OECD) since 2024.

Former functions were deputy director of Governance, Finance and Regions and acting director of Knowledge & Policy Development within the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations. Prior engagements were at Ministry of Infrastructure and Watermanagement and Directorate-general for Foreign Economic Relations at Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

Karen van Dantzig studied international law at the University of Leiden.

Dr Sabrina Dekker

Regional Climate Action Coordinator, Dublin City Council, Ireland

Sabrina is the Regional Climate Action Coordinator for the Dublin Metropolitan Climate Action Regional Office (CARO). Prior to this she was the Climate Action Coordinator for Dublin City Council, where she was responsible for developing Dublin City Council's new climate action plan - Climate Neutral Dublin 2030, which sets out Dublin City's path to achieving climate neutrality. She is the author of the book “Cities Leading Climate Action: Urban Planning and Policy”. She holds a PhD in Environmental Policy, an MPA in Human Security, and an MPP in Urban Development and Public Health.

Dr Konstantinos Dellis

Post-doctoral Researcher, Athens Unversity of Economics and Business

Kostas Dellis is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the AE4RIA network, currently participating in an array of projects including Horizon EU Projects MAIA, CARMINE and Pathways to Resilience (P2R). He holds a PhD from the University of Piraeus Department of Economics on Endogenous Growth and Knowledge Diffusion, a Msc. in Econometrics and a Msc. in Development Economics from the University of Manchester and a Bsc. in Economics from the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB). His research interests lie in the area of Sustainable Development, Climate Finance, Green Innovation and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). He has worked as a researcher for the European Central Bank (ECB), the bank of Greece (BoG), the London School of Economics Hellenic Observatory (LSE HO), the National Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Technical University of Cyprus.

Wojciech Deska

Senior Urban Specialist, European Investment Bank

Wojciech has almost 30 years experience in public sector infrastructure and utilities with comprehensive background across infrastructure financing, corporate banking, private equity and international development banking.

Experienced in originating, developing, structuring, negotiating and executing large scale and complex transactions in particular in urban regeneration, public transport, water, affordable housing and solid waste sectors. Project manager and investment expert in numerous local and international advisory and consulting assignments supporting project preparation, public financing and structuring infrastructure projects.

For the past 17 years EIB officer responsible for lending operations, project appraisals and advisory assignments. At present involved in the review of the applications of the 100 climate neutral and smart cities and their investment plans in particular, as part of JASPERS.  Formerly senior positions in public sector at Citibank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and private consulting.

João Dinis

Director, Cascais City, Portugal

João Dinis, Cascais’ council climate action director, graduated in Geography and Urban Planning with a post-graduate degrees in Geographic Information Systems and Sustainable Development Strategies. He is currently responsible for Cascais' action strategy for climate change and sustainable development strategies through innovative approaches in spatial planning, technology, green and circular economy, and governance models. This has resulted in a pioneering experience that has led to the implementation of more than 60 climate change adaptation and mitigation actions over the last five years. This integrated approach has also been leveraged by a vast and extensive experience in leading pilot cases in projects funded by the EU (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europa, EEA Grants and FP7), as well as by Portuguese funding (Environmental Fund, POSEUR program) with more than 18 projects funded in the last decade.

Dr Bettina Distel

Project Lead, Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development

Dr. Bettina Distel is a scientific project leader at the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development, specialising in the topics Smart Cities, Digital Government, and Social Cohesion in Digitalised Societies. Her second major research interest is trust and trust management in the context of technology. Before, she worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Münster, Germany. Bettina Distel is an active member of the National E-Government Competence Center (NEGZ e. V.), a German-wide network of experts on public sector digital transformation from administration, business and science. She is also member of the European Research Center for Information Systems, an international network of research institutions and companies, working together in the field of Information Systems. Bettina Distel has been an invited speaker on various national events and conferences.

Mads Duedahl

Chairman of the Regional Council North Denmark Region Denmark

Mads Duedahl has been the chairman of the regional council in the North Denmark Region since 2022. Mads is also the first vice-chairman of the board of Danish Regions and has previously served as the alderman for the Health and Culture Administration in Aalborg Municipality.

Marcel Duffhuis

Program Manager Digital Twin, City of Utrecht, the Netherlands

Marcel Duffhuis is an experienced professional who has made his mark in various sectors, including technology, sustainability, and urban development. With a strong background in both technical and management roles, Marcel has proven himself to be a visionary leader and innovator. His passion for promoting smart urban solutions and sustainable technologies has led to his involvement in numerous successful projects, consistently demonstrating his expertise and dedication. Marcel is known for his strategic mindset and his ability to turn complex challenges into achievable solutions. Additionally, he is a strong advocate of collaboration and knowledge sharing, as evidenced by his active role in various professional networks and communities. His most recent focus is on the development and implementation of Urban Digital Twins, innovative digital replicas of urban environments that enable data-driven decision-making and more efficient management.

Dr Karin Ekman

Researcher, NILU

Karin Ekman, PhD, is a researcher at the department of Urban Environment and Industry at The Climate- and environmental research institute, NILU, with an interest in citizen science, public engagement, and informal learning. Her educational and scientific background in environmental sciences (BSc in Environmental health, 1994) and teacher background (MEd in Geography and Biology for Upper secondary school, 1999) in combination with a Ph.D. in Information technology and Learning (University of Gothenburg, 2022, Making sense of sensing: Learning through Maker-based Civic Engagement) provides a good foundation for working with social aspects and stakeholder engagement in sustainability research.

Dana Eleftheriadou

Head of Intelligent Cities and Proximity Team, European Commission

Dana Eleftheriadou steers EU policy development on intelligent cities, advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, the green and digital transition of industry, that aim to foster Europe’s technological and industrial leadership. She drives policy initiatives and action plans that are leveraging advanced tech to address the world’s biggest challenges and lead the green and digital transition and social welfare. She designed the EU Intelligent Cities Challenge initiative, which supports over 200 EU cities to make the most of cutting-edge technologies to drive the green and digital transition of local economies. She spearheads work on the Tech4Good initiative to promote technology-powered solutions and business models designed to advance social, environmental and economic causes, as well as on Local Green Deals that support cities and businesses deliver on the European Green Deal at local level.

She has been working on the EU new Industrial Strategy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy, critical AI applications, digitising the European Industry. She was the EU coordinator of the high-level Strategic Policy Forum on Digital Entrepreneurship and steered the Member States Board on Advanced Technologies coordinating national policies and forging the implementation of EU strategies. She negotiated EU positions in international dialogues, as EU delegate at the G7 ICT and Industry Ministerial and at the G20 dialogue for Innovative Growth; the EU-US dialogue on eCommerce, the Trans-Atlantic business dialogue (TABD), and the OECD. She is member of the IEEE Computer Society, of the World Economic Forum Digital Leaders Group and has been co-author of the World Economic Forum Global IT Report. Dana Eleftheriadou holds an MBA with distinction from Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Meng - great distinction - in Computer Engineering from the University of Patras, Greece and a diploma in Philosophy from MIT, USA.

Kit England

Senior Climate Adaptation Specialist, Paul Watkiss Associates

Kit is a Senior Climate Adaptation specialist with Paul Watkiss Associates, with over 15 years’ experience in adaptation. He specialises in place-based adaptation planning, economics and finance and just resilience. He has worked on several internationally significant initiatives and innovations, including establishing Climate Ready Clyde, Scotland’s first place-based adaptation partnership focused on transformational adaptation, the EU Mission on Adaptation, Adaptation Scotland’s work on adaptation finance.

He regularly advises subnational and national Governments and NGOs on systematic change for accelerating adaptation, including the Climate Change Committee, UENP, OECD, DEFRA and HMT. He is leading work within Pathways2Resilience on Climate Resilience Investment Planning and supporting ClimateFIT with its investment planning methodology. He was a contributing author to the third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, and is a member of the BSi’s adaptation standards working group.

Aniol Esquerra Alsius

President, Ecoserveis

Aniol studied Industrial Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, specialising in Product and Systems Design. He also has two master’s degrees: in Technology and the Humanities (Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UTC) and in Renewable Energies and the Environment (International University Study Centre, IUSC). He promotes technological innovation with a human dimension. He concentrates on the technical aspects of the production, storage, use and management of energy under the prism of environmental sustainability.

