Climate Change Summit – nearly 1 million online and offline spectators at the largest regional event on solutions for a sustainable future

Climate change, the greatest challenge of our time, brought together over 90 Romanian and international speakers in Bucharest on October 19-20 at Climate Change Summit. They shared solutions for a sustainable future with 1,700 attendees at the National Opera and in 20 related locations across Bucharest. Additionally, 827,000 viewers from around the world watched the live broadcast on the Twitter account of the partner platform We Don’t Have Time.

In its second edition, Climate Change Summit has become a reference event in the region for innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, representatives of business and employer associations, as well as civil society and government officials. It brought to the public’s attention topics such as the future of the circular economy, finance, agriculture, wildlife conservation, and local communities.

“The idea behind this initiative was to bring together the key players in the transition to sustainability, whether it’s authorities, activists, start-ups, think tanks, or companies, to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Everything we do, everything happening around us, from the economy to education, has an impact on the environment but can also become a source of sustainable solutions,” said Maria Rousseva, Deputy CEO of BRD Groupe Société Générale, at the opening of the second Climate Change Summit.

Maria Rousseva, Deputy CEO of BRD Groupe Société Générale, at the opening of the second Climate Change Summit

“Solving complex problems related to climate change requires the involvement of all parties. We are honored that all these groups were represented at the second edition of Climate Change Summit – central and local authorities, civic and business communities, experts, and entrepreneurs. Our future depends on collaboration and determination, and we are glad we can facilitate this dialogue,” said Ciprian Stănescu, President of Social Innovation Solutions.

Ciprian Stănescu, President of Social Innovation Solutions

The role of intersectoral and international collaboration was also highlighted by a message from the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, who mentioned the importance of education in the fight against climate change during various conferences and events at universities within Climate Change Summit: “Children and young people are deeply concerned about climate change and its impact on their lives, but at the same time, they are eager to get involved in addressing it. We must empower them and provide them with opportunities to participate in accelerating the green transition, including ensuring they have the right skills and tools for this purpose”. His message was presented by Alexandra-Maria Bocșe, State Counselor – Department of Climate and Sustainability.

“Our country is a signatory to the Paris Agreement and is strongly committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We believe that the transformation of Romania’s economy into a green and digital one is a long-term process that requires a strong national plan supported by all political, business, and civic forces,” stated the message from Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, through the presence of the State Counselor, Mihaela Frăsineanu.

Climate Change: A Global Challenge with Local Solutions

During the summit, Nicușor Dan, the Mayor of Bucharest, and Hubert Thuma, the President of Ilfov County Council, both became signatories to the Memorandum for Clean Air, Health, and the Future. This was achieved by establishing the Green Belt of Bucharest-Ilfov, which is a part of the Civic Platform Împreună pentru Centura Verde, co-founded by high-altitude mountaineer Alex Găvan and Florin Stoican, the director of the “Oltenia de sub munte” geopark. This initiative represents one of the proposed solutions by civil society to address the severe pollution affecting the health of Bucharest residents and the surrounding areas.

Another local topic of interest was the sustainable energy ecosystem that Romania aims to build. Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy, announced that the Ministry of Energy has a budget of 18 billion euros for investment, which he considers the largest sum available to any ministry in Romania for directing it toward new projects, investments, and the private market. Furthermore, he announced that “the number of prosumers in Romania is expected to increase over the next two years to 236,000, and by 2030, it is expected to exceed 350,000.”

Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy

The first day’s agenda at the summit covered topics such as climate actions, the circular economy, nature-centered projects, sustainability in the textile and food industries, agriculture, and urban planning. Expert in climate economics and sustainable finance, Ingmar Jurgens explained how the economy can become sustainable, concluding with an optimistic message: “We need cooperation, agility, and support. We need cooperation because we have to learn from each other, we need agility to focus, try, make mistakes, and work together, and at the end of the day, we need to convince everyone to have the same goal. We need knowledge and the ability to build an ecosystem that works in the new reality.”

Elina Bardram, Director for “Adaptation & Resilience, Communication, and Civil Society Relations” at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action, spoke about the role of this directorate and its future. She emphasized the importance of three forces that apply to both policymakers and ordinary citizens. In the era of disinformation and defeatism, we will survive only through collaboration, courage, and compassion for the less prepared in Europe and our global partners, whom we must help move forward.

