CEE Sustainable Finance Summit

Prague 14-16 September 2026

CEE Sustainable
Finance Summit

Geostrategic Europe and business
in an era of geopolitical and AI transformation

Discover the agenda

85 45+

Sessions

Speakers

400+

Attendees

Countries

25+

Overview | Agenda ‍ ‍| Speakers | Partners | Tickets

The 2026 Summit will explore how technology and innovation are shaping finance, business, and society, from AI and regenerative practices to nature-based solutions and biodiversity.

Held annually in Prague, the CEE Sustainable Finance Summit is one of the region’s leading invite-only gatherings, connecting decision-makers from across Europe to share insights, showcase solutions, and navigate change together.

AI, innovation and sustainable finance in action

Interested in attending?

AGENDA 2026

Monday 14.09 | Tuesday 15.09 | Wednesday 16.09

DAY 1

14 SEPTEMBER
Monday

GEOPOLITICS, FINANCE & AI

Geostrategic Europe, Geopolitics, Climate and Strategy in an Era of AI

Main stage

09:00 - 09:10 | Welcome remarks
09:20 – 09:30 | Opening keynote
- Jan Dusík, Deputy Director General, DG CLIMA, European Commission
09:30 – 10:00 | Fireside conversation:
Business competitiveness and sustainability leadership – two sides of a coin or priorities at odds?
Chair: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Responsible Investor
Speakers:
- Martin Zenker, Head of Group ESG Office,UNIQA Group
- Andrea Fiori, director of VUB Bank in Prague
- Miluše Poláková, Country HR director Czech Republic and HR Director zone Central and Eastern Europe, Veolia
10:00 - 10:30 | On stage interview:
Financial sector in focus: new trends, strategic priorities, and the pursuit of growth and returns
Chair: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor
Speakers:
- Petr Polach, Co-Head of Group Structured Finance & Investment Banking, Raiffeisen International
- Blanka Beranová, Executive Director for Sustainability at ČSOB Group
- Sergio Henrique Collaco de Carvalho, Partner, Planet First
10:30 – 11:00 | Networking break
11:00 – 11:20 | TED-style presentation: Beyond Compliance: What We Learned Building a Transition Plan
- Petra Ondrušová, CSO, Česká spořitelna
- Peter Franek, Head of Strategic Risk Management, Česká spořitelna
11:20 – 11:35 | Presentation
The transition to net zero: Where does the CEE region stand in the transition of key sectors?
- Gergely Pókos, Executive director, Green Program Directorate, OTP Bank
11:35– 12:00 | Keynote and a fireside conversation:
Climate, AI, and the future of society: are we doomed?
- Jakob Thomä, Founder and CEO, Theia Finance Labs
- Connie Hedegaard, former European Commissioner for Climate Action from 2010 to 2014
12:00 – 12:30 | TED style talk:
Who Are You Really Reporting To? Rethinking Sustainability Reporting for Financial Markets
- Erwin Groenendal, Co-Founder and Product Evangelist, Tangelo Software
12:30 - 13:30 | Lunch break
13:30 – 13:45 | TED-style presentation:
Who Is Afraid of Climate Damages?
- Riccardo Rebonato, Professor of Finance, EDHEC Business School; Senior Advisor, EDHEC Climate Institute
13:45 – 14:10 | TED-style talk:
Banking on Tomorrow: Where green ambitions meet security reality
- Martin Sládeček, Associate Director of Customer & Digital Advisory, KPMG
14:10 – 14:30 | Fireside conversation
Transition and competitiveness in focus: is Europe’s strategic autonomy realistic and will it bring the competitiveness benefits for the CEE region?
Key Question:
- What are the strategic pivots for European business?
Chair: Martin Ehl, Correspondent, Hospodarske Noviny
Speakers:
- Pavel Mička, Head of performance and transformation, Veolia
- Kristýna Machová, Investment Director, Inven Capital
14:30 – 15:00 | Fireside conversation:
Mobilising private capital for economic growth and resilience
- How will we finance the economic transformation?
- What are the trends and developments in the financial sector?
- Will sustainable finance play a greater role in company financing going forward?
Chair: Hugh Wheelan, Journalist
Speakers:
- Vera Economou, Sustainable Solutions Group Lead, ING
- Gina Hanrahan, Head of Economic Policy, UN PRI
- Radek Taborsky, Senior manager for investment banking, VUB Bank Prague
15:00– 15:40 | Coffee break
15:40 – 16:10 | Presentation & conversation:
Transition planning and supervision in focus
- Gábor Gyura, Director, HuSIF in conversation with
- Torsti Silvonen, Deputy Director General European Central Bank (ECB)
16:10 - 16:40 | Expert presentation and discussion:
Risk mapping – the use in pricing and risk management
- Lucie Skoumalová, Executive Credit Risk Management Manager, ČSOB
- Ladislav Garassy, Director, Natural Hazard Modelling & Risk Engineering, Intermap Technologies, Inc.
- Vojtěch Hlavatý, Head Flood Modeler & Climate Change Expert, Intermap Technologies, Inc.
16:40 – 17:00 | On stage discussion: Banking in Flux - the future of fixed income
Chair: Hugh Wheelan, Journalist
Speakers:
- Justine Leigh Bell, CEO, Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute
- Luca Bertalot, Secretary General of the EMF-ECBC
17:00-17:10 Closing - reflections of the day

