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Opening of the summit with keynote remarks

Special conversation about geopolitics and the world order with Prof Alexander Stubb and Ian Bremmer

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Description
The war in Ukraine has created shockwaves across the EU, but especially in the CEE region where memories of Soviet oppression are still strong. The new security situation calls into question the EU’s Green Deal, its Fit for 55 package and most importantly, its Sustainable Finance agenda – not least because of the need to rethink Europe’s dependence on Russian gas and the economic interlinkages with Russian businesses.  

• How can we operationalize the EU’s Green Deal in the CEE region, and what has the war in Ukraine changed?

• Which policy and investment areas should the CEE region prioritise in order to maximise benefit from the EU’s green shift? 

• Is the CEE region struggling to operationalise and implement a green post-Covid recovery? And if so, why? 

• What have been the most promising changes in the last two years when it comes to the EU’s focus on decarbonisation?

• How has the war in Ukraine impacted raw material and critical mineral availability, and will it impact on decarbonisation efforts?

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Speakers

Julia Patorska - Partner Associate, Deloitte
Vazil Hudak - Vice-Chairman, GLOBSEC & Advisory Board Member, International Sustainable Finance Centre
Ivan Mikloš - Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Slovakia, & President of MESA10
Attila Steiner - State Secretary for the Development of Circular Economy, Energy and Climate Policy, Ministry for Innovation and Technology, Hungary
Tomáš Provazník - Partner, Evermore Capital Management

Moderator
Dirk Buschle - Director, Energy Community

In-person FOCUS GROUP (closed-door session, not available for streaming)
In the financial sector, female leaders are still a minority. This creates risks of groupthink, dominant cultures, and biases. Improving cognitive diversity can yield concrete benefits for risk mitigation and shifts in mindsets and priorities. More and more financial institutions and businesses seek female leaders and employees, yet the progress with numbers of female CEOs or senior leaders is slow, especially across the CEE region.

• What could improve the status quo?

• What can women do more to change the situation?

• What are the advantages of having more diversified leadership teams?

• How can we change the conversation and mindsets, shifting from box-ticking to meaningful change for female inclusion and promotion?

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This special session will explore the EU's Sustainable Finance Agenda - what it is, what to expect going forward and why it matters a lot for the CEE region and beyond. The audience both online and in person will be able to send in questions in advance to be answered live.

Martin Špolc - Head of Sustainable Finance, DG FISMA, European Commission
Linda Zeilina- CEO, International Sustainable Finance Centre

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Description
The EU’s Sustainable Finance Agenda has pioneered the development of new standards for financial reporting and instruments. While the US has been slower at implementing sustainable finance principles; the topics have gained momentum after the last US elections. At the same time, the politicisation of the EU taxonomy has taken the wind out the sails of the European leadership when it comes to standard setting for sustainable economic activities. 

• What are the most urgent actions and what can be done in the near to medium term to improve “alphabet soup” of standards, frameworks, and ratings?

• Is there hope for ensuring alignment between EU and US standards?

• How can we ensure that reporting is meaningful and useful for the financial sector and for regulators on both sides of the Atlantic? 

• Will the IFRS and the ISSB resolve the existing issues?

Speakers
Eila Kreivi - Chief Sustainable Finance Advisor, European Investment Bank
Ingmar Jürgens - Managing Director, Climate & Company
Maud Gaudry - Partner, Global Sustainability Services. Mazars

Moderator
Nadia Humphreys - Business Manager, Sustainable Finance Solutions

In-person FOCUS GROUP (closed-door session, not available for streaming)
This session is tailored for national development banks to create a space for discussion about the approaches to ensure sustainability integration. A frequent criticism of the EU funding is the complexity of the process. It is important to note that often an additional issue is the lack of familiarity with and expertise in the EU funding mechanisms and instruments.

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Description
Capital markets in the CEE region are relatively under-developed and lack the scale often desired by large institutional investors. Yet, new sustainability-linked financial instruments are on the rise, as is sustainable investing. In the last few years, green bond issuance has grown significantly, and there is rising interest in transition finance from different CEE stakeholders. 

During this session, ISFC will announce the launch of a new initiative.

• What should be the priorities for the CEE region?

• What are the approaches, tools, and instruments that are best suited for the CEE countries?

• How are the governments and the private sector tackling the challenges, where is there room for improvement or re-prioritisation?

Speakers
Sean Kidney - Co-founder and CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative
Theodor Cojoianu - Associate Professor in Energy Finance, University of Edinburgh & Co-founder, RoSIF
Martin Komínek - Founder & Managing Partner, Smokestack
Helena Horská - Chief Economist, Raiffeisenbank 
Martin Špolc - Head of Sustainable Finance, DG FISMA, European Commission

Moderator
Răzvan Butucaru - Partner, Financial Services & Advisory Leader, Mazars Romania

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Description
A session focused on discussing and addressing the main obstacles to business growth in CEE countries.  

