With temperatures smashing records and unheard-of climate problems this year, Climate Change Summit 2024 is emphasizing the critical role that startups and innovation play in tackling climate change. The introduction of the Climate Change Summit Awards and Tom Meijeraan's creative ideas from Arctic Reflections will be among the event's highlights.

Young entrepreneurs and small- to medium-sized firms in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe will be honored with these awards for their exceptional solutions. The summit will take place at the National Opera in Bucharest as well as around 20 other places throughout the city from October 15–17, 2024.

Arctic Reflections co-founder Tom Meijeraan will be one of the summit's main speakers. A new company called Arctic Reflections is attempting to stop global warming by restoring Arctic ice. Tom has twenty years of expertise in product development and digital innovation, giving him a wealth of understanding in the area. He has a CEMS Master in International Management and an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management. Tom will talk about creative ideas for a sustainable future at the summit.

"We founded Arctic Reflections to preserve Arctic summer sea ice cover. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while necessary, will unfortunately not be enough anymore to avoid a first ice-free Arctic summer as soon as the 30s or 40s. This will have huge consequences as the sea ice regulates the Earth’s climate by reflecting sunlight, thus reducing global warming. Additionally, the sea ice provides an essential habitat for unique wildlife and it is vital for indigenous people for hunting, transportation and cultural heritage. We hope that we can effectively halt the current decline of the summer sea ice until CO2 emissions have come down enough so that the ice becomes fully regenerative by itself again, " Tom Meijeraan said.

Climate Change Summit Awards: Recognition for Young Innovators and SMEs in CEE

This year’s edition also introduces the Climate Change Summit Awards, which will reward the best innovative initiatives with a total of 12,000 Euros. The competition is open to young people under 30 and small and medium-sized enterprises from Romania and Central and Eastern Europe, offering awards in six categories: energy, mobility and construction, circular economy, food and agriculture, biodiversity, environmental education, and CEE Award. The jury will include local and international experts, such as Aneta Skubida, Portfolio Manager in Poland for the Clean Air Fund; Stefan Nilsson, Editor-in-Chief of Food and Climate; Salomey Ampadu, founder of MeyFund Foundation; Anton Yarotsky, founder of Circle Agriculture Initiative; Nicolas Durr, CEO of Biodiver.City; Margot Décory, Development Director at Caristeo; Alex Găvan, ecologist and high-altitude mountaineer; Alexandru Laibăr, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Circular Economy; Orieta Hulea, CEO of WWF Romania; and Alexandru Agatinei, co-founder of How to Web.

Interested applicants can apply at https://climatechange-summit.org/ccs-awards/

Speakers at Climate Change Summit 2024

Alongside Tom Meijeraan, CCS 2024 will feature other leaders and sustainability experts, including:
• Jørn Haanæs, seed investor and entrepreneur with experience in startups, venture capital, impact investments, climate technology, accelerators, and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• Chris Desai, entrepreneur and philanthropist, founder of The Vayyu Foundation®, which promotes the circular economy. He also owns an organic luxury fashion brand, Vayyu®, which was recently named in the top 40 under 40 for Climate and Sustainability and won the BBC Make A Difference award.
• Harry Wright, lawyer and expert in oceanic initiatives, is CEO of Bright Tide, an environmental social enterprise that partners with organizations to develop new strategies to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
• Aleksandra Palinska, Executive Director of Eurosif – the European Sustainable Investment Forum, with 15 years of experience in public policy and EU regulations.
• Dr Håkan Tropp - expert in natural resources and water policies, with over 20 years of international experience. He is currently the interim COO at the Stockholm International Water Institute and leads the International Center for Water Cooperation UNESCO/SIWI (ICWC).
• Andrei Gurin, Policy Officer at DG Fisma, European Commission, specializing in antitrust policies.
• Astrid Leyssens, founder of We Are Impact Collective, an expert in sustainable entrepreneurship, who developed an effective methodology for implementing sustainability and impact.
• Hannah Phang, co-founder and CMO of The Now Work, a platform connecting sustainability experts with relevant jobs. She’s known for promoting sustainability and innovation in fashion design and previously served as CMO of Endless Wardrobe and Marketing Director at Futerra.

Participation and Details

Climate Change Summit 2024 is open to the public, subject to available seating.

You can apply at https://climatechange-summit.org/apply-now/. For more information, visit https://climatechange-summit.org/

The Climate Change Summit 2024 is organized by Social Innovation Solutions, together with BRD Groupe Société Générale as the founding partner, and alongside Auchan Romania as the strategic partner, Mastercard as the climate partner, Romstal as the partner, and PPC as the energy partner. Other partners include Société Générale Global Solutions Center, RetuRO, Danone, PPC Renewables, Rețele Electrice, IKEA Romania, Regina Maria, Environ, and mobility partners ALD Automotive and Volvo. Institutional partners include the Prime Minister's Office, the General Secretariat of the Government, the Department for Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, the European Commission Representation in Romania, the European Institute of Romania, and Europe Direct. Organizational partners include the Concordia Employers’ Confederation, Romanian Business Leaders, AmCham, EFdeN, Energy Policy Group, the Embassy of Sustainability in Romania, the Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce, Carbon Expert, GEYC, Viitor Plus, the Coalition for Circular Economy (CERC), WWF Romania, Aspire Academy, CCIFER, the Romanian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, BRCCI, UCCBR, Netherlands Romanian Chamber of Commerce, the European Women in Business Federation, the National Confederation for Women's Entrepreneurship, Hacking Work, Impact Hub Bucharest, the Network for Urban Nature, Techcelerator, ROTSA, Seedblink, Rubik Hub, Foreign Investors Council, Global Shapers Bucharest Hub, Euroavia, LSAC, the Romanian Association for Sustainable Local Development (ARDLD), the Romanian ESG Employers’ Council, Future Energy Leaders Romania (FEL), and others.

The mission of Social Innovation Solutions (SIS) is to support individuals and organizations in understanding future transformations and developing sustainable technology, public policy, and entrepreneurial solutions. SIS organizes several sustainability education programs in Romania and three other Central and Eastern European countries, working with over 15,000 SMEs and NGOs in programs like the Sustainability Academy, Transformator, and Sustainability Hub. SIS also develops multiple platforms for conversations about sustainability and future trends such as ESG Journey or Climate Change Summit and provides consultancy and education programs in foresight, innovation, and sustainability, such as ESG Lab.