EU Framework to Local Delivery: Governing Resilience Across Levels
18. June 9:00 - 10:00
Plenary Area
Europe does not lack resilience strategies. What it often lacks is delivery. Flood risk maps exist, heat plans exist, and nature-based solutions have been tested for years, yet they still struggle to become standard practice in planning, permitting, budgeting and investment. This opening plenary tackles that implementation gap.
Co-organised with the European Commission, the session connects EURESFO’s governance stream with the EU’s way forward on resilience, including the forthcoming EU Climate Resilience and Risk Management Integrated Framework and the EU Mission on Adaptation. It starts with opening remarks from Sophie Berger (European Commission) on what the Mission is trying to change and what success would look like in the coming years.
Building on this diagnosis, a panel of city, regional, national and EU actors explores what genuinely accelerates implementation: governance and planning approaches that break silos, mandates and capabilities that make action routine, and partnerships that move solutions beyond pilots.
Panellists include Sophie Berger, Luísa Salgueiro (Mayor of Matosinhos), Harriët Tiemens (Arnhem-Nijmegen), Konstantina Karydi (Resilient Cities Catalyst / Climate Change Hub Greece), Thomas Koetz (Climate-KIC, Pathways2Resilience) and Elżbieta Janiszewska (Polish Ministry of Environment).
Speakers
Policy Officer - Adaptation Mission Secretariat, European Commission
Dr. Sophie Berger, Policy Officer - Adaptation Mission Secretariat, European Commission
Sophie Berger is a Policy Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. She is part of the Secretariat of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, a joint initiative of DG Climate Action and DG Research & Innovation that supports regions and local authorities in accelerating climate resilience and adaptation efforts across Europe.
Sophie holds a PhD in climate science and previously worked with Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), contributing to scientific assessments of climate change. Her work focuses on bridging climate science, policy and implementation to support effective adaptation action at regional and local levels.
Senior Advisor Climate Resilient Regions, Climate KIC
Thomas Koetz, Senior Advisor Climate Resilient Regions, Climate KIC
Thomas Koetz is an expert in sustainability transitions, climate resilience, biodiversity, and science-policy interfaces, with two decades of experience across the European Commission, the UN system, and leading innovation organisations. He is Senior Advisor for Climate Resilient Regions at Climate-KIC, where he coordinates the €30 million Horizon Europe project Pathways2Resilience, helping 100 regions design adaptation pathways and investment plans. Previously, Thomas played a central role in shaping and implementing the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change at DG Research & Innovation, and earlier served in DG Environment on international biodiversity policy. Before returning to the Commission, he led the first IPBES work programme at UN Environment, overseeing landmark global assessments. Thomas holds a PhD in science-policy interfaces, a Master’s in ecological economics, and a Master’s in landscape ecology, complemented by extensive fieldwork in Latin America and Asia.
Director, Green Metropolitan Region Arnhem–Nijmegen
Harriët Tiemens, Director, Green Metropolitan Region Arnhem–Nijmegen
Currently at the head of the Dutch city region and ICLEI member Groene Metropoolregio Arnhem-Nijmegen, Harriët Tiemens puts her extensive experience in the fields of climate adaptation, circularity and biodiversity to use, to develop the region as a prime national and international example in sustainable and green urban development.
In the past years Harriët Tiemens has built an excellent European track record. For example, by heading the campaign for the City of Nijmegen to become European Green Capital 2018 but also by being a recognized contributor to European and international conferences like COP, EURESFO, POLIS, Velo-city, the Austrian World Summit, GlobeEU, Ecoprocura and meetings with the European Parliament and European Commission, both through her current position with the ICLEI RexCom and other national and international networks.
Tiemens studied Environmental Science at Saxion University of Applied Sciences and Public Administration at Leiden University. She was Deputy Mayor for the City of Nijmegen from 2014 to 2021. During that time, she chaired the physical pillar of the G40 network of Dutch cities and was chair of the VNG (Association of Dutch Municipalities) committee for housing, mobility and spatial development.
Master of Ceremony
Owner, Natasha Walker Associates
Natasha Walker, Owner, Natasha Walker Associates
Natasha is an expert on communication, focussing since 1995 on designing and facilitating complex dialogue processes. She enables effective strategy implementation, sustainable change and smart organisational development all over the world (and online!). She designs and facilitates long-term change and large-scale participation processes and is also a leading moderator of exclusive high-level discussions and workshops with and for corporate boards and governments. Natasha advises decision makers and scientific institutions on civic and stakeholder engagement across the globe.
She studied English Literature and Modern Languages (German) at Oxford University and at the University of Göttingen. She lives in Heidelberg with her family and dog.