Open letter: Lead or lose, a call to secure Europe’s future through sustainability

Elena Morettini is the Global Head of sustainable business of Globant, a native digital multinational company, and Co-Founder of BecauseEnergyMatters. She has previously held key managerial positions in renowned international companies such as Shell, Repsol YPF, Badley Ashton, and Fugro GeoConsulting. Elena founded the first Diversity and Inclusion Committee for Oil and Gas in the Latin America region.

Nicola Armaroli is Research Director at the Italian National Research Council and Member of the Italian National Academy of Sciences. He studies the conversion of light into electricity and fuels and the transition of the global energy system. Nicola has travelled as a visiting lecturer worldwide and published hundreds of scientific articles.

Quentin Bordet is the Chief Solutions Officer at illuminem, where he leads strategic growth initiatives. Previously, Quentin spent a decade at BCG, leading climate-related strategic advisory projects and founding the GoGreen initiative, aimed at accelerating the firm's internal sustainability efforts. He also managed high-profile programs such as OP2B, fostering systemic change in agriculture to protect biodiversity, and co-founded Les Collectifs, an organization dedicated to driving environmental and social impact. His expertise spans sustainability strategy, cultural transformation, and business development, with extensive experience leading large-scale projects across various industries.

Monica Sanders is the founder of The Undivide Project, an organization addressing climate resilience and digital justice in underserved communities. She is the inaugural Social Innovator in Residence at Grinnell College and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University. Monica has served as Senior Committee Counsel for the House and Senate Committees on Homeland Security and as Senior Legal Advisor at the American Red Cross. She won an Emmy for coverage of the 9/11 tragedy at CNN and earned the Tropaia Outstanding Teaching Award at Georgetown University.

Alexis Normand is CEO and Co-Founder of Greenly. A graduate of HEC and Sciences-Po, Alexis began his career in public policy consulting before spending six years at Withings, where he led operations in Boston and established the company’s health department. After Withings was acquired by Nokia, he joined the startup Embleema through Techstars, refining his entrepreneurial skills. Returning to France, Alexis channeled his experience into addressing the climate crisis at a critical moment.

Angelo Bonelli is the Spokesperson of Green Europe since July 2021 and a Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, representing Imola since October 2022. He previously served in the Chamber from 2006 to 2008 for Lazio 1. Bonelli has held significant roles such as President of the Green Party and Regional Assessor for Environment in Lazio. He was a Regional Councillor in Lazio and a candidate for Mayor of Taranto in 2012. Bonelli has been active in Italian politics since 1990.

Marisa Drew is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered Bank, where she leads the bank’s sustainability strategy across both internal operations and client-facing activities. Prior to this, she served as CSO and CEO of the Impact Advisory and Finance Group at Credit Suisse, which she founded in 2017. With over three decades of experience in investment banking, Marisa brings deep capital markets expertise to advancing the global sustainability transition.

Adrian Wons is the founder and CEO of Senken, a Berlin-based platform dedicated to carbon markets and corporate climate action. With a background in data science, remote sensing, and machine learning, rooted in a PhD in Cosmology, he transitioned into sustainability to help companies invest in high-quality carbon credits with full transparency, minimizing greenwashing. 

Adrien de Malherbe is the Co‑Founder and CEO of allcolibri, a Paris & Barcelona‑based SaaS platform that enables brands to embed measurable positive impact directly into their customer journeys. A graduate of INSEAD, Adrien combines expertise in marketing, loyalty programs, and tech‑for‑good to help companies boost customer engagement by offering purpose-driven rewards.

Afonso Firmo is a Portugal-born, Uruguay-raised environmental engineer and Co-CEO of NetNada, an award-winning carbon accounting platform helping organizations meet AASB and CSRD disclosure standards. He also leads Pharmacycle, Australia’s only national blister pack recycling program with 1,000+ drop-off points. Afonso is an innovation academic at UNSW, a recipient of Australia’s Global Talent visa, and founder of Climate Crew, a 1,000+ member grassroots climate community.

Anne Currie is a senior engineering leader, author, and sustainability advocate in tech. She has worked across mission-critical systems, ecommerce, psychology, and training, and is known for connecting green software principles with operational excellence, resilience, and modern digital practices. Anne is the author of Building Green Software (O’Reilly, 2024) and The Cloud Native Attitude (2025), where she argues that going green isn’t just ethical, it’s efficient, scalable, and essential to resilient systems. A frequent speaker and community organizer, she champions the idea that sustainable systems succeed when they deliver "double wins" for both the planet and performance.