Paulo Esteves Ferreira

Councillor for Municipal Works, Municipality of Valongo, Portugal

Paulo Esteves Ferreira was born on 4 September 1972, graduated in Civil Engineering from the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto and is a member of the Order of Engineers. He began his professional career as an expert valuer in 1996, later opting for construction management. He worked for various construction companies until he set up his own. He has managed large-scale building and infrastructure projects. He has held various management positions and taken on emblematic projects, particularly during Porto 2001 and Euro 2004. In addition to civil engineering, building work and property development, he has also invested in sport as the owner of two businesses linked to physical and wellness activities. In 2013, he took on the role of deputy to the Mayor of Valongo. He has been a councillor on Valongo City Council since 2017.

Danai Sofia Exintaveloni

Research Associate, Technoeconomics of Energy Systems laboratory (TEESlab)

Danai Sofia Exintaveloni holds a Master (M.Sc.) degree in Economics from the Athens University of Economics and Businesses and a Bachelor (B.Sc.) degree in Industrial Management and Technology from the University of Piraeus (UNIPI). She is currently working as a Research Associate at the Technoeconomics of Energy Systems laboratory (TEESlab) of UNIPI, participating in several EC funded projects. Her research profile focuses on energy economics and policy at local, regional and national level, statistical data analysis and optimization.

Florian Fischer

Solution Engineer, ESRI

Florian Fischer has a background in mechanical engineering, with a focus on the finite element method and a passion for simulations. He currently works as a Solution Engineer at the ESRI R&D Center in Stuttgart, Germany. He is a Subject Matter Expert in photogrammetric image processing workflows with expertise in Raster Analytics and AI applications based on geospatial data.

Scott Francisco

Founder and Director, Pilot Projects Collaborative and Cities4Forests

Scott is a Co-founder of Cities4Forests and the Wood at Work community, as well as the Founder and Director of Pilot Projects Collaborative. He has pioneered multi-disciplinary communities of practice including The Future of Forest Work and Communities, Wood at Work, and Thriving Forests and Regenerative Built Environments. With a background in architecture, urbanism, construction, and consulting, Scott emphasizes stakeholder engagement in design amidst today's focus on efficiency. He speaks on systems thinking, forests and wood, workplace design, culture, and sustainability. Scott has taught at McGill School of Architecture, Michael Graves College, Parsons The New School for Design, Stanford in New York, and University of Kentucky School of Architecture. He holds degrees from the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr Philippe Froissard

Head of Unit, European Commission

Philippe FROISSARD graduated in nuclear engineering in Grenoble (France) in 1988 and completed his PhD in nuclear physics in 1992. He worked on nuclear fusion research at the JET Joint Undertaking (UK) and then at the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique until 1999. In 2000, he joined the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission and held several positions since, dealing in particular with Human Resources and Mobility, International Cooperation and Research Infrastructures. In 2019, he moved to the Future Urban and Mobility Systems Unit, responsible for Research & Innovation strategy and activities on surface transport with a focus on the Horizon Europe partnerships on Rail, Batteries, Zero Emission mobility as well as on urban development with the Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission of Horizon Europe. Since November 2023, he is leading the Strategy, Policy Coordination and Urban Transitions unit in the Clean Planet Directorate of DG RTD.

Luisa Garcia

Senior Technician, Intermunicipal Community of Alto Minho, Portugal

Professional with an Integrated Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto. Since 2018, she has been working at the Alto Minho Intermunicipal Community as a senior technician, where she is responsible for the management of EU co-financed projects and the operationalization of various initiatives, such as the "FEAST - Food Systems that supports transitions to healthy and sustainable diets " "AlimentAÇÃO - Promote a balanced and sustainable diet, the Mediterranean diet and combat food waste in Alto-Minho," and "CIBUS - Cutting food loss and waste in Europe" projects. She also has experience in evaluating applications and monitoring projects, contributing to regional development and strategic management in the area.

Martyna Gawlik

Project Manager, Wroclaw Municipality, Poland

Martyna Gawlik holds a Masters of Science degree in Environmental Protection with the specialization in Environmental Impact Assessment. Since 2022, she has been working as a Project Manager in the Climate and Energy Division in Wroclaw Municipality, in the field of climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions, and urban resilience. She is involved in European projects (LIFE+, Horizon Europe, EU Mission: Adaptation to Climate Change and Fair Local Green Deals). Moreover, she is responsible for implementing and monitoring the Wroclaw Climate Change Adaptation Plan.

Agate Goyarrola Ugalde

Udalsarea 2030 - Technical Secretariat, Basque Network of Sustainable Municipalities

Agate Goyarrola is Environmental Sustainability Project Manager in Ihobe (Environment Agency of the Basque Government). Since 2006 she has been working as a local sustainability technician at Ihobe, always linked to the promotion of local governance and sustainable public action. She is the coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of Udalsarea 2030, the Basque Network of Sustainable Municipalities, which works especially on the promotion of Local Agendas 2030, as well as climate and energy, green public procurement and circular economy.

Laurence Graff

Deputy Director General, DG Climate Action

Laurence Graff is a French citizen (born in Montbéliard, Doubs). She started her professional career working for RENAULT headquarters. She then joined the European Commission in 1993, first working on automotive issues and subsequently on environmental matters. She spent a few years working on linkages between environment and trade, before starting to work on climate change, since more than 15 years by now. She acted as head of unit in charge of international climate negotiations and inter-institutional issues, more recently, of more specific policy files such as aviation, shipping, international carbon markets or fluorinated gases and the ozone layer. She has also been a cabinet member attached to the Commissioner responsible for climate change and the protection of the environment (Commissioner Dimas) when the first climate and energy package was sealed in 2008 (under the French Presidency), in the run up to the Copenhagen. Since April 2022 she is advisor to the Deputy Director General in DG CLIMA.

Maria Granlund

Climate Specialist, Transition & Climate Policy Unit, City of Turku, Finland

Maria Granlund is a climate specialist at the City of Turku’s Green Transition and Climate Policy unit. She is currently focused on the city’s 100 Climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 mission work as part of the 1.5-Degree City project team. Granlund plays a key role in fostering cooperation with the business sector and other stakeholders to accelerate progress towards Turku’s ambitious goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2029. With an academic background in futures studies, responsible business, and cultural studies, she approaches climate work from a systemic and futures-oriented perspective.

Hilppa Gregow

Head of Unit, Finnish Meteorological Institute

Hilppa Gregow is an intuitive thinker and solution oriented trusted collaborator with 25 years of experience in the field of weather and climate services and climate impact research. She leads the HEU PIISA project in which insurance concepts are researched, dashboards investigated and novel climate-insurance services piloted piisa-project.eu/publications. She also leads the Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Research Program of the Flagship ACCC. Regarding the ACCC, in May 2024 her team published a policy brief on tipping point impacts on Finland www.acccflagship.fi/wp-content/uploads/Tipping_points_Policy_Brief_english.pdf and organised a Think Corner event. She works for the saami climate council (https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-//1410903/sami-climate-council-started-its-work) and at the Finnish Meteorological Institute she leads a research unit en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/weather-and-climate-change-impact-research.

Giuseppe Grezzi

Councillor, València City Council, Spain

Giuseppe Grezzi is italian born. Since 2000 he has lived in València in Spain. He worked as a translator and founded Coop Ecovida, dedicated to environmental services. Specializing in mobility and transport, he was assistant to the region and the municipality. Elected city councilor in 2015, he was appointed Deputy Mayor, Councilor for Sustainable Mobility and Public Space and President of the EMT Public Transport Company. In 8 years of management, València has become a symbol of cities in transition towards sustainable mobility, the recovery of quality public spaces and the push for cycling. EMT was awarded as the best urban transport company of 2018. València has more than 200km of cycle paths, of which 77km created in the last 8 years. València was named European Green Capital 2024. In May 2023 there was a change of government, and Giuseppe Grezzi is currently a municipal councilor of the ‘Compromís’ party (in english 'Commitment’).