Roundtables

Closed-door sessions

These are closed-door sessions for in-depth discussions on different key topics.

If you are interested in attending one of the following roundtables, please email registrations@ceesummit.org.

Navigating shifting geopolitics and money flows, with UN PRI.
With:
- UN PRI
- Michal Bartek
Eurosif, CzechSIF and EURENI roundtable
Run by Moody’s Ratings
with Amaya London, Assistant Vice President - Sustainable Finance
A practical discussion on how issuers and investors are navigating the next phase of the sustainable finance market - from the EU Green Bond Standard and evolving investor expectations to social, sustainability-linked, transition and blue bonds.

Featuring perspectives from Moody’s Ratings and CPIPG, with a focus on framework design, credibility and the realities of the CEE market.

DAY 2

15 SEPTEMBER
Tuesday

BUSINESS & ELECTRIFICATION

09:00 - 09:05 | Welcome remarks
09:05 – 09:20 | Keynote
- Munir Nanji, CEO, Citi Bank Central Europe
09:20 – 09:40 | On-stage interview:
Geopolitical shifts, trade, and energy transition: key risks and upside for business in Europe and CEE
Chair: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Responsible Investor
Speakers:
- Gary Mazzotti, Chair, Accolade
- Vedrana Jelušić Kašić, Head of Corporate, SME & Small Business Division and Member of Management Board in VUB
- Jan Ružicka, Chief External Affairs Officer, PPF Griup
09:45 – 10:10 | On-stage interview:
Leadership – how to lead teams and communicate in difficult times
Chair: Hugh Wheelan, Journalist
Speakers:
- Ganna Pidgorna, Member of the Board UNIQA CZ/SK
- Emília Mamajova, Managing Partner at EVERITA Capital and Founding Partner at ESPIRA Investments
- Christine Würfel, CSO, RBI
10:10 – 10:30 | TED-style talk:
Adaptive leadership & managing the contradictions of modern leadership
- Emmanuel Coblence, Professor of Leadership, Associate Dean for Pedagogy, HEC Paris
10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee Break
11:00– 11:20 | On stage discussion:
Business in the EU – the future of competitiveness, resilience, and funding for growth
Chair: Raphael Minder, Journalist, Financial Times
Speakers:
- Pavlína Žaková, Director, Confederation of Industry
- Anita Simon, Deputy CEO, Alteo
- Marta Babicz, National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, Poland
11:25 - 11:45 | Presentation:
Net-zero transition planning: financing business and risk perspectives
- Réka Sulyok & Gábor Szigel, OTP Bank
11:45 – 12:00 | Presentation:
Policy Design for System Change: What Is Needed to Speed Up the Transition and Move from A to Better
- Gerben Hieminga, Senior Economist at ING Research