European businesses are facing an array of challenges, from Western consumer pressures demanding more sustainable products and behaviour, to complex new reporting requirements and geopolitical shifts. How can businesses adapt to the new challenges, and what policy and financial enablers would be most helpful? 

• What business approaches and tactics can help navigate uncertainty?

• How is access to finance and investment changing?

• What policy tweaks could allow businesses to grow faster?

• What is missing in terms of financing?

Speakers
Adam Jacobs-Dean - Managing Director, AIMA - The Alternative Investment Management Association
Constance Kann - Director, European Investment Bank
Pavla Břečková - Vice-Chair of Board of Directors, Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises CZ
Lubomír Vystavel - Chief Investment & Executive Officer, NN Investment Partners B.V.
Miroslav Lukeš - Chairman, Czech Fintech Association
Cyril Klepek - Founder & CEO, Cyrkl

Moderator
Hugo Greenhalgh - Editor, Thomson Reuters Foundation

In-person FOCUS GROUP (closed-door session, not available for streaming)
While the integration of Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) factors into business globally has been gaining momentum, this practice in CEE region has been predominantly associated with ‘E’. ‘S’ & ‘G’ still tend to be perceived as challenging, and as an extra step for ESG alignment - one seen as mainly for a small group of highly specialised impact or thematic investors. Even though the uptake of the more established and measurable ‘E’ or environmental indicators in the region is welcome, the other indicators will receive greater scrutiny going forward – and especially because social and governance issues are likely to be even more material for this region.

• Increasing importance of ‘S’ indicators and performance after COVID19 crisis, and Risk and crisis management

• S and G in Supply chain management

• Importance of tax strategy

• Myths and misconceptions

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Description
Over the last few years, reporting requirements and pressures have grown exponentially. While most regulations currently apply to large enterprises (500+ employees), this is expected to change imminently. Because of the pressures on larger companies to report on their suppliers, CEE companies will also be required to report scope 1, scope 2, and even scope 3 emissions and sustainability performance.

The new expectations and requirements have led to a proliferation of companies and consulting businesses catering to the growing demand for assistance with reporting.

• How can businesses ensure compliance with the latest regulation? What are the best practices?

• Where can we find good quality advice and expertise?

• Is it possible, or worth trying to take advantage of ESG ratings? 

• What reporting requirements should we expect in the next 2-5 years? 

Speakers
Robert Adamczyk - Senior Environmental Advisor. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Maria Ibisz - Senior Manager, Sustainability Consulting Central Europe, Deloitte
Petr Koblic - Chairman and CEO, Prague Stock Exchange
Filip Gregor - Head of Responsible Companies Section, Frank Bold, Member of Sustainability Reporting Board, EFRAG
Michael Zimonyi - Policy & External Affairs Director, IFRS Foundation

Moderator
Vesselina Haralampieva - Senior Counsel, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

In-person FOCUS GROUP (closed-door session, not available for streaming)
The CEE region faces a particular set of challenges: its energy mix still has coal and a lot of gas, while government support for decarbonisation has been more limited than in countries like Sweden, UK, or France. That said, the trajectory of policy and finance is clear: carbon intensive sectors are seen as riskier, and the pressures to decarbonise are rising.

• How to create markets and incentive structures for more sustainable products? 

• What policies and approaches are needed to create lead markets and demand side effects? 

• What is the importance of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and export credits for competitiveness? 

• EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the phasing out of free allowances: how to ensure CEE industry competitiveness? 

• What are the regulatory and societal barriers to deep decarbonisation in the CEE region? 

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Description
CEE countries are amongst the most industrialised countries in the EU, with hard to abate sectors such as cement, steel, chemical, as well as automotive. With the war on Ukraine continuing, questions have been raised about whether the EU’s Green Deal priorities might need to change – mainly ensuring that Europe does not lose its steel and cement producers which might be needed for the transition to a low carbon growth.

• What enabling policies are needed on the European or local level to successfully start industry decarbonisation? What should be the industry priorities for the CEE region?  

• Can CEE countries maintain their industrial capacities in the long-term, bearing in mind the pressure to shift to renewable energy and decarbonisation? 

• How can the CEE industrial sectors play a meaningful role in international discussions about decarbonisation?  

• How does the industry structure in CEE impact its competitiveness and vulnerabilities to changing economic, political, and financial conditions? Does Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) offer opportunities for CEE hard to abate industries?

• Which private finance options and instruments could be used for industry decarbonisation? What issues are industrial players facing in terms of innovation and decarbonisation financing? 

Speakers
Barbara Botos - Deputy State Secretary for Climate Policy. Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Hungary
Christian Egenhofer - Senior Research Fellow. School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute
Adam Jarosz - Board Member, ORLEN Unipetrol
Rafael Cayuela - EMEAI Strategy Development Senior Director & Corporate Chief Economist, Dow Chemicals
Petr Jonák - Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability  T-Mobile Czech Republic a.s.

