OUR COMMUNITY
Our volunteer Climate Reality Leaders catalyze action in response to the climate crisis by means of presentations, personal outreach, dynamic digital initiatives, and inspirational events. Their goal is to influence the political narrative in order to make the Paris Agreement a reality.
Climate Reality Leaders come from various backgrounds, from high school students to top business managers. They form a dynamic group of world-changers who are shaping the conversation on climate everywhere, from the family dinner table to international summits. Together, they are building a 21st-century movement for solutions.
CLIMATE REALITY EUROPE TEAM
As well as supporting Climate Reality Leaders on the ground and catalyzing action,
the Branch staff actively promote European policy efforts together with partner organisations.
Gosia Rychlik
Interim Branch Manager
Gosia Rychlik is the Interim Branch Manager for Climate Reality Europe. Gosia has worked both in the private (Unilever) and in the non-governmental sector (UNICEF) on programs, acquiring skills in coordinating stakeholder and volunteer activities, digital marketing, partnership campaigns, strategy development, and implementation. She is a trained Climate Reality Leader and also a member of other civic organizations like the Global Shapers Warsaw Hub or the One Young World.
Jessica Besch
Program & Engagement Manager
Jessica has previously worked for the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens in Vienna, where she coordinated a webinar series on climate justice and scholarship program focusing on the implementation of community projects related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As an active member of Women in International Security Austria, Jessica is interested in the intersections of peacebuilding, security and climate change, and is running a mentorship program for young women from OSCE countries.
VOLUNTEER NATIONAL
AND REGIONAL COORDINATORS
Volunteer national/regional coordinators support the most active national/regional teams in Europe.
Coordinators devote their time and energy, as well as their experience and skills, to engaging with selected programs and assisting active Climate Leaders.
Tim spent the first 25 years of his working life in the creative services industry as a marketing and brand strategist and now uses that knowledge and experience to help leaders meet the communication and behaviour challenges they face around sustainable change and the climate crisis in their organisations.
Sander van Attekum has spent much of his life questioning our system; and is determined to help resolve some of these shortcomings. He believes that we have an unique moment to create a better world for all of us. Not only can we resolve Climate Change, we have the opportunity to come out thriving and create a safer planet, while increasing equality and well-being for everyone. He has founded several online companies, lived in five different countries, is the founder of CarbonPirates.
Enno W. Steffens is a consultant, trainer and speaker on sustainability and communication. His guiding principle: Planet, People, Profit. With Enno’s support, companies and organizations not only achieve the crucial transition to renewables, they also secure their long-term viability and help safeguard everyone’s existence on a sustainable planet. Enno studied engineering and holds an MBA.
Rachel Power is a PR and Communications professional specialising in Climate Change Communications. With a background in Journalism she has managed PR campaigns in Ireland and Europe and led the Communications Team that returned the Irish Green Party to parliament in 2016. In her home city of Cork she is Chair of Wilton Justice Group which advocates for intergenerational climate justice. She is also a member of the Management Committee of Cork Environmental Forum.
Dr Paola Fiore is a sustainability management and communications specialist, sustainability professional coach and climate change advocate. Paola partners with corporate and non-profit management to create a culture of sustainability, put responsible leadership principles into practice, and find the right balance between economic, social, environmental and climate policies to drive innovative, sustainable business prosperity, increase profits and enhance brand reputation.
Christina Carlmark is a Senior Sustainability Specialist who has been active working with sustainability in the business community since the late 90´s. With a background from Stockholm School of Economics and Business Administration, she connects the climate crisis as well as biodiversity loss to business strategy. Throughout her career, she has been working with IT and digitalization, and she sees these technologies as key enablers in building sustainable societies.
Patryk Bialas is an urban activist and campaigner. He is the leader of the urban movement BoMiasto and is one of the founders of the Silesian Climate Movement. He is also the director of the Centre for Innovation and Expertise at the Europe-Centrum Science and Technology Park in Katowice. He was leader of Katowice Smog Alert for years. Patryk Bialas has worked for many years in the fields of regional development and the commercialisation and transfer of technology.
Alvaro Rodriguez is the founder and director of the environmental services company Arka Consulting in Madrid. With a doctorate in circular economy from Complutense University of Madrid, he is an expert on recycling, energy efficiency, sustainable construction, climate change and sustainable mobility. Alvaro was the first chair of the International Environment Council at the global recycling industry federation the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR).
Can Şimşek (pronounced as John Shimshack) is a technology entrepreneur who has co-founded and scaled several start-ups in cyber intelligence, cyber security, fin-tech and mar-tech areas. He enjoys communications, marketing, sales & strategy roles in technology ventures. Besides his professional interests, he has studied engineering physics and has been an enthusiast of solar & wind energy technologies since his college years.