Industrial Engineer currently in charge of two european projects in the field of house energy renovation: URBANEW and EBENTO, at the municipal foundation València Clima i Energia, from the city of Valencia, Spain.

Filipe Araújo is Porto’s Vice-Mayor and City Councillor for Environment, Climate, Innovation and Digital Transition; Chairman of Águas e Energia do Porto (municipal water and energy company of Porto); Chairman of Porto Ambiente (municipal waste collection company of Porto); Chairman of the Board of Directors of AdePorto (Porto’s Energy Agency); Chairman of Porto Digital Association (supports the Porto City Council in the development of e-government projects and online services); board member of LIPOR- Intermunicipal Waste Management of Greater Porto; Vice-President of Energy Cities; Chair of Eurocities Environment Forum (2018-2023); Vice-Chair of Eurocities Environment Forum (2016-2018); advisory board member of Portuguese Association for the Development of Communications, advisory board member of MIL (Media Innovation Labs) of Porto University, and member of the Innovation Advisory Board, of Porto University.

He has a degree in Electrical Engineering (Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto) and holds a M.Sc. in Telecommunications (UMIST - University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, UK).

He was a guest Professor at the Faculty of Science of University of Porto, between 2007 and 2011 and a Municipal Deputy of Porto between 2005 and 2009. Other relevant executive functions include Service Manager in a telecommunication company, and board member of the Youth Foundation

Metodi Avramov is Director Strategies, Innovations and International Projects of Sofia Urban Mobility Centre. He is currently responsible for the development and implementation of urban mobility projects, plans and programmes for Sofia Municipality and Sofia Urban Mobility Centre. He has been working for the development of sustainable urban mobility in Sofia for more than 15 years and he is actively engaged in collaboration with various European urban networks.

He has been involved in the Local Government since 1998 and since 2007 he has served as Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Kalamata, in the areas of:

1. Strategic Planning and Development
2. The Built Environment
3. Digital Transformation and e-Government
4. of Culture
5. Sport
6. Tourism

Since 2021, he has been the Coordinator of the Municipality of Kalamata, of all actions, both for the preparation of the dossier for the inclusion of Kalamata in the network of 100 cities of the Mission to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, and in the drafting of the Climate Contract.

Today he is a special advisor to the Mayor of Kalamata for the implementation of the Climate Contract.

Nadezhda Bobcheva serves as a deputy mayor at the Municipality of Sofia. She holds a Master's degree in Economics and Finance from UNSS - Sofia and a Master's degree in Urban Management from the joint programme of the Erasmus University and Institute of Housing Policy and Urban Development - Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Nadezhda Bobcheva worked as a deputy mayor in Oborishte region, participated as a consultant in the development, management and evaluation of project proposals under various operational programs, a trainer - specialty "Training and Development" under the project "Increased awareness and resources for the development of employment". Nadezhda Bobcheva also worked as a director in the "Economy and International Programs" Directorate at the Municipality of Silistra.

Co-founder of the Italian Green Party, Gianluca Borghi was Regional Councilor for Social, Immigration and International Policies of Emilia-Romagna Region from 1995 to 2005. Former member of the Board of Directors of Reggio Children, he was the Director of the public company for social services of the City of Bologna from 2014 to 2019 and Director of one of the City of Parma from 2020 to June 2022. Since 2010 he has been active in International Cooperation projects first in the Balkans and Africa and currently in Lebanon and Syria. Appointed as Deputy Mayor for Environmental Sustainability, Energy and Mobility of the City of Parma in July 2022, he has responsibility for environmental and energy sustainability, mobility, climate neutral city, waste management and management of water resources.

Nadia Calviño is the President of the European Investment Bank Group since January 1st, 2024. She served as First Vice President of Spain and Minister for Economy and Digitalization (2018-2023), and as Chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) of the IMF (2022-2023). Before joining the Spanish government, Mrs. Calviño had a 12-year tenure at the European Commission as Deputy Director General for Competition, Deputy Director General for Financial Services, and Director General for the EU Budget. She holds degrees in Economics (1991) and Law (2001).

