The transition to clean energy and sustainability is among the key elements for building our better future. But the success of this process depends not only on governments and local authorities, but also on bright minds in science and on bold entrepreneurs, who are ready to invent, invest and collaborate in the fields of renewables, energy efficiency and sustainability at large.
This year, Webit.Festival Europe will gather under one roof some of the most innovative founders, scientists and startups. The event will be held on 25-26 April in Sofia Tech Park under the patronage of the President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, the Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova and the European Commission.
During the Smart Cities Summit mayors, municipality administrations and representatives of government institutions from around Europe will discuss all of the crucial factors that are facing urban administrators in today’s digital world.
The Smart Energy track of the conference will focus on the transformation of our local energy systems and dealing with problems, such as pollution and improving the quality of life.
The Vice-President of the European Commission, in charge of Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič will speak about the series of EU initiatives for combating climate change and moving towards a low emission and resilient society.
Europe is in the lead of global initiatives like Mission Innovation, which commits major economies to doubling public investments in clean energy innovation. The EU is also supporting the world alliance for efficient solutions to bring 1000 solutions to citizens and businesses by COP24.
The commissioner is sure that there is much more we can do to digitize, energize and mobilize our cities and make them more livable, enjoyable and sustainable. The best part is that this transition is not about charity, but profitability. Because it serves investors just as much as it serves people and environment.
Alliander’s Strategists for Energy Transition Manon Jutte will share her thoughts on what the city administrations must do to be able to meet the sustainable energy demands of tomorrow. She will also talk about The ZonCoalitie (Solar Coalition), who offers a standard process to speed up the formation of multi-stakeholder coalitions to realize solar energy projects in Amsterdam.
Right now the Dutch capital aims at having a solar panel installed for every citizen. However, not every roof is suitable for solar energy panels. Not all house owners do have the money or time to install solar panels. Others do have the money available but their house roof is not suitable for solar panels. This requires cooperation amongst house owners, the local government and solar panels installment agencies.
The Deputy Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Malcolm Johnson will speak about the role of the specialized United Nations agency. ITU has been at the forefront of standardization within the smart city domain. International standards and key performance indicators developed by ITU not only propel the momentum of the smart city movement but also help provide a feasible development path for aspiring smart cities.
Together with United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), ITU has created the United for Smart Sustainable Cities initiative (U4SSC), a global platform for smart city discussions, to facilitate the refinement of the existing standards, among other things. The U4SSC enjoys the support of 16 United Nations agencies and programmes all of which have committed to advancing on the smart city trajectory and supporting sustainable urbanization.
Here you can see a full list of the confirmed speakers at Webit.Festival, while here you can get all the information you need about the tickets for the event.