Climate change has now become a decisive factor in the restructuring of international politics, energy strategy, and regional security. Mrs. Fay Selimi, Attorney at Law, Economist, Deputy Director of EPLO Circular Economy & Climate Institute.
Join us for the Annual International Conference
Circular Gaia Symposium 2026
9 october 2026
Athens Conservatoire, Athens, Greece
10 october 2026
EPLO premises in Plaka, Athens, Greece
11 october 2026
Ministry of Environment, Cairo, & Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt
Join us for the Annual International Conference
Circular Gaia Symposium 2025
2 October 2025
Zappeion Megaron, Athens
3 October 2025
EPLO premises in Plaka
Online participation available
Our Aim
PIONEERING THE FUTURE OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Our Circular Gaia Symposium is a transformative annual international gathering dedicated to advancing the circular economy as a cornerstone of sustainable development. Aligned with the EU Green Deal, UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, our mission is to reshape the global economic model to boost energy transition and climate resilience towards climate neutrality. We promote holistic circular solutions across sectors, including circular cities, innovation, tourism, energy transition, and the blue economy, while integrating cultural heritage and civil society into sustainability strategies.
Our focus spans the Mediterranean, Black, and Red Sea regions, uniting efforts to address production, consumption, renewable energy, ecomobility, and circular AI. By fostering circular diplomacy and championing green projects, we aim to mainstream circular principles into policies and businesses, creating a resilient, sustainable future for all.
pillars
Circular Cities
Energy Transition
Green Growth
Circular Blue Economy
Circular Digital Economy & AI
Circular ESG
Circular Tourism
Circular Diplomacy
Climate Mitigation & Climate Adaptation & Resilience
Green Financing
Protection of Cultural & Natural Heritage From Climate Change
Circular Aviation & Shipping
Civil Society & Humanitarian Action
Meet the
Speakers
Rumen Radev
President of the Republic of Bulgaria
Rumen Radev
President of the Republic of BulgariaRumen Radev is the fifth democratically elected President of the Republic of Bulgaria. He was born on June 18, 1963 in Dimitrovgrad. He graduated with a gold medal from the Mathematical High School in Haskovo. He graduated as the top of his class from the Air Force School in Dolna Mitropolia. In 1992 he graduated from the Maxwell Squadron Officer Course, USA, and from 1994 to 1996 he was a student in the command and staff profile of the G. S. Rakovski Military Academy. He graduated as the top of his class. In 2000 he became a Doctor of Military Sciences in the field of improving the tactical training of the air force and simulating air combat. In 2003 he graduated with honors from the Maxwell Air Force College in the USA with a Master's degree in "Strategic Studies". His name is inscribed on the Walk of Fame of the Air Force College. He has over 1400 flight hours in his career as a fighter pilot. Demo pilot of the MiG-29. He reached the rank of Major General, and in the period 2014 - 2016 he was the Commander of the Air Force of the Republic of Bulgaria. In November 2016. he was elected President of the Republic of Bulgaria by direct vote and nearly 60% of the votes. In November 2021. he was re-elected for a second term as President of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Costas Kadis
European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
Costas Kadis
European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
Professor of Biodiversity Conservation, Deputy President of University Council, Head of Nature Conservation Unit, Frederick University
2023–present
Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
2018–2023
Minister of Education and Culture
2014–2018
Minister of Health
2007–2008
Associate Professor, Head of Nature Conservation Unit, Dean of School of Education, Frederick University
2005–2014
Head of Unit and Deputy Director General, Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus
1998–2005
PhD in Conservation Biology, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens
1991–1995
Bachelor’s degree in Biology, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens
1987–1991
Apostolos Tzitzikostas
European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism
Apostolos Tzitzikostas
European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism
Apostolos Tzitzikostas was born on September 2, 1978. He studied Government and International Relations at Georgetown University, in Washington DC. After graduating in 2000, he had his first working experience at the Office of the President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States Congress. In 2002 he obtained a Masters Degree on European Public Policy and Economics from the University College of London. Following his studies, he created his own company on the field of production, processing and standardization of dairy products, based on organic standards.