Anne Håkansson

Senior Lecturer, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Anne Håkansson is a professor of computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence. She has more than 25 years of experience in the AI field and her research lies in decision-making and negotiation within and between AI systems and devices. Currently, she works with Smart Cities and Societies with automated smart products and services. Professor Anne Håkansson is the chair of the Center for Artificial Intelligence research group. She is the author and co-author of several books, proceedings, and peer-reviewed international publications and PI for several research projects and centres. She serves on several technical program committees of top international conferences and is the editor-in-chief of the NORA Machine Intelligence Journal, Norway.

Mika Hakosalo

Development director, City of Mariehamn

Mika Hakosalo has worked with implementation of smart solutions to reduce climate emissions in cities like Helsinki, Stockholm, Vaasa, Jakobstad and Mariehamn. Many of these solutions have been scaled-up and/or replicated in other cities.

José-Luis Haro-García

Director of Metropolitan Policy Analysis Service, Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB)

José-Luis Haro-García is the Director of the Metropolitan Policy Analysis Service at the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), where his responsibilities include drafting the AMB’s Sustainable Food Action Plan. Previously, at the AMB’s Economic Development Agency, he was responsible for projects in the fields of Green and Circular Economy, Cooperative, Social, and Solidarity Economy, and Food Policies. Regarding his academic background, Haro-García holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Barcelona (UB), a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration and Management from the same university.

Zoe Heuschkel

Member of the Executive Board, Food Policy Council Cologne, Germany

Zoe Heuschkel has been an activist at the Cologne Food Policy Council since 2016 and a member of the board since 2019. As an ethnologist and agronomist, she is professionally involved with innovations in sustainable agriculture and would like to discuss these with all stakeholders in the value chain. Building sustainable, resilient and fair food systems is a matter close to her heart, both professionally and in her activism. She is particularly interested in dialogue with municipal administrations, which she believes are at almost all the levers of the local food transition. Together with them, she wants to explore ways of providing good food for everyone.

Charis Hoffmann

Project Manager, Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption & Production (CSCP)

Charis Hoffmann is a psychologist working on behaviour change approaches towards sustainable lifestyles, including the transition to sustainable food choices. As a Project Manager at the CSCP, she engages with cities, companies, and civil society to engage stakeholders and research consumer preferences on innovative sustainability topics. Her previous experience lies in circular economy. She supported supported cities globally to transition to a circular economy during her time at the ICLEI World Secretariat and was preiously part of the Circular Economy Team at the European Commission, DG Environment. Charis has an academic background in psychology, public policy and development studies. She is also certified in Deep-Psychological Market and Media Research by the Rheingold Institute in Cologne.

Stine Johansen

Climate Director, KL

Former municipal director, Helsingør 2014-22, acting municipal director, Municipality of Sermersooq 2009-13, and director, Independent Windpower Education: Master's degree in Visual Culture (University of Copenhagen, 2007), MBA (Henley, 2014)

Rachel Jones

Chief Executive, Act on Energy

Rachel Jones is CEO of Act on Energy with over 20 years’ experience of working with local, regional and national government on energy policy and delivery. She has a specific interest working on programmes that address both energy poverty and net zero. Rachel has a passion for ensuring that the transition to net zero is just and fair to all citizens. For the last 10 years she has been the Chair of the Association of Local Energy Officers for the Midlands Region of Local Governments representing local government at a National level. Rachel has been involved with a number of European projects including Covenant CapaCITY providing training resources for local government. Rachel contributes her expertise across the work of Act on Energy, including: local authority energy and climate change strategy and delivery; smart energy system transition; the social and health impacts of energy policy; community engagement with energy issues; energy poverty strategy and practice.

Maja Jovanovic

Head of Department for Nature Protection, City Administration City of Belgrade, Serbia

Landscape architect, working in City Administration City of Belgrade. My field of work are green areas, protected areas, afforestation. I have been in organization of many events related to green infrastructure.

Dorthe Kallestrup

ESG Manager, IBF

Dorthe Kallestrup has 15 years of experience in sustainability within the production industry. She has been involved in developing strategies, policies, setting goals, creating action plans, and implementing projects that have moved companies in a more sustainable direction. At IBF, Dorthe Kallestrup has been the driving force behind a Climate Partnership Agreement with the Climate Alliance in Aalborg Municipality, which has benefited both IBF and the municipality.

Dr Ingrid Kaltenegger

Project Manager, JOANNEUM RESEARCH

Dr Ingrid Kaltenegger studied chemistry and environmental systems science at the Karl-Franzens University in Graz. After graduating, she worked for several years as a project manager in the field of Cleaner Production. She has worked at JOANNEUM RESEARCH in various areas as a research associate and project manager since 2001 and has been a Senior Scientist at the Institute for Climate, Energy Systems and Society (LIFE) since January 2016. She is project manager of 2 EU projects, EXCESS (FleXible user-CEntric Energy poSitive houseS) and Invest4Nature (The economics of Nature-based solutions) and is a member of the Scientific Board of the GrünstattGrau innovation laboratory. Her main areas of work include projects on support and management of sustainable urban development processes, Nature-based solutions (NbS) and social life cycle analyses of products and services.

Nina Klein

Policy Lead, ECOLISE

Nina Klein's main focus as policy lead for ECOLISE is participatory advocacy for transformative change with communities at the heart. She brings >15 years of experience accompanying sustainability transitions, including funding, communication, advocacy and policy at the EU level. A trained journalist, she has worked for radio and newspapers as well as in leading management positions for the book publishing sector. Community-led initiatives, such as the Transition Network Belgium, are central to her life. She animates a socio-ecological project in Belgium, where she lives. As an activist, Nina is currently working to build a citizens’ movement which aims to make the EU Biodiversity Strategy a reality on the ground. Nina is a certified transformation manager, holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a MA in history and literature. Nina studied sustainability with Gaia Education, Bournemouth University UK and the Centre for Alternative Technology CAT/ Wales, UK .

Sandeep Kodoli

Research Associate, University of Strathclyde

Sandeep is a Research Associate at the University of Strathclyde, serving as the lead researcher on the GEMINOA project, where he focuses on the inverse modeling of greenhouse gases. With experience in air quality and climate change, Sandeep's previous research explored the transport and radiative impact of black carbon aerosols over Himalayan glaciers. His work is dedicated to enhancing our understanding of climate change and its far-reaching effects.

Magnus Kolind

Coordinator, Center of Health Promotion, Aalborg Municipality, Denmark

Magnus Kolind, Coordinator of the local Urban Regeneration Project (Kvarterværkstedet) in the Department of Healt & Culture, is presenting the unique method of co-creation and community engaging together with the local citizens of the urban and city near districts in Aalborg Municipality. The purpose is to create a well functioning and strengthen identity of the districts. For example strengthen the green initiatives, including creating protects together like urban gardens, recycling boxes, collective garbage days, upcycling ideas etc.

Iris Kriikkula

Circular Economy Project Manager, City of Turku, Finland, Green Transition

Iris Kriikkula works as a circular economy project manager at City of Turku. Her role is to manage the continuous development and implementation of the circular strategy in Turku, which is aiming to become a carbon neutral city by 2029 and resource wise by 2040. She also leads circular projects related to sustainable food and education. Iris is a Master of Social Sciences, East Asia Expert and teacher of history and civics.

Dan Kristian Kristensen

Project manager, Aarhus Municipality, Denmark

Dan Kristian Kristensen holds a PhD from Aarhus University's Department of Agroecology, where he specialized in sustainability transitions within the agrifood system, employing a science and technology studies approach. Following the PhD Dan Kristian Kristensen transitioned into public administration and currently contributes to food system transformation as part of Aarhus Municipality’s Climate Plan. In this role, he among other things serve as the Living Lab Coordinator for the EU Horizon-funded project, FoodCLIC, driving innovative solutions for sustainable food systems.

