Tom Meijeraan has an ambitious mission: to restore the Arctic ice

This year, with record-breaking temperatures and unprecedented climate challenges, Climate Change Summit 2024 is focusing on the vital role of startups and innovation in tackling climate change. Highlights of the event will include Tom Meijeraan’s innovative solutions from Arctic Reflections and the launch of Climate Change Summit Awards. These awards will recognize standout solutions from young entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized businesses in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe. The summit will run from October 15-17, 2024, at the National Opera in Bucharest and more than 20 other locations across the city and beyond.

About Tom Meijeraan and Arctic Reflections Tom Meijeraan, co-founder of Arctic Reflections, will be a key speaker at the summit. Arctic Reflections is a startup working to restore Arctic ice to combat global warming. With 20 years of experience in tech innovation and product development, Tom has a deep knowledge of the field. He holds an MBA from Rotterdam School of Management and a CEMS Master in International Management. At the summit, Tom will discuss innovative solutions for a sustainable future.

“We founded Arctic Reflections to preserve Arctic summer sea ice cover. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while necessary, will unfortunately not be enough anymore to avoid a first ice-free Arctic summer as soon as the 30s or 40s. This will have huge consequences as the sea ice regulates the Earth’s climate by reflecting sunlight, thus reducing global warming. Additionally, the sea ice provides an essential habitat for unique wildlife and it is vital for indigenous people for hunting, transportation and cultural heritage. We hope that we can effectively halt the current decline of the summer sea ice until CO2 emissions have come down enough so that the ice becomes fully regenerative by itself again, ” said Tom Meijeraan.

Climate Change Summit Awards: Recognition for Young Innovators and SMEs in CEE

This year’s edition also introduces the Climate Change Summit Awards, which will reward the best innovative initiatives with a total of 12,000 Euros. The competition is open to young people under 30 and small and medium-sized enterprises from Romania and Central and Eastern Europe, offering awards in six categories: energy, mobility and construction, circular economy, food and agriculture, biodiversity, environmental education, and CEE Award. The jury will include local and international experts, such as Aneta Skubida, Portfolio Manager in Poland for the Clean Air Fund; Stefan Nilsson, Editor-in-Chief of Food and Climate; Salomey Ampadu, founder of MeyFund Foundation; Anton Yarotsky, founder of Circle Agriculture Initiative; Nicolas Durr, CEO of Biodiver.City; Margot Décory, Development Director at Caristeo; Alex Găvan, ecologist and high-altitude mountaineer; Alexandru Laibăr, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Circular Economy; Orieta Hulea, CEO of WWF Romania; and Alexandru Agatinei, co-founder of How to Web.

Interested applicants can apply at https://climatechange-summit.org/ccs-awards/

Speakers at Climate Change Summit 2024

Alongside Tom Meijeraan, CCS 2024 will feature other leaders and sustainability experts, including:

• Jørn Haanæs, seed investor and entrepreneur with experience in startups, venture capital, impact investments, climate technology, accelerators, and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• Chris Desai, entrepreneur and philanthropist, founder of The Vayyu Foundation®, which promotes the circular economy. He also owns an organic luxury fashion brand, Vayyu®, which was recently named in the top 40 under 40 for Climate and Sustainability and won the BBC Make A Difference award.
• Harry Wright, lawyer and expert in oceanic initiatives, is CEO of Bright Tide, an environmental social enterprise that partners with organizations to develop new strategies to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
• Aleksandra Palinska, Executive Director of Eurosif – the European Sustainable Investment Forum, with 15 years of experience in public policy and EU regulations.
• Dr Håkan Tropp – expert in natural resources and water policies, with over 20 years of international experience. He is currently the interim COO at the Stockholm International Water Institute and leads the International Center for Water Cooperation UNESCO/SIWI (ICWC).
• Andrei Gurin, Policy Officer at DG Fisma, European Commission, specializing in antitrust policies.
• Astrid Leyssens, founder of We Are Impact Collective, an expert in sustainable entrepreneurship, who developed an effective methodology for implementing sustainability and impact.
• Hannah Phang, co-founder and CMO of The Now Work, a platform connecting sustainability experts with relevant jobs. She’s known for promoting sustainability and innovation in fashion design and previously served as CMO of Endless Wardrobe and Marketing Director at Futerra.

Participation and Details

Climate Change Summit 2024 is open to the public, subject to available seating. You can apply at https://climatechange-summit.org/apply-now/. For more information, visit https://climatechange-summit.org/