Climate I Energy I Cities

CEC is a consulting firm based in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded by Dipl. Ing. Stefan Schurig and builds on a global network of independent experts, researchers and consultants. It's focus is on the crosscutting areas between 'climate change', ‘renewable energy’, 'sustainable cities' and ‘public engagement’.

Stefan Schurig

Profile: Stefan Schurig

Welcome! I founded CEC in 2017 as the platform (the best German term to describe the character of CEC would be 'Werkstatt` - workshop) from where I develop high-profile initiatives and campaigns and hold different consultancy mandates in the sustainability space. I feel blessed to be working and engaging with a global network of colleagues and friends in different constellations.
I'am an architect (and a mason) by training. So why did I not choose to design buildings and instead work on sustainability issues and international politics? Because already in my teenage years I got struck by how we as humans treated nature. And by our rather linear approach to generate energy - actually downgrading 'ressources' to 'waste'. As an architect you quickly get to the conclusion that it's not just the buildings that matter. It's the design of the built environment as a whole, the public space, the metabolism of cities, the infrastructure. And of course underlying  business models. And that politics can be either manifestating this status quo. Or it can lay the foundation for transformation. And for growing neighbourhoods, cities, countries and the world into sustainable systems. It's a decision!


That's why I've been devoting most of my professional career to sustainable development and environmental politics. My current mandates include the position as Managing Director of the Swiss based Toni Piëch Foundation (since 2021), Senior Advisor for the Foundations Platform F20 and the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) since 2024.

Until end of 2023, I served as the Secretary General of the Foundations-20 platform (F20) which I co-founded in 2017. Before, I was the Director Climate Energy and Member of the Executive Board of the World Future Council (WFC) since 2007. Before that, I was the spokesperson of Greenpeace for 10 years. Between 2002 and 2007 I served as Member of the Senior Management Team of Greenpeace Germany and Head of the Climate Energy Unit responsible for overall operations as well as the countrywide climate and energy program.

The Foundations-20 platform is a network of international, regional and locally anchored foundations that are committed to sustainable development and the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Until 2013 I've been also serving as a member of the energy advisory board of the International Building Exhibition (IBA) in Hamburg and was appointed by UN Habitat as member of the steering committee of the World Urban Campaign. 

I did invited lectures at Imperial College London, Technical University Berlin, Technical University of Hamburg and University of Flensburg. Between 2015-2018 I've been also teaching a masters class at Hamburg University (HCU) on sustainable urban development. 

"The challenges of global urbanisation trends, the balance between economic interests and ecologic footprints, as well as developing politically feasible solutions have always been at the heart of my professional career."