Niko Kyynäräinen

Mayor of Lahti, Finland

Niko Kyynäräinen is the Mayor of Lahti since the beginning of 2024. Kyynäräinen has a strong background in city development. Previously, he has served as the Director of Business and Economic Development for the City of Turku, CEO of Turku Science Park, and as the Director for the Turku Region Development Centre. Kyynäräinen holds a Master's degree in Political Science.

Lahti is Finland's leading environmental city, serving as a pioneer in sustainable urban development. The European Union recognizes Lahti as one of Europe's key environmental cities. Lahti is also Finland's newest university city. There are 121,000 residents in Lahti.

Gitte Larsen

Head of Climate Secretariat, Municipality of Elsinore/Helsingør, Denmark

Has worked as a biologist with administration and implementation of projects within environment, climate and sustainability for three decades, in politically led organisations.

Mette Larsen

Team Leader, Climate Alliance Team, Aalborg Municipality, Denmark

Mette and her team members work with green transition and local green deals with companies and farmers in Aalborg. Aalborg has 70 climate partners and more to come. The partners' climate actions contribute to the municipality's overall climate goals in 2030.

Peter Lichtenwöhrer

Expert in Energy planning, City of Vienna, Austria

Peter Lichtenwöhrer is currently working at the Municipal Department 20 – Energy Planning of the City of Vienna. As an expert in Spatial Energy Planning, he focuses on strategic solutions for carbon neutrality in the heating sector. His work includes the development of strategic decision support based on geodata and an extensive exchange within the administration and between cities and research partners. Peter Lichtenwoehrer is a graduate of BOKU University and Lincoln University (NZ) and holds a doctorate degree in Spatial Energy Planning.

Christine Lunde Rasmussen

Head of Liveability & Society Transformation, Ramboll Management

As Head of Liveability & Society Transformation at Ramboll Management, Christine delivers strategic advisory and analysis on sustainability, with a special a stronghold on social sustainability and urban development / built environment. Key examples count a Partnership with C40 on Develivering Social Welbeing in the 15 minute city, and Social sustainability advisory for the New European Bauhaus. Christine has strong insights in sustainability on policy, regulatory and technical levels, with a strong background in social equity and diversity.

Søren Lundsgård Jørgensen

ITK, City of Aarhus, Denmark

As many cities all around the world do, Aarhus is working to make a positive change on climate, biodiversity, public health, and inequality. ITK is looking to emerging digital technologies as key enablers of the change we need, and the city is taking up a challenge of designing these technologies such as IoT, robots, open networks, data- and AI-services in collaboration with both other cities, private businesses, research organizations and - most importantly - our citizens. As social anthropologist with expertise in material culture and practices of technology, Søren is putting design thinking and creative leadership to use to involve and voice the perspectives and challenges of citizens and stakeholders to foster sustainable digital solutions that meets local needs.

Irene Manzini Ceinar

Research Consultant in Urban Planning and Policy, Reggio Emilia Municipality, Italy

Irene is an architect and research consultant in urban planning and policy for the Reggio Emilia Municipality. She graduated in Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano (IT). Later on, she obtained an MRes in Urban Design and undertook a PhD at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UK). Her research interests focus on urban and human regeneration processes, relationships between social infrastructure and hybrid workspaces, placemaking strategies, and participatory design practices. Recently, she has grown interest in food policies and social innovation processes. In particular, on the topic of 'proximity food supply' and the fight against food waste, which envisaged rethinking the 'food donation' from a circular economy perspective to intercept the 'waste' of fresh products for channel them into the social service canteens, as well as food bank of the neighbourhood homes (community centres) of the city of Reggio Emilia.

Anna De Matos

CEO, Circular Library Network

Anna C W De Matos is the CEO and Founder of the Circular Library Network (CLN) and Munasafn RVK Tool Library, driven by a passion for sustainability and community empowerment. She founded the Munasafn RVK Tool Library to promote shared resource use and has organized numerous repair café events, fostering a culture of repair and reuse within Icelandic communities. Her hands-on experience in running these initiatives provides her with unique insights into the practical needs of communities, which she has channeled into the creation of CLN. Under her leadership, a infrastructure provider for sharing economy. CLN is helping communities around the world manage their own "libraries of things", promoting sustainability through shared access to essential items.

Patrick Maurelli

Head of International Projects, FEDERESCO - Italian Association of the Energy Service Companies

Civil Environmental Engineer, expert in urban and energy planning, energy efficiency and renewable energy, Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) and Positive Energy Blocks (PEB), impact assessment and risk analysis. Coordinator of the “GIS and BIM Next City Lab” at the CITERA Research Centre – University Sapienza of Roma – and engaged in European Projects & international cooperation activities. Currently Pilot coordinator of the H2020 EU funded project SUN4ALL, aiming at a Community Solar Solution to energise poor households; Project Manager in SUN4U Empowering and Sharing Tools to enable Renewable Energy Communities (REC) funded by ICLEI with Action Fund II.

Jakub Mazur

Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw, Poland

Jakub Mazur has been Deputy Mayor of Wrocław since December 2018 and is responsible for supervising the Department of City Development and Strategy, and representing the City in international affairs. Under his portfolio as Deputy Mayor, Mazur is responsible for such things as urban planning and land use plans, architecture, construction administration, city aesthetics, monument preservation, economic development, sustainable development, and energy. Mazur has over 20 years of corporate and business experience working as a business consultant, and holds two master's degrees from the University of Wrocław, alongside an executive MBA from Apsley Business School London (United Kingdom). Mazur is also President of METREX, and his areas of expertise include strategy, branding, new business development, IPO, IT, e-commerce, and energy.  

Claudia Misteli

Associated Director Europe, The Nature of Cities (TNOC)

Claudia is the Associate Director at The Nature of Cities, where she applies her expertise as a communication strategist, social designer, and environmental journalist. She is passionate about exploring how social design, communication, and innovation can help create a greener, more resilient, and sustainable future. Claudia strongly believes that empathy, creativity, cooperation, and digitalization open up infinite opportunities to build better societies. With a focus on fostering connections between people and nature, she works to inspire innovative solutions that address urban challenges and raise awareness in projects such as NetworkNature, TNOC Festival, NbS Comics, and more.

Marc Montlleo

Director Of Environment, Barcelona Regional

Born in Barcelona in 1971, he's a biologistwith a degree from the University of Barcelona. He holds a Master's in Environmental Engineering from the Institut Català de Tecnologia (ICT) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). Since 1999, he has been working at the public company Barcelona Regional, and has held the office of Director of Environmental Projects since 2011. Professor of the Master's in Town Administration at the Open University of Catalonia since 2008. As the Director of Environmental Projects at Barcelona Regional since 2011, his main areas of work are related to the insertion of environmental aspects in town planning, territory administration and projects related to the metropolitan area of Barcelona.

Lars Delfs Mortensen

Planner and project manager, Aalborg Municipality, Denmark

Lars is educated as a forest and landscape engineer from University of Copenhagen in 2001 and has more than 20 years of experience in the field of afforestation, nature restoration and nature care in the municipality of Aalborg. Since 2014 he also holds a master’s degree in outdoor recreation and outdoor education. Lars is also active and vice president in the NGO: DM BIO – a network of professionals across the area of natural sciences. In his years as both manager, planner, and project manager he has been working closely with a large variety of stakeholders and partners both local and EU level, from public bodies, such as the Groundwater cooperation Aalborg and the Danish Nature Agency, to local councils and volunteers in outdoor sports. Lars has established new ways of converting farmland into high value recreative areas with environmental services alongside positive development in nature quality – generally spoken of as afforestation projects both rural and close to the city.

Darko Mrvaljevic

Green Agenda & EU Projects Officer, Network of associations of local authorities of S.E. Europe

Darko Mrvaljevic has been successful in area of European integration and fundraising for more than 15 years. He has been working in NGO sector, international institutions as well as in local government and Local Governments Association. He was educated through various programmes, such as EU funded projects of local self-government reform and support to implementation of National strategy for reform of local self-government in Montenegro, Regional School for Public Administration (ReSPA), Council of Europe – Leadership Academy, Council of Europe – Directorate General of Democracy, Institution Building and Governance. Also, he is certified trainer of Human Resources Management Authority of Montenegro. With three terms as a member of local parliament and in a position of a vice-mayor, he has gained practical experience in inclusive local development, policy and decision making. Currently, he is leading Covenant of Mayors for Energy and Climate South-East Europe Office within NALAS.

