Climate Change Summit Awards honors youth and SME innovators for practical climate solutions
Climate Change Summit, the largest regional event on climate change issues, supports and rewards innovative and transformative solutions from Central and Eastern Europe addressing environmental challenges. The competition Climate Change Summit Awards targets individuals under 30, as well as small and medium enterprises, funding ideas in the areas of energy, mobility, construction, circular economy, food, agriculture, biodiversity, and environmental education. Interested parties can register at https://climatechange-summit.org/ccs-awards/.
Following two successful editions, which brought together over 2,900 participants, nearly 2 million online viewers, and over 160 speakers, Climate Change Summit returns in 2024 with a larger edition, taking place from October 15 to 17 in Bucharest. In addition to presentations of entrepreneurial solutions, best practices, and sustainable projects from around the world, panels, and related events, the Summit adds under its umbrella the Climate Change Summit Awards. The competition will offer 6 awards totaling €12,000, crowdfunding opportunities, as well as recognition for innovative solutions and practical ideas addressing climate challenges presented by individuals under 30, as well as small and medium enterprises, with a minimum of 3 years of activity, from Romania and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
„When we had the idea of creating Climate Change Summit, our goal was to do everything possible to turn it into a reference event for Romania and the Central and Eastern European region. After two successful editions, the time has come to launch a competition open to young people and companies in this area, to support the growing interest in sustainability-related topics and to help transform Romania into a regional hub for sustainability solutions. These ideas can thus scale, trigger other ideas, and create a sustainable economic ecosystem,” said Flavia Popa, Secretary-General of BRD Groupe Société Générale.
„At Climate Change Summit, we are committed to supporting those solutions that bring positive changes to the climate challenges in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe. Our awards bring recognition not only for young innovators and SMEs shaping a sustainable future but also resources to amplify their impact. The expansion of SIS sustainability education programs in countries such as Serbia, Bulgaria, and Croatia also underscores our commitment to building a strong and resilient community across Central and Eastern Europe,” said Ciprian Stănescu, President of Social Innovation Solutions.
Climate Change Summit Awards accept two types of applications: ideas and solutions; and target young people and SMEs from Romania and CEE through five thematic categories, along with a special award, which will be exclusively awarded to applications from CEE. Thus, individuals under 30 can submit environmental projects or businesses in the concept phase, with the opportunity to receive a grant for project development and crowdfunding opportunities, while SMEs are invited to present solutions to environmental challenges, to be included in a report highlighting innovations in sustainability approaches in the region.
The categories open for registration from Romania and CEE at https://climatechange-summit.org/ccs-awards/ are:
- Energy, Mobility, Construction: innovative solutions for energy production and consumption, improving sustainable mobility, and promoting ecological construction practices.
- Circular Economy: projects creating a closed recycling and resource management system, improving efficiency, and reducing environmental impact.
- Food and Agriculture: initiatives for more sustainable food production and regenerative agriculture, reducing food waste, and promoting healthier and more sustainable diets.
- Biodiversity: projects for protecting ecosystems and endangered species, restoring natural habitats, and increasing environmental resilience.
- Environmental Education: innovative educational programs to raise awareness and understanding of environmental issues, using technology and practical experience to encourage environmental action.
The CEE Award is added to them, a special category for project and idea applications from Central and Eastern European countries, excluding Romania. Two awards will be granted for each category, one for ideas and one for solutions.
Registrations can be made at https://climatechange-summit.org/ccs-awards/ between April 15 and September 1. The jury of Climate Change Summit Awards competition consists of recognized experts from various fields and partners involved in actions to combat climate change and promote sustainability, including environmental scientists, policymakers, successful entrepreneurs in the ecological sector, and representatives of environmental NGOs and influential academic institutions.
The winners of Climate Change Summit Awards will be announced during the Summit on October 15, where they will have the opportunity to present their ideas and solutions, be awarded grants, and receive contributions from the audience attending the event.
About Climate Change Summit
Climate Change Summit 2024 is organized by Social Innovation Solutions, together with BRD Groupe Société Générale, as founding partner, Auchan Romania as a strategic partner and Mastercard as climate partner. Among the organizational partners are WWF Romania, EFdeN, Energy Policy Group, Foreign Investors Council, Circular Economy Coalition, Romanian Business Leaders, Sustainability Embassy, Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce, Concordia Employers’ Confederation, Carbon Expert, GEYC, and Aspire Academy.
About Social Innovation Solutions
The mission of Social Innovation Solutions (SIS) is to support individuals and organizations to understand future transformations and develop sustainable technology, public policy, and entrepreneurial solutions. SIS runs several incubators and accelerators in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe, working with several thousand SMEs and NGOs each year through programs such as the Sustainability Academy, Future Makers, and Transformator. SIS also develops several platforms for conversations on sustainability, future trends, and circular economies such as Future Summit, Sustainable Futures, or Climate Change Summit and provides consultancy and executive education programs in foresight, innovation, and sustainability.
About BRD Groupe Société Générale
BRD Groupe Société Générale is one of the leading banks in Romania. The bank operates a network of 423 units and has total assets of RON 81.4 billion lei (as of December 31, 2023). BRD holds a leading position in the retail market, is a top player in the corporate banking market and the leader in the Romanian factoring market.
As a social actor, BRD invests in culture, education, technology, and sport, supporting projects that build, develop, raise a new generation, and bring long-term value. Under this vision, Foundation9 was created, which coordinates the cultural journalism platform Scena9, as well as the cultural center Rezidenta9 in Bucharest. In education, BRD has created Școala9, a specialized journalism platform, and supports programs that support the approach of teachers in the formal system, as well as plans, ideas, and projects in the sphere of innovation and technology. The newest journalism platform launched by BRD is Mindcraft Stories, which aims to open a conversation about discoveries in Romania and around the world, how technology touches our lives, artificial intelligence, robotics, medicine, and more.
17.04.2024 / Editor, Andreea Dragan