Ramon Canal Oliveras holds a PhD in Political Science from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). He has been research coordinator at the Institute of Government and Public Policies of the UAB and public manager and adviser to the City Council of Manresa. He has also worked as a consultant in national and international projects and has taught local government and public management as an associate professor. He currently works for Barcelona City Council, promoting the city's 2030 Agenda and the European mission 100 climate-neutral and smart and cities.

Dr. Sharon Carroll is Project Co-ordinator for Galway City's NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme and works within the Climate Action Team of Galway City Council. Sharon has worked in the local government sector since 2006 in a variety of roles, including environmental awareness, economic development, housing and waste enforcement. Sharon has a background in applied environmental research, with a focus on environmental microbiology and anaerobic digestion. Sharon has a keen interest in circular economy, community development, stakeholder engagement and climate action. She holds a BSc and PhD from NUI Galway, as well as qualifications in waste management, housing and local government.

María José Catalá, born in Valencia in 1981, has been serving as the mayor of Valencia since May 28, 2023. Her passion for justice and freedom led her to pursue a career in law, believing that it is a powerful instrument for creating a better and more resilient society.

She furthered her education by obtaining a doctorate in Public Law from CEU-Cardenal Herrera University. María José is also a member of the Bar Association of Valencia and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management (MBA).

Throughout her political career, she has held various significant positions, including Mayor of Torrent, member of the Congress of Deputies, Minister of Education, Culture, and Sports of the Generalitat Valenciana, and deputy and spokesperson for the PP in Les Corts Valencianes

Chiara Cervigni works at the Climate Office of the Municipality of Bologna since 2022 where she is part of the Climate Neutral City Task force. Before joining Bologna team, she has been coordinating many EU funded projects on environment and climate change, both in the private and public sector across Europe. Holds a MSc in Climate Change. 

Patrick CHILD is currently Deputy Director-General in DG Environment at the European Commission with particular responsibility for the EU’s zero pollution strategy, chemicals legislation, urban agenda, research and innovation for environment and communication. He is also the Mission manager for the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, which aims to reach 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030.

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. Additionally, Board president of Civic Imagination and Innovation Center (CIIC), a platform that encourages community engagement, citizen involvement in decision-making, and the development of a strong local participatory governance system in Cluj-Napoca.

Teresa Czerwińska was appointed the Vice President of the European Investment Bank in March 2020. In this role, alongside looking after the constituency countries (Poland, Hungary, Croatia) she is responsible for Eastern Partnership countries as well as for Central Asia, China and Mongolia. She also oversees the matters of science, education, innovation, digital economy, and the InvestEU programme.Prior to becoming EIB Vice-President, Mrs Czerwińska was a member of the management board of the National Bank of Poland, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Poland, when she was also a Governor of the European Investment Bank. Earlier she held the position of the Undersecretary of State being responsible for the state budget at the Ministry of Finance. Before, in the years 2015 - 2017, she was the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Teresa Czerwińska is a Professor of Economics at the Warsaw University specialising in finances and risk management.

Currently Katalin is involved in the implementation of the Climate City Contract of Pécs. She has been working in urban development for 25 years, designed regional and economic operational programmes, urban rehabilitation schemes and contributed to the sustainable urban development strategy’s methodology for the 2021-27 cycle. She has developed green financing frameworks and sustainability strategies in several sectors. As a management consultant for Ex-Ante Ltd, she worked with several cities on their green transition roadmaps.

Currently co-lead of Lund’s pilot city project. Independent consultant, for three decades working with smart sustainable city development nationally and internationally in public and private sector. Work include roles as head of environmental planning for major frontline projects like Hammarby Waterfront in Stockholm, and City of Tomorrow in the western harbour in Malmö, lead in smart sustainable city and green business strategy development in Region Skåne, former chair of the regional cleantech network, setting up innovation platforms for smart sustainable cities in Malmö and in Lund. Working many years with public-private partnerships on climate transition and innovation, including financing and business models. Co-founder of Cleantech Scandinavia.

