Prague 14-16 September 2026
CEE Sustainable
Finance Summit
Geostrategic Europe and business
in an era of geopolitical and AI transformation
85
45+
Sessions
Speakers
400+
Attendees
Countries
25+
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
Where policy, finance, and business meet to drive economic transformation.
Direct access to
influential
decision-makers,
and practitioners
High quality speakers
and engaging content
Informal networking
and practical discussion
What to expect
at the
2026 Summit
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AI and tech: innovation for improved competitiveness and value creation
Sustainability: what now?
Business in an era of geopolitical shifts and rise of competitiveness
Security and defence: changes to European business landscape and supply chains
Multi-annual financial framework: the impact of the changes to the EU funding
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Connect with senior decision-makers, influential practitioners, and leading innovators shaping sustainability across Europe. Build relationships that could spark your next big project.
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CEE Summit 2026 is your opportunity to gain insights, practical skills, and meaningful connections.
High-level plenaries with Europe’s leading voices
Interactive workshops and practical case studies
Informal networking designed to spark partnerships and collaborations
Limited ticket sale!
10 tickets for the CEE Sustainable Finance Summit 2026 are now on sale.
With only 10 tickets released per day, access is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
CEESummit 2026 celebrates leadership shaping sustainable finance in CEE
Leadership Awards
Celebrating leaders driving sustainability across Central and Eastern Europe.
Learn More
Sustainability Leaders
Empowering the next generation of sustainability talent in the region.
Learn More
AGENDA
The agenda below is preliminary and will evolve. We aim to bring forward the most relevant discussions, so topics may be adjusted closer to the Summit.
Day 1: Geopolitics, Finance & AI
9:00 - 17:10 | Main Stage
09:00 – 09:10
Welcome remarks
09:10 – 09:20
Opening keynote
09:20 – 09:30
Opening keynote
Jan Dusík, Deputy Director General, DG CLIMA, European Commission (confirmed)
09:30 – 09:50
Fireside chat
Chair: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Responsible Investor
Martin Zenker, Head of Group ESG Office, UNIQA Group (confirmed)
Vedrana Jelušić Kašić, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, VUB
Miluše Poláková, Country HR Director Czech Republic and HR Director Zone Central and Eastern Europe
09:50 – 10:20
On-stage interview
Chair: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor
Sabine Abfalter, CFO and Board Member, Raiffeisen CZ (TBC)
ČSOB speaker (option)
10:20 – 11:00
Networking break
11:00 – 11:35
Fireside chat / interview
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 (confirmed)
11:30 – 11:55
Keynote and fireside conversation
Climate, AI, and the future of society: are we doomed?
Connie Hedegaard, former European Commissioner for Climate Action (2010–2014) (confirmed)
In conversation with: Jakob Thomä, Founder and CEO, Theia Finance Labs (confirmed)
11:55 – 12:30
On-stage discussion
Fixed income and technological solutions in focus: using tools and approaches for a profitable and smart transition
Chair: Hugh Wheelan, Journalist & Founder of Responsible Investor
Erwin Groenendal, Co-Founder, Tangelo Software
Justine Leigh Bell, CEO, AFII (confirmed)
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch break
13:30 – 13:45
TED-style presentation — “Climate change scenarios for financial sector professionals”
Prof. Riccardo Rebonato (confirmed)
13:45 – 14:00
TED-style talk
Martin Sládeček, Associate Director of Customer & Digital Advisory, KPMG
14:00 – 14:30
Fireside conversation
Energy transition and competitiveness in focus: is Europe’s strategic autonomy realistic? What are the strategic pivots for European business?
Chair: Martin Ehl, Correspondent, Hospodářské Noviny (confirmed)
Pavel Micka, Head of Performance and Transformation, Veolia (confirmed)
Anita Simon, Deputy CEO, Alteo (confirmed)
14:30 – 15:00
Fireside conversation
Mobilising private capital for economic growth and resilience: how will we finance the economic transformation, and what role will sustainable finance play?