In 2007, he was elected Member of the Greek Parliament, in the First District of Thessaloniki. In the Regional Elections of November 2010 he was elected Vice-Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia and Head of the Metropolitan Area of Thessaloniki. On the Regional Elections of May 2014 he was elected Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia and on the Regional Elections of May 2019 he was re-elected Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia. On November 2019 he was elected President of the Association of Greek Regions Since 2015 he is a Member of the European Committee of the Regions. In July 2017, he was elected Head of the Greek Delegation and Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions. On February 2020 he was elected President of the European Committee of the Regions. He fluently speaks English and French and his articles are regularly being published in Greek and foreign newspapers and magazines.
Ekaterina Zaharieva
EU Commissioner Startups, Research and Innovation at European Commission
Ekaterina Zaharieva
EU Commissioner Startups, Research and Innovation at European CommissionEkaterina Zaharieva is Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation at the European Commission. Her task is to drive the EU’s ambition to put research and innovation, science and technology at the centre of our economy. She fosters investment and cooperation, creating the right conditions for researchers to thrive and develop new skills, and the innovation needed for the EU’s competitiveness, security and sustainability goals. Ms Zaharieva is a Bulgarian lawyer with a long political career. She held various post including Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Head of Cabinet of the President, and member of parliament.
Stavros N. Papastavrou
Minister of Environment & Energy, Hellenic Republic
Stavros N. Papastavrou
Minister of Environment & Energy, Hellenic RepublicStavros N. Papastavrou is the Minister of Environment and Energy. He served as Minister of State from June 2023 to March 2024. He is a lawyer with postgraduate studies at Harvard Law School. He worked as a legal advisor at the law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington and practices law in Athens, in matters of capital market and corporate law. He was the central negotiator of the Greek state with European partners and the International Monetary Fund during the period 2012-2015, as head of the Prime Minister's Office of European Affairs and International Relations. He served as Secretary of International Relations and European Union of the New Democracy (2004-2012). He has been elected President of the Student Organization of the European People's Party (EDS), President of the European Youth Organization of EDU, was a founding member of the Youth of the European People's Party (YEPP) and a member of the Political Council of the European People's Party.
Christos Dimas
Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Hellenic Republic
Christos Dimas
Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Hellenic RepublicChristos Dimas is a lawyer and a Member of the Hellenic Parliament with Nea Demokratia, representing the district of Corinthia. He was born on 29 May 1980. He graduated from the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as well as from Queen Mary University of London. He obtained his Master's degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He also completed his PhD in European Politics from LSE, with a scholarship from the Alexander Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. The title of his PhD thesis is: "National institutional contexts and domestic discourse during proposed transformative policy change. The case of the telecoms' privatization in Greece and the Republic of Ireland." In parallel to his studies, he worked as a London correspondent for the newspaper “Apogevmatini” and did a journalism internship at the BBC. At the age of 25, he was an assistant lecturer at LSE, teaching first-year students the course "Introduction to Comparative Politics". He has also taught the course "Mass Media and Social Regulation" at ICON College, University of Leicester to postgraduate students and was a research fellow at the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence. He has scientific publications in Greek and international scientific journals. Before entering politics, he worked in the private sector as a business consultant for "The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)", a strategic consulting firm. He was elected as Member of Hellenic Parliament for Corinthia with New Democracy in the May and June 2012 elections, and has been continuously elected since then.
- From July 2019 to May 2023, he served as Deputy Minister of Development and Investments, responsible for Research & Innovation.
- From June 2023 to June 2024, he was Deputy Minister of Culture, responsible for Contemporary Culture.
- From June 2024, he was Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance.
- From March 2025 until today, by decision of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he has been Minister of Infrastructure and Transport.