Dagur B. Eggertsson deputy mayor of Reykjavik is a medical doctor and was one of the longest serving mayors of Reykjavik, 2014-2024. He has served as chairman of OECD Champion mayors for inclusive growth and has been active participant in numerous international projects and forums. Climate change, fair transition and climate adaption has been a strong focus in his work as mayor integrating climate issues with land use planning, transport and an inclusive housing strategy and public health in Reykjavik cities Masterplan and the Reykjavik Green Plan. Dagur studied, trained and worked as a physician and also has a master’s degree in Human Rights and International Law from the University of Lund in Sweden. He is married to Arna Dogg Einarsdottir MD and they have four children.

Dr. Yannis Fallas, Co-Founder & Director of CluBE (Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia, Greece)PhD on “Clusters in Traditional Sectors of the Economy” from AUTh, Greece. Working with interregional projects, mainly Horizon 2020 and Horizon EuropeHeld important positions, such as Project Manager of the Regional Innovation Strategy Projects and the “Knowledge clusters” Innovative Actions Program, coordinator of the Regional Innovation Pole, etc. Coordinator of the Climate City Contract for Kozani

Yann FRANÇOISE is Deputy head of Climate and Ecological Transition Directorate, Head of the climate department at City of Paris. Since 2004, he has been led Paris Climate Action strategies gathering commitments and actions of all Paris’ community, from citizens to companies. This department has developed different tools and plans for reducing Paris’ carbon footprint and adapting Paris face to climate change issues. UNFCCC awarded in 2021 the Paris Climate Action. In 2021, he published “Paris face to climate change” a survey on Paris climate change vulnerability. In 2022, with IOM, he coordinated a survey about “climate migrations and Paris, risk and opportunities”. He represents the city of Paris at technical level at Global Covenant, C40, and other international organisations. He is member of national steering committee for French GHG inventory audit, member of the board of National Carbon database, or member of IG3IS steering committee. He is co-author of Summary for Urban Policymakers of IPCC reports

Industrial Engineer with PMP certificate since 2015. With extensive experience in the private sector, I joined Madrid City Council in 2020 as a civil servant and since May 2021 I have been working on the development and monitoring of the climate action plans of the city of Madrid as Head of the Climate Change Department. I am also the coordinator of the ‘Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission’ for the City of Madrid since the beginning of the initiative.

Mr Alejandro García Pellitero currently serves as the Councillor of Environment of the Valladolid City Council. He is also the Chairman of the Board for AQUAVALL, the local public company for the water cycle management.

With over 15 years of extensive professional experience in various economic sectors, he has been an integral member of the Executive Committees of both the Chamber of Commerce of Valladolid and the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations in Valladolid, demonstrating a strong commitment to public service and economic development in the region.

Initially I developed my professional career as a self employed architect with my own architect studio (AQTA) developing very different type projects from building rehabilitation (households, residential and public buildings) to new building developments.
In 2014 I began to work as an architect in Vitoria-Gasteiz´s City Council in the Urban Landscape Department working as coordinator in projects as Irrigest Life Proyect and Urbanism Normative integration of the Green Infrastructure in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Then since 2017 I worked for the Territory and Climate Action Department and currently since 2019 I work as a member of the Sustainability, Climate and Energy team.
I am in charge of the Coordination for the Development and Implementation of Vitoria-Gasteiz´s Urban Agenda 2030 and the new 2030 Sustainable Energy and Climate Adaptation Plan (SECAP) and projects related with sustainable urbanism and city planning such as the development of Vitoria-Gasteiz´s climatic shelters and comfortable itineraries.
Since 2020 I am coordinating the EU Missions that Vitoria-Gasteiz has been selected for:
- EU Mission 100 Climate-neutral ans Cities
- EU Mission Adaptation to Climate Change
And for that I have been coordinating the development of Vitoria-Gasteiz Climate City Contract and the Mission Governance in the City.
Since 2022 I am also leading the Project URBANEW: Multi-stakeholder innovative and systemic solutions for urban regeneration Spain. The first muti-city spanish project with Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Zaragoza.
 

Expert in applied mathematics for transportation and logistics, holding a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Statistics for Computational Sciences. He collaborates with AMAT on innovative urban mobility projects, coordinating EU-funded initiatives such as taxi sharing and flexible on-demand services, is currently working on the deployEMDS and metaCCAZZE EU-funded projects. He develops optimization models and simulation tools for public transport and the extension of the cycling network, contributing to improved efficiency and sustainability in transportation services.

