Brussels Summit 2021 Speakers

Anna Braune

DGNB Head of Research, Climate Positive Europe Alliance

Since September 2015 Anna Braune is head of the Research and Development department of the German Sustainable Building Council - DGNB. The DGNB is an association that is committed to transforming the built environment towards sustainability, since it was founded in 2007. Annas responsibilities include the technical development and updating of the "DGNB certification system", which provides incentives for more sustainability for neighbourhoods, districts and buildings. She is responsible for research projects, supports the professional communication of the association and works actively with her own and in external committees on the transformation to a sustainable construction and real estate sector. Her technical core topics are climate and environmental protection and circular building practices and resources conservation as well as sustainable finance.

Anna Braune studied Environmental Engineering at the TU Berlin and worked from 2004 to 2007 as a research assistant at the chair for building physics at the University of Stuttgart. She is a co-initiator and co-founder of the DGNB and headed its office from its founding in 2007 until the end of 2008. She then held various positions at the consulting company thinkstep (now Sphera) until 2015. In 2014 she finalized her doctorate on the subject of "Life cycle assessment benchmarks for real estate".

Shane Donatello

Scientific Policy Officer, EU Joint Research Centre

Shane Donatello currently works at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission - but based in Seville. A number of projects are currently on-going that relate to different aspects of Commission policy tools that promote sustainable production and consumption (e.g. EU Ecolabel and Green Public Procurement). Also continues to be involved in academic research and peer review relating to sewage sludge ash reuse and environmentally friendly cements.

Frank Hovorka

REHVA President

As the president of REHVA (Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations). Franks career is dedicated to sustainability integration into urban and building projects. Consequently, he worked on financial tools dedicated to real estate communication between stakeholders in order to develop impact and risks assessment. Frank’s role is to develop the impact analysis and solutions of their developments. E.G (energy efficiency, GHG impact, LCA and LCC, financial performance indicators….) Prior to this position, Frank worked for the “Caisse des depots” group in charge of the real estate sustainable development policy and investment policy in French regions.

Lukas Kranzl

Senior Researcher, TU Vienna

Lukas Kranzl currently is working as a senior scientist at the Energy Economics Group, leading a research team on Heating & /Cooling in integrated energy systems. He holds a degree in industrial economics and mechanical engineering and a Ph.D in energy economics at TU Wien. He works on future perspective of sustainable energy systems with a focus on buildings, heating and cooling, scenario development and optimisation of policy instruments. In these areas Lukas Kranzl is responsible for project acquisition, scientific coordination, teaching and research activities.

Jarek Kurnitski

REHVA TRC Chair, TalTech

Jarek Kurnitski is a Professor at Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, and at Aalto University, Finland. As Chair of REHVA Technology and Research Committee he has been leading REHVA COVID-19 Task Force preparing European HVAC guidance for an epidemic situation. He is the leader of Estonian Center of Excellence in Research ZEBE, Zero Energy and Resource Efficient Smart Buildings and Districts.

He is internationally known for the preparation of technical definitions for nearly zero energy buildings through many activities in REHVA Technology and Research Committee and contributions to European standards.

He has been deeply involved in the work to improve the energy efficiency and indoor climate of the built environment in Estonia and Finland with major contribution in the development of energy calculation frames for present energy performance regulations.

Josefina Lindblom

Policy Officer, DG Environment

Josefina Lindblom is working at the European Commission for DG Environment, in the unit of Sustainable Production, Products and Consumption. She has been responsible for the work on "sustainable buildings" since 2011 and has among other things managed the recent collaborative developments of Level(s), a common framework for the assessment and reporting of the environmental performance of buildings.

This work is at the heart of the efforts that the European Commission is doing to bring the building sector into the circular economy.

Josefina works to make life cycle thinking a key part of existing European building policy. Moreover, ongoing efforts relate i.a. to the development of a roadmap for the reduction of whole life carbon and the inclusion of life cycle thinking of buildings into Horizon Europe.

She has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering Design from Chalmers Technical University of Gothenburg, Sweden, partly conducted at the Institute for Paper Science and Technology in Atlanta, the US.

Stefan Moser

Head of Unit, DG Energy

Stefan Moser was born in Munich in 1971 and trained as an economist and a lawyer. He joined the Commission in 2000 in DG Competition to work on control of state aid to public undertakings and services, notably financial institutions. From 2005 to 2009, he worked in DG Environment on climate and environment policy, notably greenhouse gas emissions trading, transport emissions and air quality. From 2009 to 2015, he dealt with policy coordination in the Secretariat-General, in particular on climate, energy, environment, transport, agriculture and maritime policies. From 2015 onwards, he has served as head of unit in DG Energy, first on energy security and safety, and then on energy efficiency of buildings and products.

Oliver Rapf

General Director, BPIE

Since 2011, Oliver Rapf is Executive Director of BPIE, the Buildings Performance Institute Europe, a Brussels based think-tank with a focus on energy and the built environment. Before joining BPIE, Oliver worked for the global conservation organization WWF in various roles, including as Head of the Climate Business Engagement unit of WWF International, managing strategy and partnership development with the private sector. Leading an international team, he advised multinational companies on climate change and energy issues.

Oliver’s experience in buildings efficiency goes back to the late 90s when he was a project leader for several deep renovation projects on behalf of WWF in cooperation with housing companies across Germany. Earlier, Oliver participated in UNFCCC negotiation process, and was the leader of the German NGO coalition at international conferences. Oliver has been active as a jury member of environmental and sustainability awards and serves on various advisory boards. In his early career, he worked on regional sustainability strategies and spatial planning.

Johann Zirngibl

ALDREN Project Coordinator

Johann Zirngibl currently works as Independent expert, Consultant on European Directive (EPBD), European projects and for the financial sector, Convenor in CEN and ISO working groups. His previous work experience include the position of Director International Development at DEE/CSTB, France; Head of Division (Energy Systems) and Engineer in the HVAC Industry, Germany.