Elisabeth Muller

Project manager CO₂ Performance Ladder, Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement & Business

Elisabeth is project manager for the CO₂ Performance Ladder Europe (CO2PL), coordinating implementation in various countries, with the International Team, and on a mission to help countries and regions with meeting their climate goals through the power of green procurement (GPP). Elisabeth studied International law and Sustainable development and environmental management. She has a long track record as a sustainability advisor in government, as an entrepreneur and in the business sector, with broad international experience.

William Nelissen

Expert of Innovation Patrimony, Wonen in Limburg

William started his career in 1994 as a project manager at a large construction company and was operationally in charge of the concrete precast department. This taught him the advantages of offsite production. Fast and new construction techniques were part of his inspiration. As project manager, he did projects in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. Characterised by challenging new construction and renovation projects in difficult conditions. 19 years ago, he ended up in social housing by chance from the hard construction sector. There he came into contact with many major challenges, the energy issue, renovation needs, but also social challenges such as housing quality, waiting lists, etc. For 14 years he has been concerned with the question: ‘How can we evolve our patrimony towards 2050, with a central place for residents in it?’ Since 2023, he has been innovation patrimony expert within the new housing company Wonen in Limburg, the largest in Belgium. (merger of 19 housing companies).

Luísa Maria Neves Salgueiro

Mayor, City of Matosinhos, Portugal, ICLEI European Regional Executive Committee

President of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) since the 12th of December, 2021

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Matosinhos Sport since the 27th of October, 2017

President of the General Assembly of Metro do Porto since the 17th of June, 2019

Vice President of the Board of the Association for the Collaboration of Ports and Port Cities since the 15th of October, 2020

Vice-president of RETE – Association of Ports and Port Cities since the 25th of October, 2020

Lawyer from 1991 to 1999

Legal Consultant at DECO (Consumer Protection Association)

Legal Consultant at Porto City Council since 1997

Councilor of the Matosinhos City Council from 1997 to 2009

Deputy in the 10th legislature

President, founder and member of Private Social Solidarity Institutions

Deputy in the 11st legislature

Deputy in the 12nd legislature

Member of the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development

Deputy in the 13th legislature

Justice advisor to the Porto Football Association

Director of Matosinhos Center for New Opportunities

President of the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People of Matosinhos

Administrator of the Agency for Metropolitan Development PRIMUS

Vice-president of the NATO Energy and Environmental Security Commission

Parliamentary Committees:

- Health Committee [Coordinator]

- Labor and Social Security Committee [Substitute]

- Working Group for Monitoring Diabetes Problems

President of the Board of Directors of Adeima from the 27th of October, 2017 to the 2nd of March, 2020

Vice-President of Eixo Atlântico from the 9th of November, 2017 to the 7th of February, 2020

Dr Anne Nørkjær Gade

Technical Director of Sustainability, Artelia

Anne Nørkjær Gade is a highly respected advisor and researcher in the field of sustainable construction, known for her expertise and commitment to bridging the gap between research and practice. With over a decade of experience, Anne is dedicated to advancing planning and construction methodologies that align with planetary boundaries, addressing one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. As a front-runner in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices, Anne excels in transforming sustainability goals into actionable strategies at both strategic and operational levels. In her role as Technical Director at Artelia, she is dedicated to integrating the latest knowledge and innovative solutions into sustainable construction practices, driving meaningful change in the industry.

Sarah O'Carroll

Institutions Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Sarah leads the Foundation's engagement with international institutions, governments, cities, and knowledge partners, focusing on activating ambitious circular economy policies. Her team delivers research and thought leadership to support policy engagements and mobilise key decision-makers towards systemic change. Outside the Foundation, Sarah serves on advisory boards for the African Circular Economy Network and the Climate Neutral Cities Alliance.

Rihab Oubaidah

Researcher, Wageningen University & Research

Rihab Oubaidah, an architect and urban planner, combines her expertise with a passion for creating healthier communities. After earning her diploma in architecture and urban planning, she worked as a provincial architect/policymaker. She then pursued a master’s degree in Sustainable Development at KU Leuven, graduating magna cum laude. Currently, Rihab is a researcher at Wageningen University, focusing on health promotion and participatory youth research within the SURREAL project. She develops tailored interventions for Moroccan descent youth in the Netherlands, addressing critical issues like social exclusion, stigma, and non-belonging. Rihab's work reflects her belief in the power of interdisciplinary planning, transcending conventional boundaries to promote well-being. Passionate about bridging the gap between research and real-life impact, Rihab places human experiences at the center of her work.

Frida Pashako

Deputy Mayor of Tirana, Albania

Frida Pashako is an architect living and working in Tirana. She studied in the field of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Bari, where she completed her Masters’ studies in Architecture. Currently, she holds the position of Deputy Mayor of Municipality of Tirana and she previously was the General Director in the Directorate of Urban Planning and Territorial Development Control at this institution.

Mrs. Pashako  is particularly sensitive to cultural heritage and she makes an important contribution to the Albanian context as a member of the International Council of Museums – ICOM. Since 2016, Mrs. Pashako has been committed to advancing public policies that seek a more sustainable development of the territory of Tirana. She has played a key role in the drafting of local guidelines, policies, rules and regulations, that aim to achieve a higher standard of building, affordable housing for all, and a better relationship between the built environment and the common/public spaces.

Following the Urban95 Academy principles, Mrs. Pashako has been engaged in promoting safe streets and public spaces for children and their caregivers in the dynamic city of Tirana. Her engagement also extends in the pedestrianization of the city in the framework of a city that has been improving its mobility infrastructure, especially that of walking, cycling and public transportation.

Anthony Pearce

Program Manager, WWF Cities, WWF Sweden

Anthony Pearce leads the implementation of the EU LIFE ASAP project which, recognising the central role of local governments in tackling climate change, adapts WWF's long-running One Planet City Challenge to EU circumstances. With 20 years of experience working for WWF and Swedish and Australian governments on climate change he is passionate about enabling the transition to a world where we and all future generations can live fulfilling lives in harmony with nature. He has masters degrees in strategic environmental management and international relations from Lund and Monash universities and bachelors degrees in science and law from Sydney University.

Dr Banu Pekol

Senior Manager, BMW Foundation

Banu focuses on peacebuilding and conflict transformation through urban transformation, especially involving the built heritage. Currently working with the BMW Foundation to foster social justice and sustainability in urban areas, she previously focused on intercultural and interreligious conflict resolution at the Berghof Foundation. Her work spans the development of creative, research-based projects that promote cultural diplomacy, contested heritage interpretation, and effective management. As a co-founder of the Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, she developed innovative strategies to preserve contested heritage sites and foster equal citizenship. She was a trainer in the European Diplomatic Program, elected member on the Advisory Council of the Global Diplomacy Lab, Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow and is a BMW Responsible Leader. She lives in Berlin with her cat Piraye, and spends her free time between the Philharmonie and parks.

Rodolfo Pinto

CEO, SuperUrbanity

Rodolfo Pinto started his professional career dealing with digital startups in messaging and Internet of Things between San Francisco and Italy. From 2015 to 2020, he held the position of CEO of Green Energy Storage (GES), a startup that develops green, secure, and low-cost storage systems to enable a just and effective energy transition, and is now a member of its board of directors. In the past four years, Rodolfo has focused himself in creating solutions that can enable sustainable development and energy transition in cities. In 2020, he promoted the adaptive city model to overcome the smart cities dogma, and since 2023, he has been CEO of SuperUrbanity, an urbantech company that delivers digital solutions for cities and companies that want to have impact on an urban scale.

