EU Green Deal: what’s in it for our businesses ?

Mr. Vandenberghe has been appointed in January 2023 head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), the administration charged with leading international climate negotiations for the EU and managing the EU’s Green Deal. Vandenberghe has spent 27 years in the Commission including European Green Deal and Health Advisor in the Cabinet of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; Director for Climate Action and Resource Efficiency at DG Research and Innovation; and Head of Cabinet for European Commissioners in charge of environment and research & innovation.

Bart is the CEO of Agoria, bringing with him extensive experience in the technology and business sectors. With a background in commercial engineering and an MBA, Bart spent significant time at IBM and Unisys, holding key leadership roles. Since 2016, he has directed Agoria's initiatives in the digital and manufacturing industries, shaping strategies and advocating for innovation. Bart's leadership extends beyond corporate realms; he has also served as a business angel, supporting emerging ventures. With his visionary approach and commitment to excellence, Bart continues to drive growth and foster entrepreneurship in the technology landscape.

Julia joined IEEP’s Land Use and Climate team in 2022. Her work focuses on the integration of climate change mitigation policy instruments in the EU’s land use policy framework. She is a specialist on EU biofuel and bioeconomy policies and has published several peer-reviewed journal articles. Prior to joining IEEP, Julia was a researcher at the University of Toronto focusing on international and domestic (Canada) biofuels and bioenergy policies. She was previously a researcher and project manager for BiofuelNet Canada. She is finalising her PhD (expected for autumn 2022) in public policy at the University of Toronto (Canada), specialising in renewable energy transition policies, and has earned an M.A. in European Studies at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and an M.Sc. in Social Policy Analysis at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL, Belgium).