Helena Viñes Fiestas
Helena serves as the Commissioner of the Spanish Financial Markets Authority (CNMV) and Chairs the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance. She also co-chairs the recently established Taskforce on Net Zero Policy. Additionally, she is a member of the Climate and Environment Advisory Council of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and formerly of the UN Secretary-General High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero Pledges.
Before her role at the CNMV, Helena worked as a Senior Policy Adviser on Sustainable Finance for BNP Paribas and served as the Global Head of Stewardship and Policy for BNP Paribas Asset Management. She played a crucial role in designing, developing, and implementing BNPP AM’s Global Sustainability Strategy and led the Sustainability Research team. Helena was a board member of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and represented BNPP AM in the EFAMA committee on Stewardship and ESG. She was also a member of AMF Comite de Climat et Finance Durable and is involved in various groups, including the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Green Finance Advisory Group, PRI Policy Reference Group, and the Technical Advisory Group of the LSE-led Transition Pathway Initiative.
She served as the rapporteur for the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance from 2020 to 2022 and was previously a member of the Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance, assisting the European Commission in the development of the EU taxonomy and the implementation of the EC Action Plan. Helena brings two decades of experience in responsible business and sustainable investment.
Enrico Giovannini
Enrico Giovannini is a prominent Italian economist and statistician with a career spanning academia, public service, and international organizations. Born on June 6, 1957, in Rome, he graduated in Economics from La Sapienza University of Rome in 1981. Enrico has held several significant positions, including Minister of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility in the Draghi Government (February 2021 – October 2022) and Minister of Labour and Social Policies in the Letta Government (April 2013 – February 2014). He served as President of the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) from 2009 to 2013 and as Director of Statistics and Chief Statistician at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 2001 to 2009. Enrico is a full professor of Economic Statistics and Sustainable Development at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and co-founder of the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS). He is also a member of the Club of Rome, contributing to global discussions on sustainable development.
Michela Gioacchini
Michela Gioacchini is an accomplished industrial mechanical engineer and fashion sustainability expert with over 15 years of experience. She has held roles on both the corporate side, at Hugo Boss, and the consultancy side, at Quantis International – part of Boston Consulting Group, before joining Tod’s Group in 2023 as Head of Sustainability & CSR. In this capacity, she leads the development and execution of the sustainability strategy across the Group and its four brands, overseeing a range of initiatives across environmental, social, and governance dimensions. Her expertise lies in bridging the gap between engineering principles and sustainable fashion business, driving innovation and cooperating with multiple internal and external stakeholders. Additionally, Michela Gioacchini contributes to the fashion sustainability sector through her involvement in several working groups and Advisory Boards for industry associations and research institutions.
Sergio Saporetti
Dr. Sergio Saporetti is a senior technical officer at the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, working within the General Directorate for the Sustainability of Products and Consumption. With extensive experience in environmental policy, he is the contact person for the topic of Green Public Procurement (GPP) .
He has played a central role in shaping Italy’s national approach to sustainable procurement by coordinating the technical roundtables for the development of Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM). These criteria are mandatory for public tenders andcover a wide range of sectors including construction, road infrastructure, building energy services, public green spaces, and interior furnishings. His work has significantly contributed to the integration of life cycle thinking and circular economy principles into public administration, influencing both national and EU-level sustainability frameworks.
Archana Datta
Archana Datta is an environmental professional with over 16 years of experience in capacity building and advocacy, focusing on mainstreaming Circular Economy, Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), and Life Cycle Thinking. She currently serves as an Associate Programme Management Officer at the Life Cycle Initiative, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Previously, Archana worked with the UNEP India Country Office, the Asian Institute of Technology, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. In these roles, she was instrumental in planning and implementing regional, sub-regional, and national activities involving policymakers, private sector stakeholders, and consumers on SCP and Circular Economy.
Archana holds a Master of Science in Environment Management and is a certified lead auditor for ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. She also possesses a certificate in Climate Change Economics and Governance from the London School of Economics.
Mauro Cordella
Mauro Cordella is a Policy Officer at the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) of the European Commission, where he works on Environmental Footprints and Green Claims. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical, environmental, and safety engineering and has an extensive background in sustainability research, promoting innovation, and bridging science and policy, particularly in areas such as Circular Economy, Bioeconomy and Sustainable Production and Consumption. Mauro has contributed to the development of EU Ecodesign and Ecolabel criteria for various products and has authored numerous publications on environmental impact assessment, circularity, inherent safety and sustainability of production and consumption systems. His work at DG ENV focuses on driving methodological developments of environmental footprint assessment methods and their implementation in market and policy initiatives in the EU relating to green claims and sustainable products.
Davide Bonaffini
Davide Bonaffini is the Head of EcoDesign and Circular Economy Transition at Hitachi Rail, where he leads the company’s strategic initiatives in sustainable product design and environmental innovation. With a strong background in circular economy principles and life cycle thinking, he plays a pivotal role in integrating sustainability across the rail sector’s value chain.
At Hitachi Rail, Davide spearheads efforts to align industrial design processes with eco-efficiency standards, driving the adoption of sustainable materials, modularity, and end-of-life strategies. His work supports the broader decarbonization goals of the mobility sector, contributing to both corporate sustainability targets and regulatory compliance at national and EU levels. His leadership reflects a forward-thinking approach to embedding environmental responsibility in high-tech transportation infrastructure.
He has played a central role in shaping Italy’s national approach to sustainable procurement by coordinating the technical roundtables for the development of Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM). These criteria are mandatory for public tenders andcover a wide range of sectors including construction, road infrastructure, building energy services, public green spaces, and interior furnishings. His work has significantly contributed to the integration of life cycle thinking and circular economy principles into public administration, influencing both national and EU-level sustainability frameworks.