Benjamin Rombaut is the co‑founder and CEO of Sand to Green, a regenerative-agriculture startup transforming arid lands in Morocco into productive, biodiversity-rich farms using agroforestry, desalination, and carbon finance. Under his leadership, Sand to Green secured $1 million in seed funding through Catalyst Fund and the EBRD Star Venture programme, achieved notable milestones — cultivating a 20 ha pilot, advancing a 30 ha development, generating local jobs, and pioneering scalable tech-driven monitoring platforms. Recognised as one of Africa’s top early-stage tech startups in 2024, the team showcased their model at COP16 Riyadh and ChangeNOW 2025.

Armando Mattei is the Co-Founder and CEO of PlanBee, a platform dedicated to civic crowdfunding in Italy. His work focuses on promoting sustainability and collaboration between citizens, companies, and public institutions to improve the country’s environmental and social landscape. He previously worked in the Regulatory department at ACEA S.p.A. and holds academic qualifications in political science, economics, and management, having studied at La Sapienza University, LUISS Business School, and the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Archana Pai is the Founder and Managing Director of CostMos, where she integrates financial insight with environmental sustainability, offering carbon footprint audits, carbon credit strategy, and sustainable investment guidance tailored to modern, conscious businesses.

Charles Lechoux is the Founder and CEO of Carbonds, a France-based startup using blockchain and AI to improve transparency in carbon markets. Charles has led Carbonds in securing millions in carbon credits and developing tools to combat double-counting and greenwashing. Charles is also a recognised expert in carbon credit tokenization and a regular speaker at climate-tech events.

Fred Fournier is the CEO and Co-Founder of Open Forest Protocol (OFP), a global platform for transparently measuring, verifying, and funding forestation projects. With over 20 years of experience in environmental engineering, geology, and hydrogeology, he brings deep expertise to the carbon compensation and reforestation space. Fred also serves on the board of the Swiss Green Fintech Network and co-founded ON A MISSION, a non-profit supporting local reforestation. His work combines technology and climate action to scale trusted nature-based solutions worldwide.

Gabriele Rorandelli is the Founder and CEO of Zerow, a B2B marketplace transforming fashion industry waste into opportunity by connecting producers and brands to repurpose excess materials. Driven by a passion for sustainability, circularity, and zero waste, Gabriele is on a mission to make the fashion sector both more sustainable and more competitive.

Giovanni Facchinetti is the Founder and Managing Partner of Positive Organizations, a Swiss consultancy helping businesses align ESG goals with measurable results. With global experience building brands across five continents, he now advises organisations on impactful sustainability strategies. Giovanni holds credentials from the University of St. Gallen, IMD, and Harvard, and is a certified B Leader guiding companies through B Corp certification and ESG integration.

Benjamin Schulz is the Founder of Altitude - Sustainable Aviation. He formerly co-founded Carbon Removal Partners, a Zurich-based VC with a pure focus on the growing Carbon Removal industry. Carbon Removal Partners invests into technologies to withdraw carbon from the atmosphere in a permanent manner, as well as into companies along the Carbon Removal value chain. He's also a board member at CRIA (Carbon Removal India Association).

Magnus Drewelies is an entrepreneur & expert in carbon markets and digital platform businesses. He is the founder & CEO of CEEZER, a company driving scientifically verified carbon impact through technology. Magnus previously served as Chief Strategy Officer at PARK NOW, a joint venture of BMW Group and Daimler, and as a project leader at BCG. He has been recognized for his work in scaling digital solutions and advancing the voluntary carbon market.

Robert Serec is the CEO of White Hydrogen, a company converting waste into clean energy and promoting the mainstream adoption of clean technology solutions. As a strategic consultant with a track record of driving organizational transformation and profitability, Robert combines his expertise in leadership and international business and fluency in six languages to guide organizations toward sustainable growth across multiple industries, including gaming, education, and manufacturing.

Maksim Karpukhin is an entrepreneur & global leader in AgriTech and digital transformation. He is the founder & CEO of CropRoads and a founder at Carbon13. Previously, he served as CEO at Aprotech, where he navigated crisis management during geopolitical disruptions and secured over $30M in business continuity. Maksim has been recognized for his work in precision farming, digital traceability, and sustainable supply chains, with partnerships including Siemens and AGRIVI.

Neirin Jones is the Co-Founder and CEO of GreenForest Solutions GmbH and Consulting Project Manager at BlackForest Solutions GmbH. He specialises in corporate responsibility, impact entrepreneurship, and circular and regenerative economy strategies. Neirin's work spans Asia, Africa, and Europe, supporting the global shift toward a more sustainable and equitable future and helping to redesign business models that cycle resources and restore ecosystems across 20+ countries.