12:00 – 12:30 | Conversation with the audience:
Made in Europe: will Europe deliver on its ambitions for clean tech?
- Is “Made in Europe” feasible and desirable?
  Can “Made in Europe” package be delivered well to boost competitiveness?
Chair: Raphael Minder, Financial Times
Speakers:
- Albéric Mongrenier, Executive Director of EIES, the European Initiative for Energy Security
- Radu Surdeanu, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Siemens Energy
- Jan Brazda, Co-founder, Revoltum
12:30 -13:30 | Lunch Break
13:30 – 13:50‍ ‍| Fireside conversation:
Corporate reporting, digital infrastructure, and technological autonomy for the EU
Chair: Hugh Wheelan, Journalist
Speakers:
- Přemysl Píška, Regional sales director for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and DACH, Tangelo Software
- Aneta Fusiara, Sustainable Finance Expert, mBank
13:50 – 14:10 | On-stage interview/fireside chat
Chair: Hugh Wheelan, Founder, Responsible Investor
Speakers:
- Eva Bučová, Country Manager, ING Bank Czech Republic
- Andrea Basilova, CEO, Sensoneo
14:10 -14:35 | Conversation with the audience
Transition planning & future of non-financial reporting and risk management
Chair: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor in Chief, Responsible Investor
Speakers:
- Stanisław Cichocki, Senior expert in the International Regulations Office of the Polish Energy Group (PGE)
- Martin Račan, ESG Expert, ČEZ Group
14:35 -14:55 | TED-style presentation:
How sustainability can be translated into tangible financial performance
- Livio Scalvini, Executive Director of the Leonardo Centre & CEO and Co-founder of Golden for Impact
14:55 – 15:10 | Presentation:
Unlikely green tigers: Czech and CEE clean-tech and the (lack of) governmental support
- Nikola Hořejš, Member of Board of Directors, Aliance pro moderní stát & Advisor, Druhá ekonomická transformace
15:10 – 15:40 | Coffee break
15:40 – 16:15 | Conversation with the audience:
What to expect from the European Commission going forward – updates and insights from the “Brussels bubble” and beyond
Chair: Raphael Minder, Central Europe correspondent, Financial Times
Speakers
- Olivier Vardakoulias, Chief Economist, CAN Network
- William Todts, Executive Director, Transport and Energy
- Chris Vrettos, Senior Policy Advisor, REScoop.eu
16:15 – 16:40 | On stage conversation
Chair: Petr Holub, Founder & Director, Budovy 21
- Petr Jonák, Confederation of Industry & Prusa
- Claudia Alner, Project Manager & Investor Relations, Crowdberry
- Lucie Martincová, Rohlik
16:40 – 17:00 | Presentation
- Jiří Mravec, Head of Innovation & Transformation, Třinecké železárny

