The transition to renewable energy is our shared responsibility and an opportunity for innovation. It brings challenges of its own—intermittency, geographical limitations, and high upfront costs. Our forum will tackle these challenges head-on, sparking discussions on collaborative solutions and equitable sharing of the burdens and benefits of this critical transition.

Similarly, we delve into the radical potential of the circular economy. Can we fully close the loop, redefining waste as a resource and effectively integrating economic activity within the planet’s boundaries? This is not a utopia, but an aspiration that requires thoughtful debate, shared learning, and collective action.

Amid a growing focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance, it’s crucial we probe its depth. Is it signalling a genuine shift towards corporate responsibility, or is it just another fleeting trend? We challenge corporations to demonstrate a genuine commitment to their ESG obligations, moving beyond rhetoric to concrete actions that deliver sustainable impact.

We’ll also explore the tension between national interests and global sustainability ambitions. As we strive for international cooperation, we grapple with disparities in resources, capabilities, and political will. Here, we will champion a sense of shared responsibility and explore pathways for impactful collective action.

Despite the monumental challenges we face, there’s a prevailing sense of optimism that permeates this conference. Amid the uncertainty and the complexity, we see possibilities. Possibilities for transformation, for resilience, and for a more sustainable future.

Through this conference, we aim not just to confront our challenges, but also to celebrate our collective potential. We embrace the hard questions and the controversial debates, confident that they pave the path to innovation and progress. Together, we’ll navigate the complexities of today to shape the sustainable world of tomorrow.

KOMPETUS, member of Beyond Group, is a future-thinking management consultancy with a core specialization in solution-driven sustainability strategy. Using innovation-powered organizational transformation, the firm aligns businesses with ecological responsibility, social equity, and long-term economic sustainability. Established in Berlin and backed by over a decade of German and international experience, Kompetus emphasizes a comprehensive approach to sustainability that integrates value-based leadership engagement, ensuring that it thrives at the intersection of sustainable development, transformation, and agility.

BEYOND GROUP is a multinational consulting firm serving global partners and clients through Meaningful Consulting across its three hubs in Europe, SWANA, and Central Asia & The Caucasus with presence in Germany, Cyprus, Lebanon, and Georgia. Through its three change-driven practices; Public Policy & Management, Organizational Learning & Development, Innovation & Technology Integration, and its specialized Sustainability & ESG practice, Kompetus, the group delivers multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral services to governments, donors and multilateral agencies, civil society organizations, communities and academic institutions around the world facilitating the design, implementation and transfer of integrated solutions, responding to local needs while capitalizing on global knowledge and partnerships.

OMNIA is a new wave of energy advisors and a German expert-driven technical consultancy company with extensive experience in regulatory matters and political processes relating to energy market reform and energy transition in, around Europe and beyond. OMNIA has profound knowledge of current European policies in the fields of energy, climate and environment, with particular regard to legislation, regulation and best practice and it mainly facilitates the development of the EU’s energy target models in partner countries and institutions. In doing so, OMNIA supports designing, implementing, and navigating the technology, legislative and regulatory landscape for sustainable, competitive, transparent, and efficient energy markets.

Additionally, he co-founded and served as a Board Director at WEnergy, a Singapore based start-up that aims to develop renewable energy solutions in South East Asia. Konrad von Ritter has also contributed to the field of climate finance and cities by developing the V-NAMA concept in collaboration with teams from Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit and Deutsche Institute for Entwicklungspolitik.

He has published a paper on crowdfunding for climate change and has actively supported projects by applying crowdfunding in the renewable energy sector. Furthermore, Konrad is a founding member of Volt Germany (2018) and has contributed significantly to the pan-European political party Volt Europa, including the development of policies, promoting learning programs through Volt Academy, and serving as a member of the European Board (2019-2021). He contributed to policies like policy process, background paper on future work, and artificial intelligence.

Konrad von Ritter's educational background includes degrees in Economics and Political Science from the Freie Universität Berlin, along with a certificate in environmental economics from Harvard University's HIID.

NRGI is an independent, international non-profit organization that provides policy advice, research and works on advocating for better managed resources and energy transition in oil rich countries.

She has several publications, and she is a regular commentator on issues related to oil and gas and energy in Lebanon, the East Med and ME.

Laury Haytayan is the host of the Energy Espresso podcast that deals with everything related to the future of energy and energy transition in Lebanon and currently, she is hosting a monthly webinar on energy transition in MENA ahead of COP28.

Laury Haytayan also teaches a course on the geopolitics of energy in the Eastern Mediterranean.

One of his notable projects is a carbon-capture program that utilizes waste from the city, which has garnered attention from various stakeholders. Svein has also made significant contributions to the field of renewable energy, particularly in small-scale rivers and energy sources throughout Norway.

Moreover, Oslo's climate balance sheet has attracted interest from other European municipalities, further showcasing Svein's impact in the field of sustainability.

With a career spanning decades, he has accumulated considerable experience in facilitating strategy processes, implementing action plans, and conducting financial and strategic analysis. Svein Mygland's expertise has been particularly valuable in mergers and acquisitions, as well as in his role as a board member on over 20 boards in various sectors such as renewable energy, tourism, and seafood.

Her expertise encompasses power market design and operation, energy policies and regulations, power sales, power systems' operation, and open access.

She holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Futures from Imperial College London and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Universidad de Chile.