Mazovia Circular Congress
The crucial moment of Circular Week 2023, a popular and highly regarded annual conference throughout Europe, once again garnered immense interest. On Wednesday, 25th of October at the Iluzjon Cinema in Warsaw, presentations and panel discussions on the circular economy were held throughout the day.
Representatives from the European Commission, experts from countries such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Poland, scientists, and business leaders addressed issues crucial in the context of the planet we must truly care for. In-depth presentations and passionate discussions on the Green Deal, legislative plans, principles and changes, financing opportunities for transitioning towards a circular economy, as well as digitization, virtualization, and the role of education, stirred great emotions among all those present at the Mazovia Circular Congress.
How to reconcile theory with practice? Both lawmakers and those tasked with implementation had to engage in dialogue and seek common ground to find solutions to contemporary environmental challenges.
"The future will either be green or not at all" a statement made during Janez Potocnik's presentation, best exemplified the scale of the needs and served as inspiration for us to take action that painted the future in green.
We thanks all the speakers and participants for an incredible day, which we hoped was a significant step towards changing our perspective on the planet and its resources, the economy, business, and the future of the next generations.
Thank you and see you next year!
AGENDA
9:00 – 10:30 | Opening session – pan-European dialogue for resource resilient Europe
Welcome speech - Agnieszka Sznyk, INNOWO
9.15 - 10.15 | Panel Discussion
Moderation: Agnieszka Sznyk INNOWO,
Panelists:
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Ladeja Godina Košir, MSc - Founder and Executive Director of Circular Change, Co-Chair of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP)
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Antony Buchan - Head of Local Authority Support, ReLondon
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Cathrine Barth - Co-founder of Nordic Circular Hotspot, the Head of Circular Economy at Natural State
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Michael Kuhndt - Founder and Executive Director of the CSCP
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Pavel Zedníček - CEO of Institute of circular economy (INCIEN)
10.15 - 10.30 | Keynote speech - Patrick Child, DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL the European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and innovation (DG R&I) [online]
10:30 - 11:00 | Session 2. Circular cities and shortening of supply chains locally - experience from different EU regions.
Moderator: Ewelina Szczech-Pietkiewcz PhD - Associate Professor at SGH Warsaw School of Economics
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Bart Volkers - Program Manager at Circular Friesland and Operational Manager at Circular Groningen
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Malen Otero - Circular Economy Expert at ICLEI Europe
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Reinhold Rünker - Permanent Deputy of Department Economic Policy, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, climate action and Energy North-Rhine-Westphalia
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Hugo Delahaye, Roubaix City, Circular Economy Team
11:00 – 11:15 | Coffee break
11:15 -12:00 | Session 3. Key note speeches
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Ioannis Bakas - Circular Economy Monitoring expert at the European Environment Agency
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Maciej Bukowski - International analysis expert in the 3W department, Polish Development Bank (BGK)
Keynote speech: 3W economy: a pathway to sustainability. -
Tamara Bińczak, Bank ING
Keynote speech: Financing circular economy projects from the perspective of a private institution.
12:00 – 13:15 | Session 4. Ambitions of business in circular economy transformation - how entrepreneurs can contribute in circular economy future
Introductory presentation: Maria Clara Jimenez A. - Director at the Makers Unite Foundation
Moderation: Piotr Hajdecki, Senior advisor at Business Finland, Board Member at the Finnish section of the Scandinavian-Polish Chamber of Commerce (SPCC).
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Reinier Schlatmann, Regional Managing Director for DS Smith in East Europe
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Agata Czachórska, Country Sustainability Manager at IKEA Group
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Anna Kozera-Szałkowska, Managing Director at PlasticsEurope Polska
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Paulina Zadura, Director of the Analysis and Strategy Department at the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development
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Szymon Sławiński, Sustainability Project Leader, Albea Group
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Dorian Maciborski, Manager, Sustainability & Economics, Deloitte Central Europe
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Beata Osiecka, Director of Finance and Administration at Kinnarps Polska
13.15 – 14:00 | LUNCH
14:00 – 15.15 | Session 5. Vital tools for integrated approach to combat climate change and circular economy transformation – Green Deal, Deposit Scheme system, Extended producer responsibility, Green procurement, Green funds
Introductory speech: Emmanuelle Maire Directorate General for Environment (DG ENV).
Green Deal legislations in the European Commission
Moderation: Hubert Bukowski, Research Director at the Institute of Innovation and Responsible Development
Panelists:
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Anna Sapota PhD. - Vice President of Public Affairs for Eastern Europe North at TOMRA
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Michał Mikołajczyk, Rekopol
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Martin Basila, the CEO and Co-Founder of Sensoneo
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Bartosz Silczak - ESG Risk Analysis Team Manager, Polish Development Bank (BGK)
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Emmanuelle Maire - Directorate General for Environment (DG ENV)
15.15 - 16.00 | Session 6. Role of nature in circular economy
Bioremediation broadly refers to any process wherein a biological system (typically bacteria, microalgae, fungi, and plants), living or dead, is employed for removing environmental pollutants from air, water, soil, flue gasses, industrial effluents etc., in natural or artificial settings.
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Key note speech by Tomasz Calikowski, PhD - European Commission, Policy Officer at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
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Key note speech by Prof. Philippe Corvini, Professor of Environmental Biotechnology and Head of the Institute for Ecopreneurship, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland,
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Key note speech: Join the future of food today - insect-based protein by Maurice Brenninkmeijer, Growth Manager at Protix
16.00 – 16.45 | Session 7. Power speech on systemic view ahead
Introductory speech: Janez Potocnik - Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel, Partner at SYSTEMIQ, former European Commissioner for Environment
Discussion
Moderation: dr hab. Bolesław Rok, professor of the university - Director of the Positive Impact Entrepreneurship Research Centre, Department of Entrepreneurship and Ethics in Business, Kozminski University.
Panelists:
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Janez Potocnik - Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel, Partner at SYSTEMIQ, former European Commissioner for Environment
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dr hab. Joanna Kulczycka, professor of the university - Polish Academy of Sciences, member of International Resource Panel
16.45 – 17.30 | Session 8. Digitalization for circular economy
Introduction and moderation - Ewelina Szczech-Pietkiewcz PhD, DSc - Associate Professor at SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Panelists:
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Siren Knudsen - Head of Digital Transformation, Technology and ESG in PURO Hotels
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Piotr Mieczkowski - Managing Director at the Digital Poland Foundation, Board Member at European AI Forum AIBSL
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Bartłomiej Nieścierowicz - Senior Vice President, Business Unit Leader Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia at CGI.
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Christophe Lintz - Director IT, CIO Senior Advisor at European Patent Office.
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Agata Witkowska - Digitalization specialist, GS1 Poland