Panagiotis Theodorikakos
Minister of Development, Hellenic Republic
Panagiotis Theodorikakos
Minister of Development, Hellenic Republic
Member of Parliament Athens B3 Constituency (South)
Personal Info
Place and Date οf Birth:
Born in 1964 in Keratsini, he graduated from the Ionideios Model High School.
Marital Status:
He is married, with two children.
Profession:
Strategy Consultant and Political research analyst.
Studies:
Doctor of public policies at the University of the Peloponnese.
Master's degree in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration in political science and sociology with specialization in electoral sociology at EKPA.
He graduated from the Faculty of Primary Education of the Νational and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA).
Foreign Languages:
English
Political/Social Activities
Scientific associate and president of the GPO SA, from 2000 to 2016.
Strategy Advisor of the President of the New Democracy party since October 2015 and Strategic Planning and Communication Coordinator of the party since October 2016.
In July 7, 2019 he was elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament (State Constituency) with the New Democracy Party.
He served as Minister of Interior from July 9th 2019 to January 4th 2021 and Minister of Citizen Protection from August 31st 2021 to May 26th 2023.
In May 21, 2023 he was elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament with the New Democracy Party in the 2nd place in the B3 Constituency (South). In June 25, 2023 he was re-elected Member of the Parliament in the B3 Constituency (South).
Olga Kefalogianni
Minister of Tourism, Hellenic Republic
Olga Kefalogianni
Minister of Tourism, Hellenic RepublicMinister of Tourism Member of Parliament - Athens A’ constituency Attorney at Law Olga Kefalogianni was born in Athens in 1975. She is a graduate of the School of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1997) and holds two postgraduate degrees, from King's College, University of London (LL.M, 1998) and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston (GMAP, 2006). She has worked in large law firms in Athens and New York, as well as in the Legal Service of the European Commission in Brussels. From 2004 to 2006 she was an associate of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis in legal matters. She was elected Member of Parliament for the Prefecture of Rethymno (2007 and 2009), and, since 2012, she has been elected to the Athens A’ constituency (2012, 2015, 2019, 2023). She served as Minister of Tourism in Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ government (2012 – 2015). She has also served as Head of the Greek parliamentary delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (I.P.U), ambassador of the Greek Parliament to the Women Political Leaders (WPL) network, and member of the parliamentary committees of National Defense and Foreign Affairs, Production and Trade, Institutions and Transparency, European Affairs and Armament Programs and Contracts. She is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for Policy Studies on Gender and Equality – (KEMEFI) of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO). She was appointed Minister of Tourism on 27 June 2023.She is married to composer Minos Matsas and they have two children.
Pavlos Marinakis
Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister & Spokesman of the Hellenic Government
Pavlos Marinakis
Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister & Spokesman of the Hellenic GovernmentPavlos Marinakis was born in 1988 in Patras. He graduated from the Democritus University of Thrace Law School. He has practiced law for over a decade specializing in Criminal Law. Αfter the general election of the 25th of June 2023 he was named Spokesman of the Hellenic Government and in January 2024 he was appointed Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister responsible for Media and Communication.
Harry Theoharis
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hellenic Republic
Harry Theoharis
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hellenic RepublicBorn August 6, 1970, in Athens. Mr. Harry Theoharis was first elected in 2015 and on December 18, 2018, he joined the New Democracy party. Mr. Theoharis holds an MEng (Hon) in Software Engineering from Imperial College, London, and has held high-ranking positions in private sector companies in Greece and abroad. He has also worked in start-up companies. During 2011-2012, Mr. Theoharis served as Secretary General for Information Systems and is known for introducing new digital services to assist the public, helping to reduce bureaucracy and its associated costs. He later (2013-14) served as Secretary General for Public Revenues at the Greek Finance Ministry. There, he succeeded in meeting budget revenues and producing a fiscal surplus. He is also known for launching the www.publicrevenue.gr platform to increase transparency in public administration. From 2019 to 2021, he served as Minister of Tourism, where he focused on rejuvenating Greece’s tourism sector, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting sustainable practices and digital transformation. He was also the Parliamentary Spokesperson for the New Democracy political party from 2021 to 2023. In the national elections of May and June 2023, he was re-elected Member of Parliament with the New Democracy political party. On June 27, 2023, Mr. Theoharis was appointed by Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis as Deputy Minister of Finance of Greece for taxation matters, a position he held until June 2024. During his tenure, he prioritized transparency, efficiency, and fairness in the tax system, while fostering an investment-friendly environment.
