Creating opportunities for climate change adaptation and mitigation in South East Europe
MCI Mission
Our mission is to enable and assist climate adaptation and mitigation initiatives locally to contribute to climate goals globally.
MCI was established to contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation efforts at the local, national, and regional level. We believe that these efforts should aspire to the highest standards of innovation, science, and technology. We also believe that the battle for a healthier and more sustainable environment should be a joint effort between public and private entities and should contribute to economic prosperity an growth. Climate policy that is an indispensable part of our present and future can and should create opportunities, climate adaptation and mitigation can and should go hand in hand with economic growth.
The Mission Climate Pact
The Mission Climate Pact
The Mission Climate Pact is a regional initiative by the Mission Climate Initiative in support of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in Southeast Europe. The Pact aims to bring together in a joint commitment public or private entities willing to contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in the region of Southeast Europe through the development and integration of best practices, research results, and technologies for a healthy and clean environment and by stimulating investments from public and private sources in adaptation and mitigation efforts so as to create economic growth and prosperity.
How to become Part of the Mission Climate Pact?
Public (municipalities, ministries, government agencies, state-owned enterprises and others) and private entities (research institutions, universities, businesses, NGOs) can become Mission Climate Pact Partners by Signing the Mission Climate Pact and sending it to the Mission Climate Initiative Team at [email protected]
Why join the Mission Climate Pact?
By singing the Mission Climate Pact you commit to the goals, principles, and values stipulated in the document and become a Partner to the Pact. Through your status of Partner to the Mission Climate Pact you will become part of a community of practice on climate change adaptation and mitigation, and have the opportunity to network and exchange experience and best practices with other Pact Partners both from the private and public spheres from the region of Southeast Europe, as well as learn from the expert knowledge of the Mission Climate Initiative team and their work to bring best practices, expertise, and technologies from other EU regions and globally to Southeast Europe.
The Mission Climate Pact strives to bring the knowledge and opportunities generated and enabled at the EU level to the regions and local communities in Southeast Europe in an accessible way so they can be used, replicated, and upgraded both by public and private entities. The ultimate goal is to ensure climate change adaptation and mitigation offers opportunities for citizens, public entities, and the business to build a healthy environment and contribute to economic growth.
For more details on the status of Mission Climate Pact Partners and the benefits and commitments related to being part of the Pact please see the text of the Mission Climate Pact.
Team
Sofiya Petkova
Chair of the Management Board
Sofiya is an EU policies and international relations professional with an extensive experience in project development and management. She has a background in politics and working on policy-making at the European and national levels, as well as in leading advocacy efforts and implementing impactful programs to mobilize for change as part of the nongovernmental community. Most recently Sofiya implemented a successful country program in Bulgaria for a leading US international organization mobilizing municipal efforts in transparency. Sofiya holds a MSc in Politics and Government in the EU from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a double BA in European Studies and Political Science & International Relations from the American University in Bulgaria.
Ivaylo Petkov
Executive Director
Ivaylo is an environmental policy professional, with long years of experience in national and EU environment policies. He has served as parliamentary secretary of the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water for a cumulative period of seven years before setting out to a entrepreneurial career as project developer for green projects related to renewable energy, green hydrogen, climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. Ivaylo has a strong track-record of bringing EU and international solutions and instruments to the local level to mobilize stakeholders and create investment opportunities.
Silyan Ivanov
Chair of the Advisory Board
Silyan is a mechanical engineer with economics degree and 15+ years of executive experience in the machine building sector - servicing the minerals and biomass processing industries in Europe. Main driver and competitive advantages of his work have always been the implementation of innovations leading to improved resource efficiency and reducing the environmental footprint of the industries, he worked in. Recognizing the core role of those industries in the climate change mitigation and adaptation, he took a deep dive into the decarbonization & carbon dioxide removal technologies and science. For the past 3 years he has been working with leading EU academia on R&D projects in the field of CDR.