Maria Granlund is a climate specialist working at the city of Turku Green Transition and Climate Policy unit. Currently she focuses on the city’s mission work as part of the 1.5-Degree city project team. Granlund is especially focused on the cooperation with business sector and other stakeholders to accelerate the work towards the city’s ambitious climate-neutrality target 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.

Dr. Silvia Gugu is a senior governance expert in ICLEI Europe’s Climate Neutral Cities Task Force. She has led the climate transition governance work across several European research and innovation projects, with a current focus on the European Union’s mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. In her current role, Silvia builds on almost 20 years of experience in researching and innovating participatory governance frameworks for sustainable urban transitions. Her contributions span both the development and the academic sectors in the USA, Romania, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Germany.

Wolfgang studied Biology and Chemistry at Karl-Franzens University Graz and Technical Environmental Protection at Graz University.  He is the head of the Climate and Environmental Protection Department of the City of Klagenfurt and the managing director of KMG Klagenfurt Mobil GmbH. He has extensive experience in the strategic orientation of public transport as well as its operational implementation and his key competences lie in the fields of project management, climate protection, smart city and sustainable development. He is the coordinator of the smart city strategy and mobility officer of the city of Klagenfurt and has participated in numerous EU and nationally funded projects.

Kristine has pursued her studies and career in Germany, Austria, and the USA, holding a Master’s degree in Philosophy and a Master’s in Non-Profit Management. Since 2015, she has been working for the City of Aachen, where she initiates, develops and manages EU funded projects focused on sustainable mobility, sustainability and climate protection. Kristine serves as the contact person for the EU Mission within Aachen’s city administration and is the local project lead of the CoLAB Pilot Project.

Maximilian works as facilitator and networker between the levels of governance for sustainable urban mobility at the public-owned NPO AustriaTech. Coming from a background in urban planning, economics and social innovation research, he focuses on co-creating practices and innovations for mobility and on engaging and connecting decision makers with learnings from research and innovation. Since 2021, he is part of the city support group of the Austrian national “Mission Climate-Neutral City” and coordinates the 15-minute City Pathway in the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership. 

I am an economist and journalist with extensive experience in local and regional governments. I am Senior Coordinator of NetZeroCities at Eurocities since June 2023. Over the past decade, I have held various positions at the Barcelona City Council, consistently focusing on cities diplomacy and advocating for a sustainable and equitable economic model. From August 2020 to June 2023, I served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Barcelona. I contribute as an Op-Ed Contributor at the Spanish Newspaper La Vanguardia.

Mr Jesús Julio Carnero is the Mayor of the city of Valladolid, and member of the XV Senate of Spain. Throughout a long political career, Carnero has held positions at the national, regional, and local levels of government. He was Executive Advisor of the Ministry of Public Administrations for the Spanish Government. He was Councillor of Presidency for the Regional Government, Councillor of Agriculture, General Secretary for the Department of Development, and President of the Urban Planning Council of Castilla y León. At a local level, he was also President of the Provincial Council of Valladolid. He holds a degree in Law. He is a Senior Civil Servant of the Regional Administration.

Maiju Juntunen is a Plnning Officer for the City of Tampere, Climate and Environmental Policy. Maiju is coordinating the update process of the Carbon Neutral Tampere 2030 Roadmap. (The roadmap is the basis for City of Tampere’s Climate City Contract.)

With a robust educational background, Jaana Kiiski holds a Master of Business Administration in International Business Management (English), a Bachelor of Social Services (Finnish), and a Bachelor of Forestry in Forest Products Marketing (Finnish). Additionally, she has pursued studies in biofuels, reflecting a keen interest in environmental issues.

Currently, Jaana Kiiski works as an Employment and Training Coordinator for the Luumäki Municipality, where  she is responsible for coordinating various employment and training initiatives to support local workforce development and is participating to the project of climate planning for small towns operated by Regional Council of South Carelia, Finland. 

Previously, she worked as an Educational Expert at the Employment and Economic Development Office of Southeast Finland, providing strategic expertise in educational planning and workforce development to enhance regional employment opportunities. Her professional journey also includes a role as a Counselor at the National Education and Training Guidance Centre of Economic Development, Transportation, and the Environment in South Savo, where she offered guidance on education and training programs. 