Vera Economou, Sustainable Solutions Group Lead, ING (confirmed)
Gina Hanrahan, UN PRI (confirmed)
Andrea Fiori, VUB (TBC)
15:00 – 15:40
Coffee break
16:00 – 16:25
What to expect from future banking supervision
Chair: Pierre Monnin, Senior Fellow, Council on Economic Policies; Visiting Professor in Practice, LSE Centre for Economic Transition Expertise (CETEx)
Patrick Amis, Director General, Horizontal Line Supervision, ECB
16:25 – 17:00
Expert discussion — Risk mapping: the use in pricing and risk management
TBC — option for ČSOB: risk-map presentation with Intermap and discussion with a ČSOB speaker
17:00 – 17:10
Closing session — reflections of the day
Transformation vs Transition: Mobilising Finance
10:30 - 17:00 | Second Stage
The second room on Day 1 brings together a select group of experts and practitioners in banking and finance, in a fishbowl workshop format — an active discussion with the audience able to share questions, remarks, and comments both directly and online.
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30 | Policy & implementation: sustainable finance in focus
11:00 – 11:15 | Introductions and keynote remarks
11:15 – 11:30 | Presentation
11:30 – 11:50 | Structured interview with 2–3 participants
11:50 – 12:30 | Facilitated interactive discussion with participants on the most pressing needs and options for improved implementation
Lunch break
13:45 – 15:15 | Banking and supervisory changes: prudential supervision and the transition — managing expectations and risk
13:45 – 14:00 | Introduction and tour de table
14:00 – 14:30 | Introductory presentations and remarks
14:30 – 15:00 | Discussion based on shared questions and an impulse note (concept note: Linda to finish)
Valerio Novembre, EUI
Pierre Monnin
Agnieszka Smoleńska
Reiner Martin
15:30 – 17:00 | Transition planning in focus
15:30 – 15:45 | Introductory remarks & tour de table
16:00 – 16:20 | Presentations of practices and case studies
Roundtables
11:00 - 17:00 | Roundtables
Closed-door roundtable sessions provide an interactive setting for in-depth discussions on key topics in sustainable finance.
11:00 – 12:30 | Roundtable No. 1
Investing in defence and new tech — navigating shifting geopolitics and money flows
13:30 – 15:00 | Roundtable No. 2
Natural capital and biodiversity (Eurosif, CzechSIF and EURENI roundtable)
15:30 – 17:00
Behind the Label: Issuer and SPO Perspectives on Sustainable Debt Markets
Day 2: Business & Electrification
9:00 - 17:10 | Main Stage
09:00 – 09:05
Welcome remarks
09:05 – 09:20
Keynote
09:20 – 09:40
On-stage interview
Geopolitical shifts, trade, and energy transition: key risks and upside for business in Europe and CEE
Chair: Raphael Minder, The Financial Times (confirmed)
Gary Mazzotti, Chair, Accolade (confirmed)
Andrea Fiori or Kateřina Bůžková, VUB, or Vedrana Jelušić Kašić, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, VUB
09:40 – 10:10
On-stage interview
Leadership: how to lead teams and communicate in difficult times
Chair: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Responsible Investor
Anna Pidgorna, UNIQA (confirmed)
Emilia Mamajova, EVERITA (confirmed)
Christine Würfel, CSO, RBI (confirmed)
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 (confirmed)
10:20 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 11:20
On-stage discussion
Pavlína Žaková, Director, Confederation of Industry (confirmed)
René Neděla
Chris Vrettos, reScoop (confirmed)
11:25 – 11:45
Presentation — Net-zero transition planning: financing business and risk perspectives
Réka Sulyok & Gábor Szigel, OTP Bank (confirmed)
11:45 – 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? What can and is the European Commission and Member States doing to achieve competitiveness?
Albéric Mongrenier, Executive Director, EIES – European Initiative for Energy Security (confirmed)
Jon Fuller, CEO, Catalyse (pending)
Radu Surdeanu, Siemens Energy (confirmed)
Jan Brazda, Co-Founder, Revoltum (confirmed)
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 13:50
Fireside conversation — Transition planning & future of non-financial reporting and risk management
How are data and integration issues being solved? How is transition planning for the energy sector progressing? How to best manage stakeholder engagement and communications related to ESG strategies and transition plans?