Main stage

Business & Transition

Electrification & Energy Transition

Second stage

Co-hosted with SAPI (Slovak Association of Sustainable Energy).

A room with fishbowl approach -an active discussion with an opportunity for the audience to share questions, remarks, and comments both directly and online.

Since energy is a key topic for geostrategic decisions, the first day will have a full focus on the European energy security – bridging the top down and bottom-up levels of decision making and problem solving.

09:00 – 09:05 | Opening speech
- Jan Karaba, Director, SAPI – Slovak Association of Sustainable Energy
09:05 – 09:20 | Keynote presentation
- Laila Kienel, Deputy head of the unit for renewables and energy system integration policy, DG ENER, European Commission
09:20 – 10:30 | Facilitated discussion: Delivering the Next Phase of Europe's Energy Transition
Chair: Marcel Bartczak, Policy Advisor, Business & Science Poland
Participants/speakers:
- Stanislaw Cichocki, Senior expert, Polish Energy Group (PGE)
- Balázs Felsmann, Economist, REKK
- Marek Lang, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Modern Energy Union
- Radu Surdeanu, Senior Director Government and Executive Affairs, Siemens Energy
Suggested questions to explore:
- Which trends will have the greatest impact over the next five years?
- Which technologies are ready to scale and where are the biggest opportunities?
- How are flexibility, storage, electrification and digitalisation reshaping European energy markets?
10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee break
11:00 – 11:20 | Introductions and Keynote Remarks:
From Energy Transition to Energy Security
- Albéric Mongrenier, Executive Director, EIES, European Initiative for Energy Security
11:20 – 11:40 | Presentation:
Scaling up renewables to decarbonise the Slovakian industry sector
- Marek Hrubčo, Energy Analyst, SAPI – Slovak Association of Sustainable Energy
11:40 – 12:30 | Conversation with the audience:
Chair: Jan Karaba, Director, SAPI
Speakers
- Ivelina Atanassova, Commercial Director, Rezolv energy
- William Todts, Executive Director, Transport and Energy
- Zdeněk Obruča, CEE Head of Energy Advisory, KPMG
- Patrik Križanský, Member, BoD AVERE – European Association for Electromobility
Questions to explore:
- Can electricity networks keep pace with Europe's electrification ambitions?
- What investments are most critical to strengthening Europe's energy security?
- What is preventing capital from flowing into strategic energy infrastructure?
- Can Europe finance the energy transition at the speed security demands?
- How can the CEE region turn today's challenges into an investment advantage?
12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch break
13:30 – 13:50 | Welcome remarks and an informative presentation
- Elisabetta Cornago, Agora Energiewende
13:50 – 14:10 | Presentation:
Public engagement in the renewable energy projects
- Georgios Maroulis, Eclareon
14:10 – 15:10 | Facilitated discussion with the audience
Chair: Karel Voldrich
Participants/Speakers:
- Chris Vrettos, Senior Policy Advisor, REScoop
- Ján Karaba, Director, SAPI
- Jan Krčmář, Director, Solar Association
- Arthur Hirsch, Senior Expert, Sustainable Energy Systems team, ICLEI Europe
Suggested topics / thematic areas
- Scaling up renewable energy
- Creation and financing of renewable energy projects
- Energy communities as a solution – examples from around Europe that show effective solution building
- Social acceptance, benefit sharing and siting of renewable energy projects (RAAs)
15:10 – 15:40 | Coffee break
15:40 – 16:00 | Policy Design for System Change: What Is Needed to Speed Up Electrification and Move from A to Better
Speaker: Gerben Hieminga, Senior Economist, ING Research
16:00 – 17:00 | Facilitated discussion
Chair: Tuan Son Tran, Senior Manager, SEFE Marketing & Trading Ltd & Visiting Fellow, ISFC
Participants/speakers:
- Martin Račan, Central controlling Expert – Project manager, External reporting and support, ČEZ Group
- Jan Troják, Director of Project Finance, CSOB
- Jim Campion, Board member and adviser, engineer
- Kristýna Machová, Inven Investment fund
- Tomáš Pavelka, Counsel, Dentons
Main suggested topics for discussion:
- Where is private capital flowing today?
- Which clean energy technologies are attracting the strongest investor interest?
- What are today's biggest risks for investors?
- How do policy uncertainty, permitting delays, grid constraints and electricity market volatility affect investment decisions?
- What makes a clean energy project bankable?

Closed-door sessions in an interactive setting for in-depth discussions.

If you are interested in attending one of the following roundtables, please email registrations@ceesummit.org.

Roundtables

Discussion topics:
- Industrial Accelerator Act
- Modernisation Fund and future financial incentives for decarbonisation
- CBAM and EU ETS – the tools and policies for enabling European competitiveness
- Changes to procurement
CWP & Veolia (potential focus on circularity/decarbonisation of cities) Working with CEMR and SMOCR
Run by Fair Venture – strategic ESG and sustainability consulting
A facilitated roundtable for ESG managers and business leaders focused on how to bring sustainability topics into management decisions and business strategy. Participants will share both successful approaches and lessons learned from what did not work, with space for peer-to-peer discussion across different industries.
The session will be held in Czech.