In addition to her professional roles, Jaana Kiiski is an active member of the City Development Board in Lappeenranta, contributing to the strategic planning and development of the city.

Clara Lorente Martín.Project Manager in the Sustainability Team, CIRCE's Circular Economy Group.

Clara works as a researcher at CIRCE Technology Centre, in the field of Sustainable Buildings. She participates in several European Projects related to the decarbonization of cities and buildings, such as NeutralPath, InCUBE and UP2030. She also works in projects on resilience to climate change in urban environments, such as CARDIMED.

Clara has a background in architecture, specialising in energy efficiency, comfort, and well-being in the built environment. Certified as a Passivhaus Designer and BREEAM Associate, she has participated in the Passivhaus design, construction, and certification of more than 2000 homes (185,000 m²) of collective residential with nearly zero energy buildings in Spain. His research work on passive strategies to improve comfort in hot periods to reduce dependence on conventional refrigeration stands out. She advocates the use of LCA methodology to assess sustainability in design and resolve objectives by minimizing the use of resources.

Engineer, designer, energy auditor, and consultant. Specializes in energy planning, energy efficiency, infrastructure planning, as well as climate change and low-emission economy. Initiator and leader of urban projects related to climate transformation and adaptation to climate change. Leader of Kraków's participation in the Mission 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, and in projects such as Healthy, Clean Cities Deep Demonstrations, ATELIER, LeadAir, 44MPA, and others. Engineer with over 35 years of experience in municipal infrastructure planning, energy planning, and energy efficiency. Director of the Department of Municipal Economy and Climate at the City of Kraków.

Lina is a senior professional with international expertise in city governance, sustainability and resilience. An inspiring leader and strategic thinker with experience in transforming cities and organizations. She is currently leading the Resilient Cities Network's global city engagement work and the network's resilience practice in Europe and the Middle East. Prior to that, Lina was Deputy Mayor for Urban Resilience and Development Planning for the City of Thessaloniki in Greece.Lina is a trained architect and urban designer.

Marina Littek has worked on climate and sustainability in both the public and community sector  for over 20 years in Italy, the UK, Germany with some stints outside Europe. She joined ICLEI Europe and Net Zero Cities in 2021, from the  climate team at the city of Brighton & Hove (UK)

Allison spent the first 17 years of her career working in Capital Markets, most latterly as Head of Equity Sales into the UK and Head of Sovereign Wealth Funds at the Royal Bank of Canada. Her focus has been on public and private equity capital across all geographies. She has extensive experience in fundraising for both listed and unlisted companies. Allison joined Bankers without Boundaries 12 months ago to focus on Investment Banking and Sustainable Finance.  She has been working with NetZeroCities and the Climate City Capital Hub.  Allison was born and raised in Zimbabwe before she moved to the UK. She has a Bsc in Economics, Politics and International Relations from Warwick University.

Ádám MÁRTON has been working in the field of spatial and urban development for more than 10 years,
since 2016 he has been involved in economic development, city management and urban development in
the Municipality of Miskolc.
He has contributed to the preparation and implementation of strategic documents, national and EU
projects, in the fields of smart and green city, social inclusion and participation.
Currently, as the Commissioner to Mayor for Climate Affairs, his main mandate is to plan, implement and
coordinate activities on climate affairs at city level.

Eugenia Mansutti works as Senior Policy and Projects Coordinator for Eurocities, the network of major cities in Europe, where she coordinates the work on climate mitigation and adaptation with experts from member cities. With a background in European studies and international relations, she has been working with local governments since 2015, including as part of the Covenant of Mayors Office. She is also supporting knowledge exchange and transfer of learnings with the 112 cities who have committed to becoming climate neutral by 2030 as part of the Mission for Climate Neutral and Smart Cities, and any other cities in Europe wanting to embark on a journey towards climate neutrality.