Chair: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor in Chief, Responsible Investor
Stanislaw Cichocki, PGE (confirmed)
Martin Račan, ČEZ Group
13:50 – 14:10
On-stage interview / fireside chat
Hugh Wheelan, Founder, Responsible Investor (confirmed)
Eva Bučová, Country Manager, ING Bank Czech Republic (confirmed)
14:10 – 14:25
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
14:25 – 15:10
Conversation with the audience — EU ETS 2 and CBAM: competitiveness and climate ambitions at odds?
What to expect going forward from the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank and decarbonisation incentives?
Chair: Ivo Marcin, Ministry of Environment, Czechia (invited)
15:10 – 15:40
Coffee break
15:40 – 16:00
TED-style presentation
16:00 – 16:30
Conversation with the audience — MFF and financing outlook for the next few years
Olivier Vardakoulias, Economist, CAN Network (confirmed)
16:30 – 17:00
Conversation with the audience — Corporate reporting, digital infrastructure, and technological autonomy for the EU
Chair: Přemysl Píška, Regional Sales Director for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and DACH, Tangelo Software
17:00 – 17:10
Conclusions and wrap up
18:00 – 21:00
Evening programme (on invitation)
Electrification & Energy Transition
9:10 - 17:00 | Second Stage
Co-hosted with SAPI (Slovak Association of Photovoltaic Industry). Since energy is a key topic for geostrategic decisions, this room has a full focus on European energy security, bridging top-down and bottom-up levels of decision-making and problem-solving, in a fishbowl format that gives the audience the chance to share questions, remarks and comments directly and online.
09:10 – 10:30 | Energy transition in focus
09:30 – 09:45 | Keynote speech or presentation
09:45 – 10:00 | Keynote presentation (possibly DG ENER)
10:00 – 10:30 | Facilitated discussion — roundtable setting or fireside conversation
Suggested questions: Is sustainable finance offering new tools and solutions for energy transition financing? What are the latest developments in the energy transition space? What is needed to scale up renewable energy capacity? Are CfDs a good solution? Is there more appetite for PPAs?
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30 | Made in Europe, electrification and the use of the Modernisation Fund
11:00 – 11:30 | Introductions and keynote remarks — scene-setting: energy and security, what is happening in Europe and what to look out for
Albéric Mongrenier, Executive Director, EIES, European Initiative for Energy Security
11:45 – 12:00 | Presentation — project or case study (TBC, possibly based on SAPI work)
11:45 – 12:30 | Conversation with the audience
The changes in the funding landscape and potential solutions for clean energy investment; is a reframing of the security-and-energy discussion needed?
Suggested speakers: Dr. Radu Surdeanu, Senior Director Government and Executive Affairs, Siemens Energy (confirmed, may move)
Tomáš Buzrla, Executive Director, or Martin Sedlák, Modern Energy Union
Michaela Chaloupková, CSO, ČEZ Group
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch break
13:30 – 15:15 | Planning and financing the energy transition — from national to municipality levels
13:30 – 13:50 | Welcome remarks and an informative presentation
13:50 – 14:10 | Presentation
14:10 – 14:35 | Short discussion
14:35 – 15:10 | Facilitated discussion with the audience
Suggested topics: scaling up renewable energy; creation and financing of renewable energy projects; energy communities as a solution, with examples from around Europe.
15:10 – 15:45
Coffee break
15:45 – 17:00 | NECPs and mobilisation of private finance
Main suggested topics: NECPs and delivering on the needs for the EU’s competitiveness and energy security; financing the build-up of renewable energy capacity; addressing energy poverty; removing policy barriers to energy transition in CEE; examples of investable and successful NECPs.
Masterclasses / Roundtables
9:00 - 17:00 | Roundtables
09:00 – 10:30
Industrial transformation and green tech — Made in Europe
Discussion topics: the Industrial Accelerator Act; the Modernisation Fund and future financial incentives for decarbonisation; CBAM and EU ETS as tools and policies for enabling European competitiveness; changes to procurement.