Natalia Dorfman is the Co‑Founder and CEO of Kita, a carbon insurance specialist helping to mitigate risks in carbon removal and credit transactions. Prior to Kita, she held senior business development roles at Clyde & Co and participated in Carbon13’s venture-building program. Natalia is a leading voice in de-risking sustainable finance, recognised as NatWest & The Telegraph’s “Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch” (2022) and Fin‑Erth’s “Leading Women in Climate” (2024).

Sylvain Franc de Ferrière is Co-Founder of HERO and Co-Chief Investment Officer at Yunus Social Business, where he contributes to global investment strategies and oversees operations across several regions. His professional path spans consulting and executive roles in both Europe and Latin America, including time with the Boston Consulting Group in Paris and with Endeavor in Argentina, where he later led one of its affiliated companies.

Silvio de Girolamo is Group Chief Internal Audit & CSR Officer at Avolta. He guides sustainability and governance strategies, helping organizations turn sustainable intentions into daily practice through an operational approach. Over his career, he has contributed to shaping corporate responsibility in complex international environments, including roles at ENI and 3M. He is a regular speaker at international conferences, co-author of books on governance and sustainability, and teaches these subjects in leading Italian universities.

Rodrigo García González is the Co-CEO and Co-founder of Notpla. He is a designer, architect and inventor working to reinvent packaging through biodegradable materials and circular design. He co-leads Notpla, the sustainability venture awarded the Earthshot Prize and the Grand Prix for Design at Cannes Lions, known for innovations in seaweed-based alternatives to plastic.

Thomas Christian Melskens is the Founder of Yellow3, a pioneering platform delivering scalable Digital Product Passport (DPP) infrastructure to help companies prepare for upcoming EU transparency regulations. 

Gustave Loriot-Boserup is an entrepreneur & expert in sustainable finance and responsible investing. He is the founder of Compass Insights, a company turning sustainability data into actionable insights. Previously, Gustave served as Responsible Investment Manager at London LGPS CIV, where he managed sustainable investments for London’s pension funds. He has also worked with Trucost and Finance for a Sustainable Future, focusing on integrating ESG risks and improving sustainability skills across the financial sector.

Jeronimo Souza is an entrepreneur & expert in ESG data integration and reporting. He is the co-founder and CPO of The Sofa Activist, a platform focused on driving sustainability through data and reporting frameworks. Previously, Jeronimo worked as a Director at now-on, developing sustainability frameworks for clients, and as Director of Administration and Compliance at Permian Global. He has a solid background in asset management and operational risk, having held senior roles at Nomura, Cantor Fitzgerald, and Kleinwort Benson.

Joseph Hargreaves is an entrepreneur & expert in carbon markets and sustainable consultancy. He is the co-founder of Thallo.io, a platform focused on the future of voluntary carbon markets. Previously, Joseph founded Hapro, a property company scaled to 32 units before exiting via asset acquisition. He has a background in energy and environmental consultancy, having worked with Carbonbit and Inteb, where he led projects focused on carbon reduction and environmental policy.

Dr. Ramana Gudipudi is a guest lecturer at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin, Germany. He is a thought leader with many years of experience in climate change research, policy advisory, strategic corporate climate action and ESG risk mitigation. He has trained several c-suite executives and government executives in translating complex climate science into actionable strategies.

Raphaele Leyendecker Fabbri is an impact entrepreneur and investor currently serving as the Managing Director at Techstars Sustainability Paris. She is actively involved in discussions and initiatives related to energy, startups, climate tech, sustainability, and impact investing. Raphaele has a strong background in building ambitious new businesses within the Paris ecosystem and believes in shaping a future where sustainability and profitability go hand in hand. With her expertise and experience, she works closely with entrepreneurs to drive positive change and create a thriving sustainable ecosystem. She also contributes her expertise to the development of illuminem’s Data Hub™, helping shape its insights on sustainability.

Felix Bartlett is the CEO of Biothread, a pioneering company bridging regenerative agriculture and sustainable fashion. With a background in fashion management and sustainability, including an MBA from the London College of Fashion and a First-Class Degree from St Andrews University, he combines creative leadership with deep industry insight.

Miniya Chatterji is the CEO of Sustain Labs Paris, a global venture builder advancing sustainability across India, the UAE, and New Zealand. Formerly Chief Sustainability Officer at Jindal Steel & Power, she brings leadership experience from the World Economic Forum, Goldman Sachs, and HSBC. She is the founder of the Stargazers Foundation, a fellow at Harvard and Columbia, and author of Indian Instincts (Penguin, 2018). A frequent speaker at forums including Davos, the UN, and COP, Miniya works at the intersection of sustainability, policy, and enterprise transformation.

