The economic crisis offers new opportunities for business and governments alike to push for untapped natural resources (ore mining, shale gas, sea oil reserves etc.) as a way out of trouble, in spite of local citizens’ concerns about the dangerous environmental impact of such actions. The ensuing dispute is generally portrayed as a battle between realists and idealists. The session aims to discuss to what degree this image is correct, whether a balance can be struck between economic recovery and sustainable development, and where the red lines should be drawn.

Speakers:

Bogdan Olteanu, Deputy-Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Honorary Ambassador of the World Wide Fund for Nature (RO)

Bogdan Olteanu has acted as Deputy Governor for the National Bank since 2009, holds a Ph.D in law and a vast political experience as a former Minister and Speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies. Also Chairman of the Court of International Commercial Arbitration, attached to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania, Bogdan Olteanu has also been a supporter of green causes with WWF since 2012.

Steffen Stierle, Member of the Steering Committee of ATTAC Germany - STOP TTIP (DE)

Steffen Stierle is an economist and works as research assistant for the left parliamentarian group in the German parliament (Deutscher Bundestag). He is involved in the Anti-TTIP-campaign of Attac Germany and member of the steering committee of the cititzens’ initiative “Stop TTIP”.

H.E. Astrid Emilie Helle, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Council of Europe

National approaches to problems facing European society discussed in the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, and the Europe-wide responses to such challenges formulated under the auspices of this collective forum, are ensured by the constant touch of the member states with the organization. Since 2013, Ms. Emilie Astrid Helle is theI utenrikstjenesten fra 1992. Underdirektør i Utenriksdepartementet 2001-03. Permanent Representative of Norway to the Council of Europe.

Lavinia Andrei, President TERRA Mileniul III (RO)        

Lavinia Andrei is the President of the Foundation TERRA Mileniul III, a NGO focusing mainly on climate change issues. She has a extensive experience in project management and expertise on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate change issues. One of the projects initiated and managed by Lavinia was “Green Light for Green Public Procurement”, that contributed to awareness raising on these issues in Romania.  Between 2007 and 2010, Lavinia was nominated by the Romanian Government as NGOs’ representative for the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels, where she contributed to the European policy in the field of energy, environment and climate change. 

Otilia Nuțu, Policy analyst - energy and infrastructure with Expert Forum (RO)

Ana Otilia Nuțu is a policy analyst focused on energy and infrastructure. She has worked as a consultant for the World Bank and as a civil society advocate for policy and regulatory reform in Romania. Otilia Nuțu cofounded a think tank where she is engaged in a project monitoring the Romanian energy regulator, and often appears in the media with analysis of the energy sector. She holds an MA in Public Policy at the Central European University.

Peter Medved,  Director of the Ekopolis Foundation (SK) 

Peter Medved leads the Ekopolis Foundation, currently one of the most important funding sources for the NGOs and other civil society actors in Slovakia. Since its establishment in early 90’s, the foundation has supported close to 3,000 projects focused on sustainable development and strengthening democracy. Support is directed to a broad range of actions - from small local community projects to strategic national initiatives. Along with grant making, Ekopolis provides professional technical assistance to its constituencies and operates its own projects in the areas of urban planning, sustainable mobility and soft tourism. 

Moderator:

Toni Vidan, Friends of the Earth Croatia (HR)

Toni Vidan is a founding member of Zelena Akcija (ZA) - 1990, Executive Board Member (1991 - ongoing), and served as President of ZA (1996-2001). His main recent project is coordination of the “Solar Academy”, an educational centre on sustainable energy, developed in devastated former military barracks on Island Šolta near Split. In 2013 he was elected as  member of European Economic and Social Committee.