Dr Diana Pretzell

First Deputy Mayor, City of Mannheim, Germany

Prof Dr Diana Pretzell, a forestry graduate and journalist who worked for many years as Director of Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Policy at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Germany, has been Deputy Mayor for Climate, Environment, Technical Operations (Waste and Wastewater Management and Cemeteries) and Citizen Services since 2021. She has represented the City of Mannheim as First Deputy Mayor since August 2023. Among other things, she is responsible for the localisation of the European Green Deal, where Diana Pretzell has taken over the technical management of the Local Green Deal Mannheim as a pilot city. She represents Mannheim as a model city in the EU mission "100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030", which was one of the first ten cities to receive the Mission Label.

Dr Bard Rama

Senior Expert - Sustainable Energy Systems, ICLEI Europe

With over 24 years of experience in international organizations, Bard currently serves as a Senior Expert - Sustainable Energy Systems at ICLEI Europe and International Dimension Coordinator for the Covenant of Mayors EU. Formerly the Director of Operations at the UN IPCC WGII TSU, Bard has developed in-depth expertise in climate change adaptation, mitigation, resilience, and the SDGs, contributing to the delivery of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Reports. Bard is also a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with a diverse background in project management, energy efficiency, sustainability, urban planning, and infrastructure.

Dr Vanessa Reinhart

Researcher, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Inst. of Geography, Bochum Urban Climate Lab

Dr. Vanessa Reinhart is a geographer and climate scientist with a PhD in Earth System Sciences, specializing in enhancing land use representation within regional climate models. For many years now, Dr. Reinhart has dedicated her research to climate services and urban climate adaptation, focusing on stakeholder engagement and the seamless integration of climate data into urban development processes.

Susanne Rengel

Transformation Manager, Bezirksamt Hamburg-Nord

Susanne works as a Transformation Consultant specializing in digitalization at the Hamburg-Nord District Office. In addition to her main job, she also serves as a facilitator for other companies and public authorities on topics such as vision development, team development, and change initiatives. She also works as a lecturer in Design Thinking. After completing her degree in Business Administration, which included various international stays, she initially worked in Human Resources at different companies in the shipping and energy sectors. Later in her career, she focused on digitalization, leading big transformation projects also focussing on the introduction of agile teams. Since 2021, she has been working in the public sector, leveraging her extensive experience in organizational development across various areas, including leadership development, innovation management, and cultural development.

Isis van Rooy

Junior Researcher, Erasmus University

Isis van Rooy is a junior researcher at Erasmus University ESSB. She is a sociologist that turned her interest to sustainability issues. Before arriving at the Erasmus University, she obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sociology from the university of Amsterdam, with her main area of interest being in cultural sociology. Her methodological research focus is qualitative, such as in-depth interviewing and focus groups. She is currently working on a project on AI sustainability.

Carsten Rothballer

Head of Sustainable Energy Systems, ICLEI Europe

Carsten Rothballer is Head of the team Sustainable Energy Systems (SES) at ICLEI. Senior Expert at ICLEI Europe since 2009 working on climate and energy policy, with profound experience in training, sustainable energy planning and implementation, integrated management and infrastructure, resilience, risk assessment and international networking on climate and energy issues. He supports local and regional governments in Germany and throughout Europe in the development, improvement as well as financing of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), setting up energy communities and urban infrastructures such as district heating. To this end, he also acts as contracted expert in the Just Transition Platform and in the Initiatives for Coal Regions in Transition for the EU as well as the Western Balkan and Ukraine (WBUA), advises on capacity building of political and technical decision-makers and coordinates the exchange programme between EU and WBUA coal regions. Furthermore and in the context of the just energy transition, he develops market dialogues, public-private and/or civic partnerships and stakeholder engagement strategies and concepts together with public authorities, energy communities and industry. General activities include monitoring current developments in international and European energy and climate policy, conducting advocacy on behalf of local governments and facilitating local-national dialogues. Coordinating European projects and service contracts since 2012 in content and staffing.

Céleste Rouberol

International Projects Manager, Agency for Urban Ecology, City of Paris, France

Celeste Rouberol is the International Projects Manager at the Agency for Urban Ecology, Department of Green Spaces, in the City of Paris. She holds a Master's degree in European Affairs and Public Administration from Sciences Po. She began her career as a Local Urban Policy Officer focused on Parisian underprivileged areas, and then moved on to working in a regional office in Brussels where she further developed her expertise in local EU affairs.

Christopher Sadlowski

Head of Climate Advisory Board, City of Dortmund, Germany

Christopher Sadlowski holds a Master of Science in Biodiversity from the Ruhr University Bochum (2016) and a Bachelor of Laws in Public Administration from the University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia (2019). He has been working for the City of Dortmund since 2019 and is currently the head of the Climate Advisory Board at the Coordination Office for Climate Protection and Adaptation to Climate Impacts within the Environment Agency since 2022. His work includes scientific approaches, including greenhouse gas footprint analysis, with a further focus on promoting just and inclusive climate cities.

Dr Henrik Scheller

Senior Expert and Head of Team Public Finance, German Institute of Urban Affairs

Dr Henrik Scheller is the head of the "Economy, Finance and Sustainability Indicators" Department at the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) in Berlin. He is responsible for a large number of interdisciplinary projects on municipal finance and budget management – with a strong focus on issues of public investment, infrastructure planning and sustainable finance. Prior to his time at Difu, he held a professorship at the University of Potsdam and worked for the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Henrik Scheller is co-editor of the „Yearbook of Public Finance“, a transdisciplinary publication and workshop project at the interface between academia and administration.

Susanne Schilderman

Deputy Mayor, Utrecht, The Netherland, ICLEI European Regional Executive Committee

Susanne Schilderman has a degree in Public Economics and Public Administration. Before being elected as Deputy Mayor of Utrecht in 2022, she was a member of the city council for almost seven years, advocating for better designed cycle paths, greener neighbourhoods and affordable housing. During her time on the city council, she worked on (social) housing policies, first as an advisor to the national government and later for the association of housing corporations.

As Deputy Mayor, Schilderman is responsible for Climate Adaptation, Circular Economy, Public Space, Finance and Economic Affairs. Her career has been shaped by improving welfare and implementing sustainable solutions for public policy. She is also a member of the standing committee on municipal finances of VNG, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities.

Schilderman works towards a just, ambitious and sustainable city, where there is room for everyone. Focus areas in her policies include expanding circular and sustainable initiatives so that they become the standard operating mode, applying to both government policy and business. Schilderman is ready to join forces and build a sustainable future that younger generations can live to see and enjoy as well.

Solveig Schröder

Head of Climate Department, District Office Hamburg-Nord, Germany

Solveig Schröder is an experienced leader in climate protection for the Hamburg-Nord district. Her work emphasizes a collaborative approach, recognizing the importance of involving a diverse range of stakeholders, both within public administration and beyond.

In her most recent project, she is incoporating a new cooperative initiative designed to unite actors in public administration involved in climate adaptation. This initiative not only fosters knowledge transfer and mutual learning but also challenges traditional silo structures within public administration, promoting more interconnected and efficient responses to climate challenges. Through these efforts, Schröder ensures that climate protection measures are not just innovative but also inclusive and sustainable.

Agnes Schönfelder

Spokesperson EU Green Deal/EU Mission100CNSC, City of Mannheim, Germany

Agnes Schönfelder's main activities relate to her work as a senior expert for climate and sustainability policy, coordination, communication and project management. Her key role is to develop integrated sustainability and climate strategies and coordinate multi-level processes with stakeholders. As local spokesperson of the EU Green Deal and coordinator of the EU Mission "100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030", leader of the NetZeroCities pilot project "CoLAB - Committed to Local Climate Action Building", she is responsible for the coordination of the Climate City Contract towards a climate-neutral, sustainable and inclusive city. Agnes Schönfelder works as sector and thematic expert for sustainability and climate strategies and the implementation of a Local Green Deal as mentor city within the ICC-Intelligent Cities Challenge Initiative. As CEO, Agnes Schönfelder supports the work of the Climate Action Agency Mannheim (NGO).