Peter BenHur Nyeko is the Co-Founder and Director of Mandulis Energy. He leads Mandulis' development of Africa’s largest grid-tied biomass gasification power plant, as well as the off-grid REPARLE and BEPeARL projects, which won the DFCD Scalable Climate Solutions Challenge at COP26 and is listed in ESI Africa’s top African Power & Energy projects 2022.

Marcel Huber is the Co‑Founder and CEO of SYNCRAFT, an Austrian GreenTech company pioneering Reversepowerplants, patented floating fixed-bed biomass gasifiers that convert forest residues into renewable electricity, heat, green gas, and long-term “green carbon.” Since developing the technology in 2009 at Management Center Innsbruck, he’s grown the company to over 60 employees and more than 40 operational plants.

Julia Jadin is the co-founder of AJ, a company dedicated to empowering businesses to thrive sustainably. She is also a PhD researcher focusing on sustainable business practices. Julia holds a Master's in Economic Analysis and European Policy from Solvay Brussels School of Economics and has experience working in development economics. Passionate about fostering sustainability in the business world, Julia leverages her academic and entrepreneurial expertise to drive impactful change.

Benoit Lambert is the founder and president of Cbiochar, focused on developing the biochar industry as a key nature-based climate solution. He is also the author of Biogeotherapy: Nature-based Climate Solutions, a book on regenerative agriculture and carbon finance. Benoit has served on various advisory boards, including Sols Vivants Québec and Soil4Climate. He has extensive experience in regenerative practices and climate solutions, with a hands-on background in tree planting and soil health.

Guido Giardini is the co-founder and CEO of Spector Padel House, Italy's first network of Padel clubs. He leads the company's strategic vision, focusing on expansion and growth in the fast-evolving sports industry. Previously, Guido worked at BCG, where he contributed to key development projects. He is also a professor of Sport Entrepreneurship at the Rome City Institute. With a background in business strategy, Guido is passionate about innovation and building impactful ventures in the sports sector.

Jeremias Finster is the co-founder and Chief Ecosystems Officer at atacama, where he focuses on systems thinking and cluster management. He is also the founder of Green Clusters in Bioregions, a platform dedicated to transitioning regions into sustainable, green clusters. Jeremias has a background in strategy consulting, having worked with HINICIO on the hydrogen future and EU policy. He is passionate about driving regenerative and circular economies, especially in the context of innovative regional solutions.

Ludolf von Schöning is the Founder & Chair of Paloneo, a pan-European community empowering the next generation of leaders. He is also a Europe Partner at Republic Ventures, focusing on seed investments in fintech, Web3, and AI. Previously, Ludolf was an Investment Principal at Laser Digital, part of Nomura, where he specialized in blockchain technology and digital assets. He co-created the Revision Summit and has a background in DJing, performing at events across multiple countries.

Andrea Attilio Riva is the Senior Finance & Administration Director for Italy and Greece at IQVIA, a global leader in health information technology and clinical research. He has extensive experience in finance, specializing in cash flow management, internal audits, mergers & acquisitions, and financial accounting. Andrea holds a degree in Economics from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and has a strong track record of leading financial operations across multiple countries, including overseeing acquisitions and managing large-scale teams.

Marco Ceruti is a Partner at Ceruti Studio, specializing in CSR and environmental sustainability. He is also a Founder and CEO of Re-Solution Hub, a consultancy helping SMEs integrate social responsibility and sustainability into their business strategies. Marco has over 30 years of experience in business strategy, financial planning, and management consulting.

Maria Laura Parisi is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Università degli Studi di Brescia, specializing in quantitative analysis and economic policy. She has a PhD in Economics from Boston College and has taught at various prestigious institutions, including the Universidad de Salamanca. Maria Laura's research focuses on economic development, gender issues, and social deprivation, and she has published work in top journals like the Journal of Population Economics. She is passionate about interdisciplinary approaches to economics, ethics, and policy.

Bjørn Rask Thomsen is the Director of Europe at Earth Innovation Institute, focusing on systemic change and nature conservation to end deforestation across the Amazon. He has extensive experience in food systems, food industry, and commodity markets, specializing in sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation. Bjørn has held leadership roles, including Chairman of the Board at multiple companies and CEO at Denofa AS, where he led sustainable business transformation. He is also an expert in business development and competitive strategies.