In the fall of 2024, he was nominated by the Prime Minister of Greece as a candidate for Secretary-General of the UN Tourism, leading a successful and internationally praised campaign.
On June 30, 2025, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for economic diplomacy and promoting Greece’s global outreach.
He is married to Dimitra Rigogianni and is the father of four children.Sanja Bozinovska
Minister in Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, Republic of North Macedonia
Sanja Bozinovska
Minister in Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, Republic of North MacedoniaSanja Bozinovska is the Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources of North Macedonia. She was an experienced energy consultant with a background in international energy projects, trading, and investments prior to taking the ministerial portfolio. She holds degrees from Anglo-American University, University of Groningen, and completed programs at Delta Energy Institute and Harvard University. She has held leadership roles in energy companies across CEE and has been a speaker at over 100 energy conferences. She speaks English, Czech, Serbian, and Spanish.
Grozdan Karadjov
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Republic of Bulgaria
Grozdan Karadjov
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Republic of BulgariaGrozdan Karadjov graduated from the First English language school in Sofia and Law from the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". He was the Chairman of the Independent Student Association at the Faculty of Law, “St. Kliment Ohridski" University and Co-chairman of the Federation of Independent Student Societies. Co-founder and national coordinator of the Bulgarian Association for Fair Elections. Between 1990 and 1995 he worked at the Open Society Foundation - Sofia, where he successively held the positions of "Programme Coordinator", "Secretary General" and "Programme Director". In the period 1996 - 2011 he was Secretary General of the Post and Telecommunications Committee, Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC). In the period 1998 - 2003 he was also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Bulgarian Post Bank and a member of the Board of Directors of RILA SOLUTIONS. From 2001 to 2004 he was the Executive Director of the Democracy Foundation. Founder of Maria’s World Foundation and a long-time active donor. He was a national representative in the 43rd and 49th National Assembly. He held the post of a Chairman of the Committee on Transport, Information Technologies and Communications from November 2014 to December 2015. From December 2021 to June 2022 he was elected Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.
Ivan Ivanov
Minister of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria
Ivan Ivanov
Minister of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria
Ivan Valentinov Ivanov is a Bulgarian politician with extensive parliamentary and executive experience. Born on August 13, 1975, in Shumen, he holds degrees in History from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and Law from Veliko Tarnovo University “St. Cyril and St. Methodius.” He possesses two doctoral degrees: one in History and another in the Management of Information Processes.
His political career began as a municipal councilor for the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) in Shumen (2007–2013). He was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2013 and has served almost continuously since then. Ivanov served as Minister of Agriculture and Food from 2021 to 2022 in the cabinet of Kiril Petkov and was Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Forestry in the 50th National Assembly.
On January 16, 2025, he was appointed Minister of Regional Development and Public Works in the government of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. In this role, Ivanov is responsible for key policies including the development of road infrastructure, spatial planning, housing policy, water supply and sanitation, and the management of European regional development programs.
