Director-General – Directorate-General Climate Action (DG CLIMA)

In my current role as Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General Climate Action (DG CLIMA), I work with a team of 300 competent and committed colleagues to design and implement EU climate policies so that Europe can become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. A continent that is also climate resilient.

I have held numerous positions during my 27 years at the European 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 – among much more. 2019 - 2023: European Green Deal Advisor / Member of the Cabinet of President von der Leyen

Master’s degree in law (Ghent University, 1979) and doctor in law (Ghent University, 1997) Lawyer with the non-profit associations Woonfonds Gent and Brusselse Buurtwerken (1979-1982); legal secretary at the Constitutional Court (1985-2000); councillor at the Council of State (2000-2001) Research assistant (full-time 1983-1985; part-time 1985-1989), teaching assistant (1989-1991), academic consultant (1991-1992), visiting professor (1992- 1998), lecturer (since 1998) and full professor in environmental law at Ghent University;

Director of the Centre for Environmental and Energy Law (since 1 January 2000); member of the Federal Council for Sustainable Development and President of the working group on product standards of that Council (1997-2021); former Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Environmental Law, and President of the EU Forum of Judges for the Environment Appointed Judge to the Constitutional Court by Royal Decree of 19 January 2001 and elected (Dutch speaking) President with effect from 25 September 2020

Prof.dr. Jonathan Verschuuren is a professor of International and European Environmental Law at Tilburg Law School (Netherlands), an EU Marie Sklodowska Curie alumnus at the University of Sydney, and an extraordinary professor at North-West University and the University of the Western Cape.

In 2017, he was awarded the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Senior Scholarship Prize. His primary research focus is on climate change law. He has been working on a range of topics in that field, such climate change adaptation and the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security, and on reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Marjan Peeters has been a professor of environmental policy and law at Maastricht University since April 2008. Since the start of her studies in environmental law in 1987, she has focused on understanding how to effectively and efficiently achieve a high level of environmental protection based on the rule of law and in context of sustainable development.

Her core research covers legal aspects of climate change, regulatory instruments for reducing emissions, environmental procedural rights, and the way in which law deals with uncertain risks. She volunteers with a nature organisation that manages a nature reserve near Maastricht since 2024.

Ignace Schops is director of the Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland vzw (RLKM), president of the Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL) and former president of the EUROPARC Federation, the largest network for nature in Europe. He is a full member of the European section of the Club of Rome.

Ignace Schops was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, and selected as an ASHOKA fellow, world leading social entrepreneur. He is Honorary Doctor at Hasselt University, member of the Climate Leadership Corps of Al Gore.

Ignace Schops is co-founder and vice-president of ‘Klimaatzaak’ and author the book ‘Saved by the Tree Frog’.

Full professor Urban and River Hydrology and Hydraulics KU Leuven, director of the Arenberg Doctoral School for Science, Engineering and Technology KU Leuven. Advisor innovating water management company Sumaqua and Chair board of directors urban water sector organisation VLARIO. Member of the board of directors Flanders’ land management authority VLM - Vlaamse Landmaatschappij.

Former Appointments: Head of the Hydraulics and Geotechnics Section – Department of Civil Engineering KU Leuven (2016-2024).

Expertise: Statistical analysis and stochastic modelling of hydrological extremes, extreme value analysis, hydrological time series analysis, impact of climate change, climate adaptation planning.
River and urban drainage modelling: Spatial rainfall modelling, river catchment hydrological modelling, hydraulic river flood modelling, physico-chemical river water quality modelling, impact of sewer systems on receiving surface waters, bi-directional river-sewer interaction, real-time forecasting and control, uncertainty analysis.