16 SEPTEMBER
Wednesday

DAY 3

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE & RESILIENCE

09:00 – 09:10 | Opening remarks
09:00 – 09:25 | Keynote speech or short fire side chat
- Diana Rádl Rogerová
09:30 – 09:50 | Short on stage discussion
Chair & Speaker: Tomáš Janeba, Director, Czech Infrastructure Association (ARI)
Speakers:
- Radka Turková, Board member, Czech National Development Bank (NRB)
- David Petr, Member of the Board of Directors, Státní investiční a rozvojová společnost/State investment and development company
09:50 – 10:10 | TED-style talk
- Ondřej Viša, Sustainability Consultant, Česká Spořitelna
10:10 – 10:30 | Spotlight session:
Investing in real estate – investor perspective. Trends, changes in market practices, new developments
Chair: Raúl Garcia Rodriguez, Independent advisor and Co-Chair of UNECE’s Joint Task Force on Energy Efficiency Standards in Buildings
- Omar Sattar, Real Estate Fund Manager, Amundi
- Katerina Jarosova, ESG Manager CEE, WOOD & Company Real Estate
- Lubomir Vystavel, Goldman Sachs
10:30 - 11:00 | Coffee break
11:00– 11:20 | Discussion
The built environment and real estate decarbonisation – unleashing the power of the banking sector
Chair: Hugh Wheelan, Financial Journalist
Speakers:
- Katerina Spanikova, Head of ESG & support products Raiffeisen
- Sarah Anwar, Head of Sustainability and Governance, Econans
11:20 - 11:50 | On-stage interview/fireside chat:
Investment in real estate and the transition
Chair: Raphael Minder, CEE Correspondent, Financial Times
Speakers:
- Tomáš Procházka, CFO, Accolade
- Michał Gładyś, CEO/CIO of ARP TFI managing the Polish Green Fund
11:50 – 12:30 | Real estate – EPBD and solving the retrofitting financing and implementation puzzle
How can we mobilise private finance and make the transition affordable?
Chair & speaker: Marta Gellová, Chance for buildings
Speakers:
- Katarína Nikodemová, Director, Buildings for the Future Slovakia
- Nathalie Marková, Director of Energy Efficiency and Savings Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Czech Republic
- Andrea Ferjenčíková, Director for Sustainable Finance, NRB
12:30 - 13:30 | Lunch break
13:30 – 13:50 | TED-style presentation:
EU taxonomy in the built environment – implementation in practice and leveraging of the tools
- Jakub Vít, EY
13:50– 14:10 | On stage interview/ fireside chat
14:10 – 14:20 | Investing in real estate – investor perspective in focus
Chair: Raúl Garcia Rodriguez
14:20 – 14:50 | Conversation with the audience/ on stage interview
Real estate – valuations, climate, risk, and climate adaptation
Chair: Raúl Garcia Rodriguez
Speakers:
- Stefan de Goeij, Partner and Head of Sustainability & ESG for Central and Eastern Europe and the Nordics, Cushman & Wakefield
- Petra Hajna, CPI
Key Question:
- What value added derives from investing in retrofitting or ESG integration?
14:50 - 15:10 | Short presentations
Durmish Guri (TBC)
15:40 – 16:15 | TED-style presentation & a fireside conversation
Solving Scope 3: How SMEs Can Power Supply Chain ESG Data
- Hana Libecajtová, Executive Director for Brand Strategy, Communications and Sustainability at Komerční banka
- Lenka Mynářová, Czech expert in the circular economy, decarbonisation and ESG transformation
16:15 – 16:30 | TED-STYLE talk:
Pending – NATO name
16:30 – 16:50 | Presentations
Ideas for a sustainable future by Young Sustainability Leaders
16:50 – 17:00 | Closing remarks

Real Estate & Resilience

Main stage

Innovation and
Clean Tech for Resilience

Hosted by CzechInvest, this session will bring together a select group of movers and shakers in the innovation space, from start-up founders to investors and scale-up business developers, in a fishbowl format that gives the audience the chance to share questions, remarks and comments directly and online.

Second stage

Why are European startups emerging, but their industrial scale, customers and ownership often end up outside Europe? What should be done to change it and where does Czech Republic stand?
09:10 – 09:25 | Keynote: Markéta Přenosilová (CzechInvest)
09:25 – 10:05 | Fire Side Discussion
10:05 – 10:30 | Discussion with the Audience
This session will showcase selected EcoTech companies as solutions to clearly defined industrial, energy and urban challenges. Each presentation will specify the customer problem, evidence from deployment, financing need and proposed next step.
Moderator: Filip Krůta (CzechInvest)
11:10 – 11:45 | 5x Technology Incubation Startups - TBC
11:45 – 12:15 | Europe’s Clean-Tech Challenge: Where Will Growth Come From?
Europe’s clean-tech opportunity is shifting from technology discovery to industrial deployment. Founders and investment managers will discuss where they see credible growth across energy, industry, circularity and urban infrastructure.
12:15 – 12:30 |  Discussion with the Audience
12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch
How can cities act as testbeds, lead customers and market makers for sustainable innovations?
13:40 – 13:55 | Keynote: Miroslav Scheiner (Ministry of Industry and Trade Czech Republic)
13:55 – 14:10 | Input Presentation: Pavel Borecký (CzechInvest)
14:10 – 14:40 | Fire Side Discussion: TBC
14:40 – 15:00 | Discussion with the Audience
15:00 – 15:10 | Concluding remarks