Moderator
Dóra Csernus - Lead Climate and Environmental Policy Expert, Equilibrium Institute

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Description
Innovation and R&D are of growing importance in the EU, with more attention from governments and with more financing available from a range of actors, including the EIB. Yet, the CEE region and Europe more widely often lags other countries efforts to develop and scale-up innovative start-ups or technology companies. The region has a myriad of promising tech start-ups, with Bucharest, Prague, Warsaw, Bratislava, and the Baltic capitals bustling with new talent. At the same time, there are a variety of reasons why start-ups in the region struggle to scale, and why they face a very different reality from ones in Western capitals or tech hubs.

• How could we improve the CEE innovation ecosystem – what should be the main policy or approach tweaks, and how should we tackle the question of financing?

• What steps could governments, policymakers and the financial sector take to improve the environment and outcomes? 

• What has worked well thus far, and what can we learn from it?

• What obstacles are European start-ups facing when it comes to financing and scaling up? Have the incentive structures been misaligned for the creation of European “unicorns”?

• Do European banks offer appropriate financing for start-up growth?

Speakers
Senta Čermáková - Chief Innovation Officer, Deloitte
Michal Košina - Senior Mandate Manager, Equity - European Investment Fund
Markus Raunig - Chairman, Austrian Startups
Marian Gazdik - Managing Director, G-Force
Jan Burian - Head of Manufacturing Insights EMEA, IDC Europe

Moderator
Andrew Gray - Impact Investor, Tilia Impact Ventures

In-person FOCUS GROUP (closed-door session, not available for streaming)
Cities will play a crucial role in national decarbonisation efforts. However, many cities struggle with financing decarbonisation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy projects.

• How can cities attract private finance for funding innovative and impactful projects?

• What is hampering the creation of decarbonisation-focused, bankable projects?

• Which actors are crucial to successful city decarbonisation, and what practical steps could help to improve the situation?

• What have other cities in the CEE region (and beyond) done in this space and what lessons can be learned?

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Description
A session focused on climate tech start-ups and the ways to finance impactful business models.

• How to scale up start-ups that deliver positive environmental or social impact?

• Is and will sustainability be a value driver?

• What approaches have been most successful across Europe and the CEE region?

• How can the financial sector and impact investors help?

Speakers
Vaclav Gregor – Partner, Soulmates Ventures
Zuzana Zamborska - CEO & Co-founder, BE-ID human
Hristo Valev - Partner, Urban Impact Ventures
Lenka Mynářová - Member of the Board, Nafigate Corporation
Marian Gazdik - Managing Director, G-Force

Moderator
Jana Večerková - CPO & Co-Founder, BrikkApp

In-person FOCUS GROUP (closed-door session, not available for streaming)

Infrastructure is a fundamental driver of our economic development and prosperity. On one side, it requires significant capital resources to build and operate, which are climbing with climate risks and events. On the other side, it is responsible for 60 % of carbon emissions. Rethinking how infrastructure is built and operated with new design and engineering methods, we have an opportunity to create a sustainable, infrastructure-led recovery that will transform economies and create a better future. But nothing would be possible without a money. That’s why it is so important to match requirements of sustainable finance and needs of built environment to deliver infrastructure for the 21st century.

• How do private developers embrace sustainability into their projects?

• Is a sustainability just a label with an additional cost and do we need to pay for it extra?

• How can public investors motivate built environment to become sustainable?

• What can be done to attract sustainable finance into infrastructure sector?

• EU funding supports sustainable projects, but only if they meet certain conditions. What are they?

• How can private and public sector jointly create a stimulating environment allowing for sustainable and climate resilient infrastructure?

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Description
The war in Ukraine has put European security in perspective, while also revealing the large gap in world view and cost-benefit analysis that exists between Western European countries and Russia. While sustainability and security policies have been seen as two separate fields, the interconnectedness between the two is becoming more obvious, whether in terms of energy security, economic competitiveness, or environmental impact. 

• How can Europe effectively address our most pressing security challenges, while avoiding the compromising of climate and sustainability ambitions?

• Does the focus on sustainability and climate offer an advantage for security reasons?

• What are the main challenges to overcome?

• Is strategic autonomy possible, and what would it mean in practice?

• Can the EU leverage climate diplomacy to its advantage?

• CBAM regulation and Carbon Clubs – a necessity, or a risky approach in a polarised world?

Speakers
Simon Zadek - Chair, Finance for Biodiversity Initiative
Shada Islam - Managing Director, New Horizons Project Geopolitical Strategy Advice and Analysis

Moderator
Linda Zeilina - CEO, International Sustainable Finance Centre (ISFC)