European Sustainability Congress 2026

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:

8:30AM-09:00AM                     

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

9:10 – 9:30 Ambassadors Roundtable „A Circular and Resilient Europe – From National Priorities to Joint Action”

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

9:30 – 10:15 From Policy to Practice: The Circular Economy Act in Action

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

• Agnieszka Sznyk, PhD – President of the Board, Institute for Innovation and Responsible Development INNOWO

• 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, PhD Université du Québec

  
  

10:15 – 10:40 Keynote Lecture: Sustainable design engineering

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

10:40 – 11:00 Keynote Lecture: Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab 

• Priya Saikumar, Research Lead – ReMan & ReElectronics, Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab, University of Oxford

11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:30 Blue & Bio in Action: Scaling the Circular Bioeconomy

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

• Sidse Jensen FSC -PIB

• Thomas Hartnik, PhD Director Division of Environment and Natural Resources NIBIO - Norsk institutt for bioøkonomi /

• Dr hab. Jerzy Kozyra IUNG

• Andrzej Stangred – REFOOD

• Prof. Dr. Harald Grethe – Director, Agora Agriculture

12:30 - 12:45 Keynote Speech

• Joanna Kasowska - Quality Standards & Climate Protection Director, Żabka

12:45 – 13:45 Circular Economy in Practice: Costs, Responsibility, and Business Models

• Anna Kozera-Szałkowska – Managing Director, Plastics Europe

• Jacek Płaza – Chief Sustainability Officer, Decathlon Poland

• Łukasz Sosnowski – ProKarton

• Michal Mikołajczyk REKOPOL

• Jakub Szalatkiewicz - Phoenix Surowce Sp. z o.o.

• IKEA representative

13:45 – 14:30 Lunch

Lunch break and networking time for congress participants.

14:30 – 14:35 Students presentation

14:35 – 14:50 Keynote Speech

• Katarzyna Śliwa – Chief Executive Officer, Ergo Design

14:50 – 15:35 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

Speakers:

• Andrei Geica – Chief Impact and Policy Officer, Sporos

• Piotr Świerczyński – Director of the National Contact Point Department, NCBR

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

• Stanislav Shmelev – Environment Europe Foundation Oxford

15:35 – 16:20 Closing the Loop in Low-Carbon Technologies: Resource Challenges of the Energy Transition

• Prof. dr. hab. inż. Jarosław Zuwała - Zastępca Dyrektora ds. Badań i Rozwoju, Instytut Technologii Paliw i Energii

• Prof. dr hab. inż. Krzysztof Pikoń Profesor na Wydziale Inżynierii Środowiska i Energetyki Politechniki Śląskiej, Kierownik Katedry Technologii i Urządzeń Zagospodarowania Opadów

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