Uroš Vajgl
State Secretery at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy of the Republic of Slovenia
Uroš Vajgl
State Secretery at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy of the Republic of SloveniaUroš Vajgl, born in Ljubljana in 1976, holds a university degree in economics. He started his career in 2002 at the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for European Affairs, where he dealt with economic and financial issues, including as coordinator for negotiations on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework. During the first Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2008, he coordinated preparations for the meetings of the General Affairs Council and the European Council. From 2005 to 2006 he was posted to the Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin, and from 2009 to 2013 he represented, as Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the EU, the interests of the Republic of Slovenia in the EU's internal market, which also included energy, environmental and climate policies. After returning to Slovenia, he joined the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, where he headed the Environment and Climate Change Division and served as Deputy Director General for the Environment. In addition to his work in Slovenia, during this time he was also involved in international climate negotiations, including as head of the Slovenian delegation for most of the negotiations at the Paris Climate Change Conference in 2015. In 2018, he was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he worked in international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance, including as Head of Sector, until his repeated posting to the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the EU in 2020. During the second Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2021, he chaired the Council of the EU's crisis response mechanism and coordinated the strengthening of resilience to crises, which was a priority of that Presidency. Uroš Vajgl is fluent in Slovenian, English, German, Croatian and Serbian and is also conversant in French, Russian and Swedish.
Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea
Director of Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea
Director of Directorate-General for Environment, European CommissionSince May 2022 he is director in charge of Circular Economy in the European Commission's Directorate General for Environment. Between January 2014 and April 2022 he worked as director in charge of enforcement, cohesion and the European Semester, in the same DG. Before that he was director for Equality in the Directorate-General for Justice since April 2011, in charge of equality and fight against discrimination, after having been director for Fundamental Rights and EU Citizenship within the same DG and in DG Justice, Freedom and Security since June 2009. He joined the European Commission in 2009. He holds an LL.M. from the University of Illinois (US) and a Ph.D. from the University of Bucharest (RO).
Charlina Vitcheva
Director General, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE), European Commission
Charlina Vitcheva
Director General, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE), European CommissionAcademic qualifications:
- 09/1993 – 12/1994: Master of European Integration (EU Politics, Economics and Law) - Limerick University, the Republic of Ireland.
- 09/1981 – 07/1986: Master of International Economic Relations - University of National and World Economy – Bulgaria.
- Since 1 June 2020: Director-General – Directorate-General “Maritime Affairs and Fisheries” (MARE)
- 09/2016 – 05/2020: Deputy Director-General – Joint Research Centre (JRC)
- 01/2014 – 08/2016: Director – Smart and sustainable Growth and Southern Europe – Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO) Policy development and consistency of implementation across 28 MSs of the Smart and Sustainable aspects of Cohesion Policy covering the following Thematic Objectives of the investment support: Research & Innovation, ICT, Competitiveness of SMEs, Low Carbon Economy, Climate Change & Risk prevention, Environment, Energy & Transport and Key Infrastructure. Implementation of the 2007-2013 programmes and negotiations on/implementation of the 2014-2020 programming documents for Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Malta.
- 01/2014 – 10/2014: Acting Director for Inclusive Growth, Urban and Territorial Development and Northern Europe (REGIO) thus, responsible for two directorates and leading the 2014-2020 programming negotiations with 13MSs on 115 of the total of 205 mainstreams programmes; AOSD/Implementation of EU budget of about EUR 21 billion.
- 04/2009 – 12/2013: Director for Inclusive Growth, Urban and Territorial Development and Northern Europe (REGIO) –Policy development and implementation across all the MSs of the territorial approach and the urban dimension of Cohesion Policy; design, development and implementation of the new role of REGIO in coordinating and synergizing the urban initiatives across the Commissions' services and initiating the Urban Agenda for the EU; consistent implementation across all the MSs of the Inclusive growth aspect of the ERDF (education, health, social inclusion).
- Implementation of the 2007-2013 programmes and negotiations on the 2014-2020 programming period for Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Finland, Sweden.