Ruud Schuthof

Deputy Regional Director at ICLEI Europe

Ruud Schuthof is Deputy Regional Director at ICLEI Europe and has over 15 years experience in awareness raising/ knowledge transfer on urban sustainable development. At ICLEI Europe he has been strongly involved in city mobilisation for better European and national framework conditions for the local level and multistakeholder exchange on sustainable development. He has been responsible for several of the past editions of the European Conferences on Sustainable Cities and Towns. With a Masters in Public Policy and Administration and a Masters in International Humanitarian Assistance, Ruud has amongst others previously worked for the Dutch Ministry of Justice.

Manuel Semedo

Project Manager, City of Porto, Portugal

Manuel manages and implements multidisciplinary projects within the Department of Environmental Planning and Management of the City of Porto. For the past four years, his work focused on the food system and its regional sustainability, the implementation of circular economy projects regarding biowaste and IT equipment, and the development of an environmental index regarding sustainable construction in the city.

Emilio Servera-Martinez

European Projects Officer, València Clima i Energia, Valencia City Council, Spain

Emilio Servera-Martinez is a European Projects Officer at València Clima I Energia, the Climate and Energy Agency of Valencia City Council. With an academic background in Agricultural Engineering and a Master of Science Degree in Natural Resource Management, his career has been focused on climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions, and urban resilience. He has contributed to R&I projects like ARCH. Currently, Emilio is deeply involved in European projects, notably the Fair Local Green Deals. His role extends to being a member of the team working on the València 2030 Climate Mission, an initiative aiming to make Valencia a climate-neutral and resilient city by 2030. Through this locally-approved innovation mission, the city coordinates its participation in the EU Adaptation and Neutral Cities Missions.

Katrina Sichel

Managing Director, Wit and Word Communications SRL

London-born and bred, now Brussels-based moderator with a degree in Modern Languages from Oxford University. An eclectic career path spans steel-trading in West Africa, business development in the post-Soviet states, delivering public-speaking and media training to private and public sector clients at an international film, television, radio and theatre facility, and co-running an award-winning broadcast PR company producing packages for BBC, Sky News, Channel 4, ITV and Reuters.

Lukas Sloet

Policy Officer Solar, City of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Lukas Sloet is a Policy Officer for Solar Energy at the City of Amsterdam, specializing in the sustainability and circularity of solar power. Amsterdam has been actively developing a local and European solar reuse network, creating sustainable procurement criteria, and recently launched a subsidy program for more sustainable solar manufacturers. Lukas is a strong advocate for the power of partnerships, international collaboration, and the strength of networks in driving sustainable change.

Alicja Śniadach

Manager of LIFECOOLCITY Project, MGGP Aero

Alicja Śniadach is a specialist in Geography, GIScience, and Remote Sensing Technologies, with a strong focus on applying these tools to environmental challenges. She teaches GIS at the University of Gdańsk. Alicja works at MGGP Aero, where she is deeply involved in enhancing communication between researchers and administrative bodies to streamline evidence-based decision-making processes. With a background in Landscape Architecture from the Warsaw University of Ecology and Management, her expertise spans both the theoretical and practical aspects of sustainable land use and environmental monitoring. At Aalborg2024, Alicja will present insights from the LifeCoolCity project, which aims to support the management of blue-green infrastructure in urban areas as part of climate change adaptation efforts. Alicja’s presentation will highlight how these tools can transform urban planning and resilience strategies across Europe.

Ludwig Bengtsson Sonesson

Climate Adaptation Strategist, City of Malmö, Sweden

Ludwig Sonesson works as a Climate Adaptation Strategist for the City of Malmö focused on urban greening, nature-based solutions, heat risks and just adaptation. With a background in both adaptation and in futures studies, his mission is to anticipate the risks of the future and use nature to ensure that the most vulnerable are protected.

Peter Sorknæs

Associate professor, Aalborg University

Peter Sorknæs is an associate professor at the Sustainable Energy Planning Research Group at Aalborg University. Since joining the research group 12 years ago he has focused his research on the future development of the heating sector including its connections with other energy sectors.

Manfred Spiesberger

Researcher, Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI)

Manfred Spiesberger is a senior researcher and project manager at the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) in Vienna, Austria. He is a social scientist with expertise in R&D and innovation policy in Eastern Europe, innovation in the energy field, foresight, and evaluation. He is currently managing several tasks on awareness raising and social acceptance of technology in the H2020 project PHOTORAMA (https://www.photorama-project.eu/). This project deals with PV panel recycling and rare metal recovery in a circular economy approach and has received in 2024 the EUSEW Innovation Award for its achievements. Manfred’s other recent work includes leading the methodology work-package in the H2020 project ENTRANCES on coal and carbon transition in 13 European regions and leading an expert group providing foresight expertise to the EU H2020 Mission Board Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation.

Jakob Stolt

Climate-Neutral City Advisor, NetZeroCities

Jakob Stolt is a Climate-Neutral City Advisor in NetZeroCities, working directly with the Mission cities in EU’s Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. He is educated in and works within innovation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and leadership, especially in a network, development, and cities perspective. He has edited and published two anthologies about entrepreneurship education and done reviews of universities’ efforts within entrepreneurship and knowledge exchange between universities and businesses as part of several OECD-projects. Specialities are sustainable urban development, open innovation, and smart cities collaboration.

Kristin Strandberg

Cities Strategist, Circular Economy

Kristin is a Cities Strategist at Circle Economy, where she leads research and analysis for circular city initiatives. Her work involves developing strategies, roadmaps, and guidance documents to support cities in adopting sustainable urban practices. With a focus on innovative circular solutions, she is dedicated to creating environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive urban spaces. Before joining Circle Economy, Kristin worked as an environmental urban planner in the Swedish public sector, where she played a key role in promoting sustainable city development for the benefit of people and the planet.

Sofia Strid

Associate Professor, University of Gothenburg

Sofia Strid is Associate Professor and Director of Research Studies at the Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She has worked extensively on developing concepts and methodologies for theorising and measuring inequalities, with a focus on violence, crisis and sustainability. She is the Scientific Coordinator of the EU project ACCTING: Advancing Behavioural Change Through an Inclusive Green Deal (https://accting.eu/) and PI of ST4TE: Strategies for Just and Equitable Transitions in Europe (https://st4te.eu/). She has communicated her research via some 200 scientific publications, in e.g. Journal of European Social Policy, Social Politics, Social Problems, Sociology, Theory and Society, and Violence against Women.

Dr Oleksandr Sushchenko

Research Fellow, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research

Oleksandr Sushchenko is a Research Fellow at Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (Leipzig, Germany) supporting implementation of the EU funded projects, responsible for green and sustainable finance issues.

Oleksandr’s activities are covering an interdisciplinary area, where finance meets environmental and social issues. He regularly provides updates on latest developments around green and sustainable finance to public and private sector stakeholders (e.g., national, and local authorities, financial institutions, companies, etc.) in Ukraine and EU. In past years, Oleksandr was leading Portfolio of relevant projects at UNDP in Ukraine aimed at greening activities of public and private entities, facilitating access to the necessary green and sustainable financial resources.

Ida Vad Svenningsen

Green Agent, Centre for Green Transition, Municipality of Aalborg, Denmark

Ida is employed as a Green Agent in Aalborg municipality. Here, her task is to engage the citizens in a green transition. Ida is concerned with creating momentum and empowerment among the municipality's citizens, so that they understand the importance of prioritizing sustainability in everyday life, without it becoming an unmanageable and opaque agenda to work with. Ida works with various forms of involvement and co-creation on a daily basis, because she is focused on securing democracy in the green change process. In order to achieve this, Ida has a number of real partners who both help to ensure the close relationship with the citizens and civil society, and who also help to ensure close interdisciplinary and inter-organisational cooperation. You can hear more about this in Ida's presentation during the workshop "Better together: local governments and communities collaborating for just, resilient cities.

Victor Tenez Ybern

Head of Urban and Mertropolitan Strategy, Barcelona Metropolitan Area

Victor Ténez Ybern is an urban planner and designer who studied architecture in Barcelona. After collaborating with Rosa Barba on research and projects, he has balanced teaching with public and private practice. Currently, he is the Head of Urban and Metropolitan Strategy in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. He teaches Landscape Theory and Design at the UPC in Barcelona and has been a Resident Visiting Professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan and a Visiting Professor at Penn Design, IUAV in Venice, and RMIT in Melbourne. He has collaborated with other universities, given lectures, and published on sustainable and participatory city and landscape across five continents. Since 2015, one of his main lines of work has been the study of the role of natural and agricultural spaces in metropolitan areas.