11:00 – 12:30
Cities and municipalities
15:30 – 17:00
ESG Leadership Workshop: Sharing Best Practices, Failures and Lessons Learned
Run by Fair Ventures
Day 3: Critical Infrastructure & Resilience
9:00 - 17:10 | Main Stage
09:00 – 09:30
Opening keynotes
09:30 – 09:50
Presentation or fireside chat
Martin Spolc, European Commission
09:50 – 10:10
TED-style talk or presentation
Ondřej Boháč, Director, Prague Institute of Planning and Development
10:10 – 10:30
Spotlight session — What is needed to build critical infrastructure and resilience for business?
Andrea Fiori, VUB, or Kateřina Bůžková, VUB
10:20 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 11:30
Fireside interview — Investing in a world of uncertainty
Lubomír Vystavěl, Goldman Sachs
11:30 – 11:50
On-stage interview / fireside chat
Tomáš Procházka, 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 puzzle
How can we mobilise private finance and make the transition affordable?
Chair & speaker: Marta Gellová, Chance for Buildings
Katarína Nikodemová, Buildings for the Future Slovakia (confirmed)
Banking: Invesco / Accolade
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 13:50
TED-style presentation — EU taxonomy in the built environment
CZGBC
13:50 – 14:10
On-stage interview / fireside chat
Chair: Simona Kalvoda, CZGBC
Speakers: TBC
14:00 – 14:20
Presentation
14:40 – 15:10
Conversation with the audience
Chair: Tomáš Janeba, ARI
Andrea Ferjenčíková, NRB (confirmed)
Daniel Rysavka, SPFI
Ota Melcher, Ministry of Finance (TBC)
15:10 – 15:40
Coffee break
15:40 – 16:00
TED-style talk / speech + fireside conversation — Cities and municipalities
ČSOB speaker & a mayor of a city (or two, max)
16:10 – 16:30
On-stage interview / fireside chat — Digital infrastructure and data centres
16:30 – 17:00
Conversation with the audience — Real estate: valuations, climate, risk, and climate adaptation
What value is added by investing in retrofitting or ESG integration?
Stefan de Goeij, Partner and Head of Sustainability & ESG for Central and Eastern Europe and the Nordics, Cushman & Wakefield
Petra Hajna, CPI
17:00 – 17:10
Closing remarks
18:00 – 22:00
Evening programme
Innovation & Clean Tech for Resilience
9:10 - 16:00 | Second Stage
Co-hosted with CzechInvest, this session brings 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.
09:10 – 10:20 | Innovation: what makes the perfect enabling environment for innovation?
09:10 – 09:20 | Keynote remarks: Markéta Přenosilová (TBC)
09:20 – 09:40 | Fireside chat: Martin Jiránek, Tomáš Studeník and/or Jakub Nešetřil, plus government representatives and Prague city election candidates
09:40 – 10:20 | Facilitated discussion with the audience, with 1–2 start-up CEOs and 1–2 investors opening the debate
Other suggested contributors: Diana Rádl Rogerová (Luminova), Libor Vinkler (RSJ), Andy Gray (Tilia Impact Ventures), Michal Sykita, Soulmates Ventures, Inven Capital, Emilia Mamajova (Espira). CEO names suggested by CzechInvest; PE/VC names by ISFC and AKAT or CVCA.
10:20 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30 | Innovation reshaping business: how investment in innovation ecosystems is changing doing business in Europe and CEE — the role of cities and municipalities
11:00 – 11:15 | Introductions and keynote remarks
11:15 – 11:30 | Keynote presentation, possibly on technological scoping for cities (CzechInvest)
11:30 – 11:50 | Fireside discussion / moderated mini-discussion
11:50 – 12:30 | Facilitated interactive discussion with the audience, collecting ideas for new projects and initiatives
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:40 – 15:30
Europe’s clean tech and ecotech pivot: what to expect and where to expect growth
Alternative format under consideration: a pitching session with 10-minute start-up pitches alongside three investment managers
15:30 – 16:00
Coffee break
18:00 – 22:00
Evening programme
Roundtables
11:00 - 17:00 | Roundtables
11:00 – 12:30 | Roundtable No. 1
Insurance in focus: from geopolitical changes and risk to SFDR
13:30 – 15:00 | Roundtable No. 2
Societal change and AI (TBC)
15:30 – 17:00 | Roundtable No. 3
Masterclass: Leadership & communication in a new era of geopolitics and shifting priorities
2026 SPEAKERS