Networker and project manager with working experience in international development aid, vocational training, business development with focus on Vietnam, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, international research cooperation, research marketing, heat supply planning and city development

 Davide is a Political scientist, graduated in 2015 in Cooperation, development and innovation in the global economy. He has been working for the City of Turin since 2021, employed in the Smart City and Innovation Unit, on the financial reporting and management of European projects in the field of technological and environmental innovation.

Networker and project manager with working experience in international development aid, vocational training, business development with focus on Vietnam, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, international research cooperation, research marketing, heat supply planning and city development (EU).

 After completing architecture and MSc on energy efficiency and sustainability on architecture, urbanism, industry and transportation, I worked for the University of the Basque Country while researching for my PhD. I completed my dissertation on 2017 called Defining rural: identification, characterization and typologies in the Basque Country. During these years I also taught several university subjects on different university academies.
Shortly after I entered to work at a Real State Developer and Construction Company, being the contact to external consultancy on innovation, and participating in an internal group of sustainability.
In 2022 I did an internship for Leioa City Council as architect as a result of the Course on Urbanism by IVAP (Basque Institute for Public Administration).
In 2023 I began at Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council as architect for the Sustainability, Climate and Energy Efficiency Area, coordinating the Spanish Pilot Project URBANEW: Multi-stakeholder innovative and systemic solutions for urban regeneration Spain, the first muti-city spanish project with Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Zaragoza

Mr. Iztok Mori is a head of Municipality Administration, Municipality Velenje. As a president of the Supervisiory board of Development agency of Savinjska region, he works on the challenges and opportunities for coalmine regions in transition.

M.Sc. (Econ.) Niina Nousjärvi is development manager for climate action in the City of Espoo, Finland’s second largest city. In her current role in Mayor’s Office, she works with the city organization and partners towards climate neutrality target by 2030. Climate City Contract and Climate Neutral Espoo 2030 Roadmap are essential tools in her work with the whole Espoo community. She is a dedicated professional with over 10 years of experience in sustainable urban development. 

Francesco Palmia has worked on urban climate planning with a focus on policy and legislation in research institutions and international organizations. He is a governance expert at ICLEI Europe where he worked on the implementation of the NetZeroCities project as part of the EU Mission “100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030”.

Paola Papini is project manager of several EU projects at the Municipality of Bologna. She specialized in the field of environmental projects and is part of Bologna Climate Neutral City Task Force. She works at the International Relations and Projects Office of the Municipality since 2018. 

Born in Marseille, after studying law, Fabien Perez was sworn in at the Marseille Bar on January 3, 2001, after having acquired a Master II “Judicial Career” at the University of Aix – Marseille and a certificate of specialization in Criminal Law . Maître Fabien PEREZ is today a founding partner of Cabinet PHILAE, one of the main law firms in the South region, focused on criminal defense since the start of his career, he obtained in 2009, the certificate of specialization in Law criminal. Elected councilor of Marseille in 2020, he is in charge of European funding in the new municipal majority. He coordinates the “100 carbon-free cities on the horizon” mission, a European label, of which the city of Marseille is the winner. He is an architect of the ecological transition in the region.

Tenured Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de València and researcher at INGENIO [CSIC-UPV]. He has been 2nd Deputy Mayor of Valencia and General Coordinator of Urban Strategies and Sustainable Agenda in the Mayor's Office of València City Council, with a direct responsibility on the València 2030 Urban Strategy, the València 2030 Climate Mission, the València Green Capital 2024.

Mrs Stella Psarropoulou is an officer at the Municipality of Thessaloniki for 19 years while the last (8) eight years, she has been working on the development and implementation of the city’s Resilient Strategy “Thessaloniki 2030”, holding the portfolio of Financing and Coordination. Since 2020 is the Deputy Chief Resilience Officer and manages the Urban Resilience Observatory. She has been project team member of a number of European funded projects such as the Horizon2020 Food Trails project alongside she is team member working for Thessaloniki’s participation in EU Mission for Climate Neutrality and Mission Adaptation and focal point for international and European partnerships and platforms. Her background is in Financial Studies, she holds a Master’s degree in “European Integration & Governance”, University of Macedonia, Greece and a second Master’s degree in “Spatial Planning for Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development”, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Faculty School, Greece where she also started her PhD research on the localization of the SDGs.

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).

