European Sustainability Congress 2026

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Online access link:

[ENG] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSVudidfCFI

[PL] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPO_jLyYKUw

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The Congress will focus on the role of the circular economy as a driver of innovation, competitiveness and business growth. Topics will include circular business models, extended producer responsibility, circular supply chains, sustainable finance, investments in circular transformation, and future skills and education supporting the circular economy.

Programme:

8:30 - 09:00 Participant registration, welcome coffee

9:00 – 9:10 Welcome and Opening of the Congress

Dr. Agnieszka Sznyk – President of the Board, Institute for Innovation and Responsible Development INNOWO, Member of European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform

9:10 – 9:45 Ambassadors Roundtable „A Circular and Resilient Europe – From National Priorities to Joint Action”

Moderation: Ron van Bloois, Board member, Real Asset Media

• Ms. Essi Raitala, I Secretary at the Embassy of Finland to Poland

• HE Øystein Bø, The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Poland

• H.E. Miguel Berger, The Ambassador of Germany to Poland 
  

9:45 – 10:00 Keynote Speech: Stoyan Tchoukanov, President of NAT (Nature, Agriculture and Rural area) section, European Economic and Social Committee

10:00 – 10:45 From Policy to Practice: The Circular Economy Act in Action

Moderation: Dr. Agnieszka Sznyk – President of the Board, Institute for Innovation and Responsible Development INNOWO, Member of European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform

• Anita Sowińska – Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Climate and Environment

• Marta Ostrowska-Chałupa – Deputy Director at the Sustainable Economy Department of the Ministry of Development and Technology of Poland

• Michael Kuhndt – Founder and Executive Director, CSCP Germany

• Claire Downey – Chief Executive, Rediscovery Centre, The National Centre for the Circular Economy, The Boiler House Ireland

• Prof. Juste Rajaonson – Université du Québec à Montréal & Founding Member of the Circular Economy Research on Regions and Cities Network

• Stoyan Tchoukanov, President of NAT (Nature, Agriculture and Rural area) section, European Economic and Social Committee

10:45 – 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 – 11:20 How Consumer Policy Can Enable a Circular Economy 

Moderation: Ewelina Szczech-Pietkiewicz – Vice Dean of Doctoral School, SGH Warsaw School of Economics

• Elin Volder Rutle, Head of Sustainability, Forbrukerrådet – The Norwegian Consumer Council

• Elżbieta Szadzińska – Vice-President, Polish Consumer Federation
  

11:20 – 12:00 Circular Economy in Practice: Costs, Responsibility, and Business Models

Moderation: Marcin Milczarski - ESG Team Manager and Leader, VIVERNO

• Anna Kozera-Szałkowska – Managing Director, Plastics Europe Poland

·        Łukasz Sosnowski – President of the Management Board, ProKarton Foundation

·        Michał Mikołajczyk – Proxy, Director of Sales and External Relations, REKOPOL

·        Jakub Szałatkiewicz – Phoenix Surowce Sp. z o.o.

12:00 – 12:40 Circular Economy in Practice: Costs, Responsibility, and Business Models

Moderation: Marcin Milczarski - ESG Team Manager and Leader, VIVERNO

• Radek Polechoński - Central East Europe Circular Business Model Director, Decathlon Poland

·        Rafał Skawski – Circularity Manager, Żabka Group

·        Irena Dobosz – Country Sustainability Manager, IKEA

·        Kinga Sowik – Director of DIFM Services & Circular Transformation, Castorama Poland

12:40 – 12:55 Keynote Speech: Making Circularity Easy. How Businesses Can Turn Sustainable Choices into Everyday Habits, Joanna Kasowska - Quality Standards & Climate Protection Director, Żabka Group

12:55 – 13:10 Keynote Speech: Jeremy Faludi, Associate Professor of Sustainable Design Engineering, TU Delft

13:10 – 13:25 Keynote Speech: Priya Saikumar, Research Lead – ReMan & ReElectronics, Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab, University of Oxford

13:25 – 14:10 Lunch

14:10 – 14:20 Students presentation

14:20 – 15:10 Blue & Bio in Action: Scaling the Circular Bioeconomy

Moderation: Piotr Jurga, Innovation Broker / Researcher at Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - Research State Institute

• Tobias Nielsen – PhD, Expert Circular Economy, European Environmental Agency

• Sidse Jensen – Senior Specialist, FSC® Circularity Hub

• Thomas Hartnik – PhD Director Division, Environment and Natural Resources NIBIO

• Dr hab. Jerzy Kozyra – IUNG

• Andrzej Stangret – External Relations and B2B Market Director, REFOOD Poland

• Dr. Theodor Fahndorf – Head of Product Development, COO, Naturcosmo

• Wageningen University

15:10 – 15:25 Keynote Speech: Designing Circularity That Works. From product decisions to business transformation, Katarzyna Śliwa – Chief Executive Officer, Ergo Design

15:25 – 16:10 Financing Circular Value Chains – Innovation, Bankability, and a Strong Signal for the EU Single Market

Moderation: Hubert Bukowski, Research Director, Institute of Innovation and Responsible Development INNOWO

• Andrei Geica – Chief Impact and Policy Officer, Sporos

• Jarosław Piekarski – Coordinator for Industrial Technologies at National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the European Union, NCBR 

• Bartosz Silczak – Director of the ESG Risk Office, National Development Bank (BGK)

• Stanislav Shmelev – Founder and CEO, Environment Europe Foundation

• Cathrine Barth – Head of Circular Economy Strategy, Natural State
  

16:10 – 16:55 Panel discussion: European Circular Talk | Closing the Loop in Low-Carbon Technologies: Resource Challenges of the Energy Transition 

A dedicated session of the CESynergy - Circular Economy Pathways for the Energy Transition project.

This panel will explore the resource challenges associated with the energy transition and the role of circular economy approaches in low-carbon technologies. The discussion will also highlight the objectives and outcomes of the CESynergy project, including insights from its project challenges and opportunities to access and use the developed resources.

Moderation: Prof. dr hab. inż. Krzysztof Pikoń – Professor at the Faculty of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Silesian University of Technology; Head of the Department of Waste Management Technologies and Equipment

• Prof. dr. hab. inż. Jarosław Zuwała – Deputy Director for Research and Development, Institute of Fuel and Energy Technology

• Jeremy Faludi – Associate Professor, Sustainable Design Engineering, TU Delft

• Tomasz Bojęć, Head of Technology Transfer, IDEAS

• Dr Adreas Saniter – University of Bremen

• Sławomir Skrobol – VP SFA Recycling Europe, Norsk Hydro ASA 

• Jarle Johannessen – Managing Director, Termoenergi Norge AS
  

16:55 – 17:00 Closing Remarks