Resilience in Crisis: Accelerating Action for a Just Future
25. June 9:00 - 10:30
The last edition of the European Urban Resilience Forum concluded with a critical discussion on the interconnected climate, economic, and political crises currently facing Europe. The urgency for resilience stakeholders to accelerate transformational change across all sectors of society was a key takeaway. At the same time, ensuring a just and inclusive approach in the face of evolving political and social challenges emerged as a central concern.
EURESFO25 will pick up where these discussions left off, raising ambitions with an agenda designed to challenge conventional approaches and explore ways to fast-track resilience action. The opening plenary will set the stage for bold expectations and forward-thinking dialogue.
The session will welcome participants to a host city that has embodied resilience for centuries. It will outline the event’s ambitions, anchoring discussions in the lived realities of local authorities. Through a conversation format, the panel will address pressing challenges - including extreme weather events, conflict scenarios, the housing crisis, and economic instability - all deeply interconnected elements of a broader resilience challenge that cities cannot tackle alone.
A multilevel cooperation approach is essential for building a safer, more resilient, and just Europe. These key issues will remain at the heart of the conference discussions.
Speakers
Head of Unit Climate Risk and Resilience, European Environment Agency
Blaz Kurnik, Head of Unit Climate Risk and Resilience, European Environment Agency
Blaž Kurnik (1978) has worked at the European Environment Agency (EEA) since 2010 in various positions. He has been a coordinator of and contributor to various EEA reports on climate change impacts and adaptation, notably on climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and climate change impacts in Europe. Blaž is currently head of climate risk and resilience. He leads a team of around 20 experts working on various climate change adaptation topics.
Prior joining the EEA, Blaž worked at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and at the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO).
Blaž holds a PhD degree in climatology.
Associate Programme Management Officer, UNDRR
Yigyeong Oh, Associate Programme Management Officer, UNDRR
Yigyeong Oh is the regional focal point for the Making Cities Resilient 2030 Initiative at UNDRR ROECA, based in Brussels, Belgium. Since joining UNDRR in 2023, she has monitored UNDRR’s engagement with UN Country Teams in the region, coordinated collaboration within the Issue-based Coalition on Environment and Climate Change, and supported office communication efforts. She also contributes to the production of reports and knowledge products related to disaster risk reduction and urban resilience.
Regional Director Europe & Managing Director, ICLEI Europe
Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director Europe & Managing Director, ICLEI Europe
Wolfgang Teubner is the ICLEI regional director for Europe and also the managing director (CEO) of the ICLEI European Secretariat. He has more than 20 years professional experience working with local governments on sustainable urban development, climate adaptation and mitigation, Local Agenda 21, waste management, as well as sustainable urban transport policies. During his career he has been involved in more than 100 European an international projects.
Deputy Mayor, Poltava City Council
Tetiana Bardina, Deputy Mayor, Poltava City Council
Tetiana Bardina is the Deputy Mayor of Poltava (Poltava City Council), a city of 300,000 residents in central Ukraine. She is responsible for territorial development, rural districts (starostynski okruhy), and veteran affairs. A PhD in Economics and Associate Professor, she is the author of over 30 academic publications and taught for more than 10 years at Poltava State Agrarian University (PSAU). She has initiated numerous community development projects, including the creation of the Poltava Veteran Center. Dr. Bardina actively cooperates with international partners such as USAID, UNDP, and Power Up Ukraine, with a strong focus on post-war recovery, local resilience, and inclusive policy development.
Deputy Mayor, City of Rotterdam
Chantal Zeegers, Deputy Mayor, City of Rotterdam
Since June 2022, Chantal Zeegers has been working as Vice Mayor in the Municipality of Rotterdam. She is responsible for the Climate, Building and Housing portfolios. She is also a member of ICLEI’s European Regional Executive Committee.
Zeegers believes that urgent action is needed to make the transition to a more sustainable, resilient and socially just society. To meet the challenges brought by climate change, she believes that international cooperation and legislation are required to make the necessary next steps.
DG CLIMA, European Commission
IRene Bonvissuto, DG CLIMA, European Commission
Moderators
Head of Resilience and Climate Adaptation, ICLEI Europe
Vasileios Latinos, Head of Resilience and Climate Adaptation, ICLEI Europe
Vasileios Latinos, is Head of Resilience and Climate Adaptation at ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, European Secretariat. Vasileios is a climate resilience expert and project coordinator, with 14 years experience, working with local and regional governments throughout Europe. He is responsible for the management and coordination of projects and services in the topical areas of climate change adaptation, urban resilience and disaster risk reduction and leading the programmatic development of ICLEI in this field.
Master of Ceremony
TV News Presenter, Event Moderator and Media Trainer
NaOmi LIoyd, TV News Presenter, Event Moderator and Media Trainer
Naomi Lloyd is a TV News Presenter, Event Moderator and Media Trainer who specialises in training climate experts to speak with impact at conferences and successfully handle media interviews.
As a TV journalist, she most recently presented and produced Euronews ‘Real Economy’ programme, made in partnership with the European Commission where she interviewed key decision makers including heads of state, Finance Ministers and EU Commissioners.
Previously, she was a producer for BBC World TV and a newsreader for BBC Radio, a news anchor for France 24, and a reporter for Reuters TV and European Parliament TV.
Naomi moderates high-level panels and conferences, most recently as Master of Ceremony for the presentation of the European Ocean Pact by European leaders at the UN Ocean Conference.
Naomi works with EU and international organisations taking action to confront the climate crisis, to help them raise awareness of their work and influence the global agenda by training their senior leaders and experts to get clear on their message, feel confident in front of the camera and successfully handle media interviews, panel discussions and speaking opportunities.