André Sobczak works to empower cities in EU decision making through Eurocities, following two terms as Vice-President of the Nantes Metropolitan Area. He is forging new connections with academia, where he has a history of driving social and ecological change, spearheading initiatives on issues like gender equality and precarious employment. He leads with an approach of multi-level cooperation between the public sector, businesses and civil society for tangible positive impact.

The Commissioner of International Relations and City Promotion is responsible for Barcelona’s international relations, international cooperation and international economic promotion at Barcelona City Council.
He has extensive experience in institutional and corporate affairs. He was responsible for global relations at the Digital Future Society (MWCapital Foundation); General Director of Llorente & Cuenca for Panama and Cuba; General Director of the Magtel Group in Morocco; Executive Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain; and Technical Advisor at the European Parliament.
He has a Master's in Business Administration and undergraduate studies in political science. He is the author of several books and publications, including "The Republic of Reputation: Economy, Power and Emotions" (2019) or "The Energy of the Small: Democracy, Technology and Territory" (2012). It was First Prize on "European Union and green growth" in the 2012 European Blog Contest, and has extensive associative experience in the third sector

Currently coordinator public affairs for sustainability and environment. Extensive experience in strategic advising in urban sustainability projects and policy. Have been responsible for The Hague's Climate Agreement and implementation of The Hague's climate dashboard. I have been involved in the Cities Mission since the application of The Hague. 

Elina Rantanen is the Deputy Mayor of Urban Environment in the city of Turku. She has been in Turku city council since 2005 acting in different positions. She is a social scientist and holds a PhD in Medical Genetics from the University of Turku. Elina has worked before as a development director in an NGO for rare diseases and in research projects. She is a green politician whose background is in the environmental movement.

During recent years he has managed a Greenreality services at the City of Lappeenranta. Greenreality services runs environmental development projects and business development actions in energy and environment topics. Today Greenreality services have 12 workers and about 20 projects. The projects are funded by EU regional funds, EU Interreg, Horizon, National Funds and other sources. Greenreality services runs also the business oriented Greenreality Network that has 51 members.

Ilkka Räsänen, M.Sc. has been working since 2009 as a director of The Environmental Office of the City of Lappeenranta. Environmental Office of Lappeenranta Region includes environmental inspectors, Health inspectors and Veterinary Services. Environmental Office has had about 35 workers. Environmental Office has also had environmental projects since 2000 that have included various number of workers.

From 2018 to 2020 Ilkka Räsänen has developed climate program for the city together with city officials and stakeholders. He was also leading the city to the winner of the European Green Leaf Award 2021. He was the program manager of the Green Leaf Award year in 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmtIBAPJC9U&t=37s

Ilkka Räsänen is a frequent speaker in national and international green events.

In the free time Ilkka Räsänen is interested on nature, Lake Saimaa and video photography (Ilkka Räsänen can be found on Vimeo, https://vimeo.com/560713935 ).

Mohamed Ridouani is Mayor in the city of Leuven and was previously responsible as Deputy Mayor for Education, Sustainability, Economy and Urban Development.

He’s the inspirer of Leuven 2030, in which more than 300 companies, organizations and citizens are united to tum Leuven into a sustainable and CO2-neutral city by the year 2050.

Ridouani is also the founder of the education council which conjoins everyone in the educational field to attain the best tuition possible for every child in Leuven.

Ridouani also initiated Leuven MindGate, an economic platform with 400 members that will boost Leuven as the world’s hotspot for health, technology and creativity. Mohamed Ridouani was elected Mayor in October 2018. He stands for positive change and aims to tum Leuven into one of the most caring, green and prosperous cities in Europe, in cooperation with the citizens.

Ángela Rivada serves as the Coordinator of Economic Development and European Programmes at the Agency for Innovation of the Valladolid City Council. She is the Climate EU Missions Leader for the city of Valladolid, overseeing both the EU Mission 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030, and the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.

Mrs. Rivada holds a Master’s Degree in European Project Management and is both a Telecommunications Engineer and an Economist. With over 20 years of experience in project management, she specializes in innovation and environment. She is responsible for coordinating smart city projects and participates in multiple European innovation initiatives.