Georgia Elliott-Smith, a sustainability consultant, environmental activist, and professional speaker, discussed what sustainability truly means and how it should be everyone’s responsibility. She stated, “First and foremost, we have a problem with how we define the term ‘sustainability,’ as it has become more of a way to say ‘environmental management.’ But that’s not what it’s about. Sustainability is actually how you can support a successful business in the long term. And that means you have to take into account environmental issues, but it’s not just that.”

Ed Gillespie, a futurist, writer, inspirational speaker, and co-founder of Futerra, discussed the future of climate action and emphasized that the true question posed by the future is, “How hot will we allow the Earth to become? We know the consequences of our inaction: as the temperature rises, weather events become more violent, and as the Earth becomes hotter, we become more violent. And I don’t think it’s about saving our planet. The planet doesn’t need saving or changing. It needs to be loved and appreciated for all the wonders it offers us. So, it’s about our collective potential, it’s about the future of our children, and it’s about our own stability and freedom.”

On the second day of Climate Change Summit, which included 20 events at different locations in the city – conferences in five universities, workshops, roundtable discussions, and working groups in the Parliament, Government, Ministry of Environment, and the European Commission – discussions revolved around green startups, climate resilience, climate change and artificial intelligence, energy transition, sustainable agriculture practices, food security, sustainable financing, the role of central and local authorities in achieving SDG6 objectives, sustainable entrepreneurship, circular economy opportunities, environmental policies, research and development in energy technologies, as well as literature, storytelling, and youth involvement in climate action.

Climate Change Summit is organized by Social Innovation Solutions, an organization active in sustainability, social impact, and innovation, with the support of BRD Groupe Société Générale as the initiator and founding partner.

About Climate Change Summit
Climate Change Summit 2023 is organized by Social Innovation Solutions, together with BRD Groupe Société Générale, as founding partner, Auchan Romania as a strategic partner, Mastercard as climate partner, Romstal as a partner, and with the support of Société Générale Global Solutions,  Center, European Climate Foundation and EPG. Organizational partners include the Concordia Employers Confederation, the Foreign Investors Council, Romanian Business Leaders, the Coalition for the Circular Economy, the Sustainability Embassy, WWF Romania, EFdeN, the European Institute of Romania, the Leaders Foundation, Envisia, Europe Direct, GEYC, the Romanian Youth Council, Carbon Expert, Infoclima, Valea Verde, Global Shapers Bucharest Hub, Solutions, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Romania, the Romanian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce.

Media Partners: Euronews, Stirileprotv.ro, Voyo, Radio România Cultural, Agerpres, Hotnews, Adevărul de weekend, The Diplomat, Sustainability Today, Nine O’Clock, CEE Energy News, NewsEnergy, Mindcraft Stories, Școala9, The Woman, Green Report, Green-Forum.eu, Sustenabilitate.Biz, Guerrilla Verde, Inspirators,  eEco.ro, Bursa,

Monitoring partner: MediaTRUST

About Social Innovation Solutions

The mission of Social Innovation Solutions (SIS) is to support individuals and organizations to understand future transformations and develop sustainable technology, public policy, and entrepreneurial solutions. SIS runs several incubators and accelerators in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe, working with several thousand SMEs and NGOs each year through programs such as the Sustainability Academy, Future Makers, and Transformator. SIS also develops several platforms for conversations on sustainability, future trends, and circular economies such as Future Summit, Sustainable Futures, or Climate Change Summit and provides consultancy and executive education programs in foresight, innovation, and sustainability.

About BRD Groupe Société Générale

BRD Groupe Société Générale is one of the leading banks in Romania. The bank operates a network of 441 units and has total assets of RON 74.5 billion lei (as of June 30, 2023). BRD holds a leading position in the retail market, is a top player in the corporate banking market and the leader in the Romanian factoring market.

As a social actor, BRD invests in culture, education, technology, and sport, supporting projects that build, develop, raise a new generation, and bring long-term value. It is under this vision that Foundation9 was created, which coordinates the cultural journalism platform Scena9, as well as the cultural center Rezidenta9 in Bucharest. In education, BRD has created Școala9, a specialized journalism platform, and supports programs that support the approach of teachers in the formal system, as well as plans, ideas, and projects in the sphere of innovation and technology. The newest journalism platform launched by BRD is Mindcraft Stories, which aims to open a conversation about discoveries in Romania and around the world, how technology touches our lives, artificial intelligence, robotics, medicine, and more.

24.10.2023 / Editor, Andreea Dragan