Advisory Board
Sebastian Manhart
Sebastian Manhart is the world’s most followed carbon dioxide removal (CDR) expert, providing daily market & policy insights to more than 31,000 followers. He is the Senior Policy Advisor of Carbonfuture, the leading platform for high-quality CDR credits. Sebastian is also the Chair of the Board of the DVNE, the German CDR Association, as well as a founding Director of the US Biochar Coalition and the Enhanced Weathering Alliance. Sebastian also founded and runs CDRjobs, the sector’s leading job platform. Previously, Sebastian spent a decade as a tech entrepreneur, advised Angela Merkel´s Chancellery, and worked with governments globally through the World Bank. Sebastian is an economist with a BA from UCL and an MPhil from Cambridge University.
Interests and Expertise:
- Climate policy
- CDR policy
- CDR markets
- Biochar Carbon Removal
Caroline Thaler
Caroline Thaler, PhD, is an elected board member of AFEN, the French Association of Negative Emissions (the French CDR association). Caroline has over a decade of academic experience specializing in CO2 mineralization and biomineralization. She is the CEO of Bloomineral, a pioneering CDR startup that biomineralizes CO2 into minerals to replace cement. Bloomineral is hosted at the prestigious French Environment and Climate Science Laboratory, home to IPCC experts in Saclay, France. Caroline holds a PhD in biogeochemistry from Université de Paris and a master’s degree in biogeosciences from Université Paris cité. Her work is at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge science with practical solutions to combat climate change while accelerating the transition of hard to abate sectors to carbon negative processes. Caroline's expertise spans CO2 mineralization and geological storage, geochemistry, construction materials decarbonation, and marine biology.
Interests and Expertise:
- CO2 mineralization and geological storage
- geochemistry
- construction materials decarbonation
- marine biology
Thomas Rinder
Thomas Rinder, PhD, is an environmental scientist with 10+ years of geochemical research experience form lab to field and 5+ years of experience in CDR technologies. He is currently a project lead for a enhanced weathering field trial project with the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture as part of the AFRY team. Thomas has previously worked on a project for Hydrochemical investigation of coal mine drainage (RAG) in Germany, and on methodology development for the Voluntary carbon offset market (puro.earth). Thomas holds a PhD in Geochemistry and a MsC in Environmental Science from the Graz University of Technology, and a Certificate in European Environmental Law from Universität Koblenz Landau.
Interests and Expertise:
- geochemical modelling
- isotope geochemistry
- negative emission technologies
- enhanced weathering
- voluntary carbon market
- water chemistry
Valentin Bogoev
Valentin Bogoev, Ph.D, is an associated professor and lecturer at the “Ecology and Nature Protection” Department of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. He served as head of the department from 2000 to 2016. Valentin has more than 30 years of experience as member and leader of international and national environmental projects and extensive background in European and national environmental legislation in the field of environmental care and biodiversity. Valentin is a licensed expert with the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water, as well as with the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Universities at the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria.
Interests and Expertise:
- ecology and ecosystem care
- soil monitoring
- protected areas
- biodiversity
Adam Wolf
Adam Wolf is the Founder and CIO of Eion Corp. Previously, Adam was the founder and CEO of Arable Labs, a digital company that has raised $80M in venture funding, and is active on five continents. At Eion, Adam
engages with technical, commercial, financial, and strategic focal areas
of the company. Adam earned a BSc and MSc in agricultural science at UC Davis, a PhD at Stanford, and conducted his postdoc at Princeton, where Eion is now headquartered.
Interests and Expertise:
- agriculture
- enhanced weathering
- remote sensing
- sensors
- biogeochemistry
Inna Amesheva
Dr. Amesheva is an experienced leader in ESG regulation and sustainable finance with a unique background and experience, combining law, sustainable investing and technology. Her expertise spans monitoring and implementing ESG policies, including SFDR, EU Taxonomy, CSRD, CSDDD and ISSB, among others. Her practical focus on ESG data and reporting solutions, designing sustainability strategies, and ensuring regulatory compliance for financial institutions and corporate clients. Inna has a proven track record in leading ESG research teams, investment advisory, thought leadership and digital ecosystem development.
Interests and Experience:
- Sustainable finance and investing
- ESG regulation
- ESG data and technology
- Sustainability strategy and reporting
- Impact
- sustainable development
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