Holger joined ICLEI in 1997. He holds a Diploma in spatial planning and is member of ICLEI’s Board of Directors, and leads ICLEI´s Sustainable Resources, Climate & Resilience team. Holger holds more than 25 years of experience in local environmental and sustainability management and planning, project development and co-ordination, team supervision as well as guidance and training. He developed, supervised and coordinated international and European projects including on urban resilience, climate adaptation, nature-based solutions and green infrastructures through various research projects and engaged with studies such as the European Environment Agency’s report on ‘Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe 2016’ and the ‘EKLIPSE Impact Evaluation Framework’.

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).

Karla Sitar is the Head of Economic Development and Transition Office in Municipality of Velenje. The office carries out priority tasks in the field of economic development and transition of the region from a coal region to a smart region as well as tasks in the field of development and European projects. Before she was the director of SAŠA Business Incubator for 6 years.

Harriët Tiemens studied Environmental Science and Public Administration and is at the head of the Dutch Green Metropolitan Region of Arnhem-Nijmegen. She puts her extensive experience in the fields of climate adaptation, circularity and biodiversity to use, developing the region as a prime national and international example in sustainable and green urban development. She is a member of the Dutch political party GroenLinks (GreenLeft) as well as the national taskforce for temporary (circular) housing.

Tiemens was Deputy Mayor for the City of Nijmegen from 2014 to 2021 and Deputy Mayor for the city of Rheden from 2007 to 2014. During that time, she chaired the physical pillar of the G40 network of Dutch cities and she chaired the VNG (Association of Dutch Municipalities) committee for housing, mobility and spatial development.

Over the years, Harriët Tiemens has built an excellent European track record, for example by heading the campaign for the City of Nijmegen to become European Green Capital 2018 and contributing to European and international conferences and meetings with the European Parliament and European Commission.

Rossana Torri is the project manager for the European Mission "100 Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030" for the City of Milan. She combines Urban Studies and Public Policy research with technical consulting for Public Administration. Specializing in EU project management, her focus areas include climate-neutral cities, circular economy, economic growth, social cohesion, spatial inequalities, social vulnerability, housing issues, and urban policy innovation. She excels in facilitating local processes with multiple stakeholders and actively engages in policy dialogues, building partnerships with various organizations and associations. 

Prof. Taina Tukiainen is an expert and adviser in EU since 2015 and  the Member of the Mission Board of the Mission Adaptation to Climate Change in EC. Now,As a profession, she is Executive Research Director at Vaasa University and has academic prof. positions at Sustainable Leadership, Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Turku University. Previously, she has been prof. at Aalto, visiting research fellow at Stanford, MIT and Witten-Herdecke. She has worked several years in the industries; at Nokia, ministries and universities and has a passion towards green, digital, energy, sustainability and innovation.

Ms. Rosalinde van der Vlies is the Director of the Clean Planet Directorate in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Deputy Mission Manager of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. Before her appointment as Director, Ms. van der Vlies was the Head of Coordination & Interinstitutional Relations Unit, and acting Head of the Communication & Citizens Unit. Previously she held positions in Directorate-General Environment, Directorate-General Justice and Home Affairs, and in the private office of Janez Potočnik, the European Commissioner for the environment. Before joining the European Commission, she worked as a competition lawyer in an international law firm in Brussels and was a part-time teacher at the Catholic University in Brussels. 

Eline Vigre, Coordinator of the Mission Cities in Stavanger, and advisor to the mayor on all matters related to the Mission.

Ms. Vigre is a value - driven person that is highly ambitious on the behalf of the global challenges that are facing us in the years to come.

She has broad experience, working for more than 12 years with policies and development regarding climate and environmental issues, from both private and public sector, as well as political party and NGO`s.

The last 5 years she has been working in the public sector coordinating the municipality`s efforts towards European strategies – Mission Cities.

She is educated within business management and political history and has an in-depth experience and understanding of policy making at both European, national, regional and local level. She is fascinated by how the implementation of international policies through complex 4-helix projects unfold and is convinced that working in this broad collaborative manner is what can bring success to the global, environmental challenges.

As a proper Norwegian she loves every outdoor activity, from kayaking the sea to reaching as many mountains as possible.