Client: Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) & GIZ

Project: Moderation of the first Energy Efficiency Day in Berlin Energy Week

Collaboration Period: 2025

Moderating global climate events, my BETD experience: How preparation, cooperation, and purpose turn technical conferences into catalysts for change

On March 2025, I had the honour of moderating the first-ever Energy Efficiency Day in Berlin, organised by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). It was a full day of high-level discussions, global perspectives, and deep dives into the “low-hanging fruits” of the energy transition—industry and buildings. But long before I stepped onto the stage, the work had already begun.

Moderating global climate events isn’t about filling space between speakers. It’s about holding the narrative, setting the tone, and making sure every minute delivers clarity and connection. At 10 Billion Solutions, we support our partners—not just as moderators, but as co-creators of moments that matter.

Why Organisers Call Us to Moderate Their Events?

Planning a climate or sustainability event is never simple. Our partners face a familiar set of challenges:

• How do you turn highly technical content into a compelling story?
• How do you design an agenda that’s dynamic, inclusive, and still delivers clear takeaways?
• How do you make sure your event doesn’t just inform—but inspires?

That’s where we come in. At 10 Billion Solutions, we work closely with organisations in Europe and around the world to co-develop content arcs, support speaker alignment, and facilitate the event’s seamless flow. It’s a mix of editorial precision, logistical understanding, and strategic framing—essential when your event includes policymakers, CEOs, innovators, and global institutions all under one roof. And because of all this, moderating global climate events is one of our values as an organization.

The Moderator’s Secret Sauce: Preparation

Every impactful moment on stage starts with deep preparation behind the scenes.

For Energy Efficiency Day, I worked with the organisers and event partners well in advance—studying background materials, aligning talking points, helping sharpen messages, and ensuring all contributors knew how their voice fit into the bigger picture. Together, we shaped an agenda that moved with rhythm and purpose.

This is where my background as a broadcast journalist proves invaluable. Years in live news for TV and radio taught me how to stay agile, read the room, and make complex information accessible without diluting its importance. My experience with international organisations and high-level climate events has given me the ability to shift tone, manage time, and bring out the human story behind every policy or project.

Because ultimately, people don’t remember every number—they remember how they felt, what they understood, and what they were moved to do.

Equally essential to a successful event is the human connection behind the scenes. Throughout the lead-up to Energy Efficiency Day, I maintained close, constant contact with both the substantive and logistical teams on the organising side. Cultivating a relationship built on mutual understanding, calmness, and friendliness was not just pleasant—it was strategic. It meant that when inevitable hitches arose (as they always do), we could adapt quickly, solve problems smoothly, and keep the day flowing—always with a smile. Putting the heart beside the mind and the body is key: empathy, humour, and trust are the quiet tools that carry us through the spotlight and into shared success.

The Berlin Moment

Energy Efficiency Day was a bold step forward—a demonstration of vision and leadership. By giving energy efficiency its own space during the Berlin Energy Week, BMWK acknowledged its true role in the transition: not as a secondary strategy, but as a core solution for climate action, economic resilience, and energy security.

My role was to honour that vision and bring it to life.

From setting the tone in the opening plenary, to guiding expert showcases like the GlobalABC session on buildings, to facilitating audience engagement in the closing plenary with Mission Efficiency and RMI, the day was full of meaningful, high-energy exchanges.

And yes, the family photo moment—getting everyone, both in-person and online, to feel part of something bigger—was one of my favourites.

My heartfelt gratitude and recognition go to BMWK and GIZ professionals for their vision and commitment to bringing energy efficiency to the centre of the stage.

The Greater Story

At its core, Energy Efficiency Day was more than a series of sessions—it was a moment to bridge the concrete with the global. The discussions on financing retrofits, managing data centre demand, or scaling industrial networks were not isolated technical exchanges. They were real-world answers to international goals—from the Paris Agreement to the Sustainable Development Goals, from the COP28 pledge to double energy efficiency by 2030 to Europe’s Green Deal. What emerged was a shared understanding: energy efficiency is not just a tool—it’s a transformational lens that connects climate ambition with everyday action, turning big-picture vision into tangible progress.

And as we look ahead to COP30 in Belém, events like this are more than milestones—they are stepping stones. They help build the momentum, align stakeholders, and give voice to the solutions that must scale now to meet our climate commitments.

Toolkit Takeaways for Moderators

Every event is different, but here are a few principles I carry with me:

• Start with story. Don’t just open a session—open a journey.
• Support your speakers. A good moderator makes everyone else shine.
• Stay curious. Ask questions that others are thinking but afraid to raise.
• Bridge ideas. Your job is to weave threads, not just manage time.

Linking Vision to Action

This article is part of a series on Energy Efficiency Day. You can read more about the day’s main messages, or explore our piece on energy efficiency in buildings and the work of PEEB.

At 10 Billion Solutions, we believe that every conversation counts. And when it’s well-crafted, well-moderated, and deeply aligned with purpose—it can help shift global agendas.

Let’s keep raising the bar for climate storytelling—on and off the stage.

See the photo album from the Energy Efficiency Day on Flickr here.