How to create solutions for the future. Climate Change Summit

 Romania will host the Climate Change Summit on October 4-5, a benchmark regional event dedicated to climate solutions

●      Over 50 international speakers and 500 participants will take part in the first edition of the Climate Change Summit, which will occur on October 4-5th at the Odeon Theatre, Bucharest.

●      Researchers, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers at a national and European level, as well as innovators from the corporate world and NGOs, will present ideas for a sustainable future.

●      The mission of the Climate Change Summit is to identify solutions to climate challenges through conversations on climate policies, sustainable financing and technological innovation.

The event is the first summit in Romania dedicated to climate change and aims to become the annual forum of reference for national and European leaders in the field, to identify solutions applicable at local and regional level in the climate policy and sustainability. Among the most important topics the Summit’s first edition are: the transition to a green economy, sustainable finance and investment, sustainable solutions in energy, agriculture, and the food industry or how technologies such as AI or Blockchain can become tools to combat the effects of climate change.

In 2021, the European Union set out to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and more than a third of Europe's largest companies have also committed to the net-zero target by 2050. However, according to a study updated in early 2022 by the United Nations, many of the effects of global warming are already irreversible. As such, in the last two years, over 150 countries, including Romania, have published comprehensive strategies aimed at limiting their impact on the environment and slowing down the pace of climate change.

Among the 30 already confirmed Climate Change Summit speakers we can name global leaders in the field, experts and entrepreneurs such as Linda Zeilina – CEO and founder, The International Sustainable Finance Center; Mark Campanale – Founder, Carbon Tracker Initiative; Oliver Harman – Cities Economist, Oxford University;  Hacina Py – Chief Sustainability Officer, Groupe Société Générale; Nicolas Brien – President, European Startup Network; Giedrimas Jeglinskas, Assistant Secretary-General, NATO; Tania Santivanez – Regional Officer, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Ștefania Racolta-Cruceru, Associate Director, Head of EU Green Finance, EBRD; Alex Găvan – environmental activist and mountaineer, Corina Murafa – energy policy expert, or François Bloch – CEO, BRD – Groupe Société Générale.

Organized by Social Innovation Solutions, with founding partner BRD Groupe Société Générale, the Climate Change Summit takes place on October 4-5th 2022, at the Odeon Theatre in Bucharest, as well as connected events at the Palace of Parliament and Victoria Palace. 

“We came up with the Climate Change Summit because we want Romania to find development solutions that take our climate impact into account. Our fundamental role, as a bank, is to provide innovative financial solutions that ensure the transition to a green economy – fair to people, resources, and the environment. But we believe that we can do more: build and expand a space of ideas and solutions that will help the economy, but also society to move faster – all together with our partners. Along with the business and academic environment, authorities, NGOs, and social innovators, we will provide our expertise and that of the Société Générale Group, which has been financing sustainability projects on all continents and in various industries for over 20 years, helping develop new business models”, declared François Bloch, CEO, BRD – Groupe Société Générale.

In turn, Ciprian Stănescu, President and CEO of Social Innovations Solutions (SIS), added:

“Even if some climate change is irreversible, we want the Climate Change Summit to contribute to another irreversible change: a new mentality of futuremaker and a community of leaders who together build sustainable solutions for the future. Digital and technological transformations, new circular and sustainable business models, a new generation of entrepreneurs for whom social impact is the new norm and the ambitions of large companies and of Europe to build a green economy - all give us hope for the future. Starting with October 2022, we bring to Bucharest inspiration from all over the world for a conversation truly relevant for our future”.

During the event, the SIS team will launch the first edition of the "Climate & Sustainability Business Index", a study on the perceptions and ambitions of the business environment about the impact of climate change in Romania. Also, on September 21-22, within the Climate Change Summit platform, over 100 key actors – central and local authorities, business and civil society leaders – will participate in 8 foresight sessions on the impact of climate change in year 2030 Romania.

Among the partners of the first edition of the Climate Change Summit event are entities such as Mastercard, the organizational partners from the Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) of the Romanian Government, the Concordia Employers' Confederation, WWF Romania, Ashoka Romania, EPG, GEYC, EfdeN, Romanian Youth Council (CTR), Văcărești Natural Park Association (VNPA), CONAF, we well as content partners InfoClima.ro and Solutions.