- 08/1999 – 03/2009: Mission/Permanent Representation of Bulgaria to the EU in Brussels
- Minister Plenipotentiary (since 07/2003)
- Head of "Agriculture, Food Safety and Fisheries" Division (since 04/2005)
- Spokesperson of Bulgaria in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) of the Council (since 04/ 2005)
- Counsellor (08/1999 – 06/2003)
- 02/1998 – 03/2009: Director of the European Integration and International Cooperation Directorate – Ministry of Agriculture and Food Supply in Bulgaria. Leading the accession negotiations of Bulgaria at service level and preparation for accession in the areas of agriculture, rural development, food safety and fisheries.
- 10/1994 – 01/1998: Expert in the Policy Advisory unit under PHARE(10/94 – 09/97); Integration Policy department (10/97 – 01/98) – Ministry of Agriculture in Bulgaria.
Łukasz Koliński
Director, Directorate-General for Energy, ENER.A, European Commission
Łukasz Koliński
Director, Directorate-General for Energy, ENER.A, European CommissionŁukasz Koliński is Director for Green Transition and Energy System Integration at the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission. He was previously Head of Unit for Renewables and Energy System Integration Policy, following his tenure as Head of Unit for economic analysis and financial instruments within the same DG. Until 2018, he served as Special Adviser on Energy Union to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council and previously advised his predecessor, Herman Van Rompuy. Between 2005 and 2012, Mr Koliński worked for the European Commission following experience in the private sector. He holds a master's degree in economics from Warsaw School of Economics, and a diploma in European studies.
Tsvetelina Penkova
Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group
Tsvetelina Penkova
Member of the European Parliament, S&D GroupTsvetelina PENKOVA is a Member of the European Parliament from the Group of Socialists and Democrats. She is a Vice-Chair of the Industry, Energy and Research (ITRE), member of Regional Development (REGI), Internal Market (IMCO) and Monetary Affair (ECON) Committees. Tsvetelina Penkova is a vice-chair of the group for support of nuclear energy in the European Parliament. She is the President of the European Energy Forum. She was previously a finance specialist at an investment fund in London, an investment banker at the Royal Bank of Scotland and an analyst at Egon Zehnder. Prior to this, she was a Consultant at ING and a financial analyst at Astra Zeneca. She holds a Masters degree in Financial Economics from Oxford University, double Bachelor’s degree at Bocconi University in Milan and the Central European University in Budapest.
Jan Dusik
Deputy Director- General, Directorate-General for Climate Action, European Commission
Jan Dusik
Deputy Director- General, Directorate-General for Climate Action, European Commission
Mr Jan Dusík has spent his entire career in the environmental and climate policy and law. He worked at the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic for 12 years, including as the Minister of Environment in 2009-2010. In 2011, Mr Dusík became the Deputy Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and was subsequently appointed as UNEP’s Regional Director for Europe, followed by serving as UNEP’s Principal Adviser on Strategic Engagement for the Arctic and Antarctic. In 2020, he joined the WWF Global Arctic Programme, leading the work on Arctic Sustainable Development and Governance. In 2022-2024, he held the position of the Czech Government Envoy for International Climate Negotiations. In September 2024, he was appointed Deputy Director-General in DG Climate Action of the European Commission.
Mr Dusík holds a doctorate in law from Charles University in Prague and a Master of Science degree from the University of Oxford (Environmental Change Institute).
Agenda
Get ready for an inspiring program!
The Circular Gaia Symposium 2026 agenda will be announced soon — featuring three days of keynote speeches, panels, workshops, and discussions on circular economy, sustainability, AI innovations, climate resilience, heritage protection, and more.
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The Circular Gaia Symposium was successfully concluded, marking the culmination of an engaging and impactful gathering dedicated to advancing circularity and sustainability on a global scale.
Participants attending the Circular Gaia Symposium in person (Athens, October 2–3, 2025) will receive an official Certificate of Attendance—available at the registration desk or via email, upon request.
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Join us at the forefront of the circular economy revolution. Together, we can build climate-resilient societies, create thriving circular economies, and inspire the world to achieve effectively climate neutrality.