Henriette Thuen

Leading Senior Advisor, Danish Industry - DI

Ms. Henriette Thuen is a Leading Senior Adviser at the largest organisation for businesses and employers in Denmark named DI - Danish Industry covering 20,000 companies. She is a former diplomat who used to work on human rights and democratic development primarily in the Baltic Sea region. For the past 20 years, Ms. Thuen has focused on the built environment, international procurement contracts, sustainable finance, and public-private partnerships. Since the European Commission launched the New European Bauhaus as the soul of the Green Deal, the subject has been the primary mission of Ms. Thuen. She has been part of cultivating the foundation for the NEB Lighthouse demonstrator named Desire – Designing the Irresistible Circular Society, and for the past two years, on behalf of DI Ms. Thuen has joined forces with a row of European partners to develop and implement the Desire project.

Wolfgang Teubner

Regional Director, ICLEI European Secretariat

Wolfgang Teubner is the ICLEI Regional Director for Europe and also the Managing Director (CEO) of the ICLEI European Secretariat. He is responsible for the strategic and economic development of ICLEI in Europe.
 
He has more than 25 years professional experience working with local governments on sustainable urban development, climate adaptation and mitigation, Local Agenda 21, waste management, as well as sustainable urban transport policies. During his career he has been involved in more than 150 European and international projects, including several research activities. In the period between 1994 and 1999 he has coordinated ICLEI‘s European Cities for Climate Protection Campaign and ICLEI‘s European Local Agenda 21 Guidance and Training Programme. From the start in 1994 he has been involved in the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign and has participated in the drafting of the Aalborg Charta as well as the Aalborg Commitments. Between 1999 and 2004 he has represented the Local Government sector on the European Environment and Health Committee and has been a speaker at many high level international events including the European Council of Ministers.

John Warren Tamor

Member, Official Children & Youth Constituency to the UNFCCC (YOUNGO)

John Warren is an urban innovation professional from YOUNGO and BABLE Smart Cities with experience in supporting cities and regions plan for smart and sustainable development. His prior experience in public R&D allows him to have a multifaceted understanding of smart governance and digital transitions. Leveraging on his transdisciplinary background ranging from communications, development planning, and sustainability studies, John Warren has been honing his expertise in assisting cities undergoing the twin (digital and green) transitions. He volunteers his time with several civil society organizations such as the Global Walkability Correspondent Network, the Young Urbanist of Southeast Asia, and the 2030 Youth Force of the Philippines to further his advocacy for sustainable urbanism. Currently, he is an Erasmus Mundus Scholar working towards a Joint Master’s Degree in Transition, Innovation, and Sustainability Environments (TISE).

Onur Uğurdan

Attorney and member of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipal Council, Turkey

Successful attorney with a comprehensive educational background in law. Graduated from Istanbul Medipol University, Faculty of Law. Following graduation, spent approximately one year in San Diego, California, USA, for language training, during which timegained valuable experience in international law. Throughout  his career,  has specialized in legal practice, corporate governance, and political advisory roles, and working alongside one of Turkey’s leading professors in criminal law and information technology law. Serves as a member of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipal Council, holding key leadership positions such as Deputy Chair of the European Union and Foreign Relations Commission and Rapporteur of the Legal Commission at Pendik Municipality.

Lene Vinther Larsen

Head of the Nature, Streams & Marine sections, Dep. of Water & Nature, Aarhus City, Denmark

Leneishead of the Nature, Streams and Marine sections, Department of Water and Nature, Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark and before then head of Urban Planning. 

She is focusing on nature management, planning and legislation working for increasing the area with nature and forest to fill more than 30% of the area of the Municipality to restore habitats, nature and ecosystem management, planning, biodiversity, and climate adaptation. 

She is also cooperative manager of the involvement of the Green Council (associations and organizations) that advise the City Council on use and protection of nature and marine environments in aspects of sustaining ecosystems and adding recreative values that benefit health and wellbeing in Aarhus. The department also focus on Nature Based Solutions in REGREEN [https://www.regreen-project.eu/] and now in Invest4Nature [https://invest4nature.eu/] and how to succeed with transformation of farmland to nature and forest to cope with Climate Changes and loss of biodiversity together with private investors who work with ESG.

Guðrið Weihe

Head of Sustainable Finance, Treasury & Sustainability, KommuneKredit

KommuneKredit is a special-purpose credit institution with the purpose of providing funding at the lowest possible cost to municipalities, regions and local companies and institutions undertaking a municipal task. With DKK 200 billion in total loans and leases, KommuneKredit is the main provider of funding for green and social investments in municipalities and regions across Denmark. Guðrið is a member of KommuneKredit's Green Bond Committee and the chairperson of the association’s ESG Committee. She has a background in the consulting industry and holds a PhD degree from Copenhagen Business School.

Peter Wiborn

Senior project manager / Ecosystem services specialist, City of Stockholm, Sweden

Climate adaptation expert. Ecosystem services specialist environment and health department, City of Stockholm.

Kristoffer Wolsing

Sustainable Energy Planner, Climate Alliance team, Aalborg Municipality, Denmark

Kristoffer Wolsing is a Sustainable Energy Planner working in the Climate Alliance team in Aalborg Municipality. He works with the city’s green transition effort connected to the civil society adhering to the activities in the municipal Climate Action Plan. Aalborg has high ambitions to reduce CO2-emissions from their local eco-system. This effort requires commitment from the local citizens and companies. Kristoffer has been co-responsible for preparing the Climate Action Plan and got local commitment to the plan at the making. This effort initiated the work with Local Green Deals in Aalborg and are severely rooted in the work plan for the Climate Alliance. Kristoffer has in this regard been project manager for the EU project CLIMAA, where the partnership developed a methodology and templates regarding preparation of Local Green Deals. Moreover, he is functioning as I mentor for other European cities under the Intelligent Cities Challenge.

Serkan Yucel

Expert, Ministry of Youth and Sports Turkiye, Turkey

Serkan Yucel has worked within government in the fields of finance, employment, communication and youth agencies for the last 20 years. In recent years, he has been working in the field of social inclusion of youth through sports. He is now in the final stages of obtaining a Master's degree in Recreation Management in the field of social inclusion with sports.

Kerry Zander

Head of Department, Hanseatic City of Wismar, Germany

1988 Graduated in structural engineering at the university Wismar

1988 - 2008 Employee of the city administration in port construction department of the Hanseatic City of Rostock

2008 - 2024 Coordinator Climate Protection office of the Hanseatic City of Rostock

since 2024 head of department for sustainable city development, project management and world heritage

since 2022 Member of the advisory board of the Heat Transition Competence Center in Halle/Saale Germany

Marianne Zandersen

Professor of Environmental Economics, Aarhus University

Marianne is an Environmental Economist and Professor at Aarhus University focusing on environmental economics in the fields of urban systems, nature-based solutions, climate change and ecosystem management. She coordinated the REGREEN [https://www.regreen-project.eu/] project on fostering nature-based solutions for equitable, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China and leads work in the GoNaturePositive! [https://www.gonaturepositive.eu/] project on evidence supporting systemic change for a nature positive economy as well as work on the evidence of financial and economic performance of nature-based solutions in the Invest4Nature [https://invest4nature.eu/] project. She is also part of the EEA ETC/CA where she has contributed to two EEA reports of interest for sustainable cities and towns: ‘Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe’ and ‘Nature-based solutions in Europe: Policy, knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction’.

Aitor Zulueta

Director of the Environmental Studies Centre, Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, Spain

Aitor Zulueta is Master of Science by the University of the Basque Country and MBA by the London School of Economics. He has been Professor at the Civil Engineering School in Santander, Researcher at BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change and Director for Climate Change in the Basque Regional Government apart from his present position in the Environmental Studies Centre (Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council). Aitor Zulueta is member of the ROA (Roster of Experts) of the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change.