Karolina Zubel is Environment, Energy and Climate Change Director at the CASE – Center for Social and Economic Research. In this role, she leads and contributes to research, pilot and implementation projects, as well as the preparation of policy recommendations, with a strong focus on climate adaptation, resilience and sustainable urban development. Her work at CASE is strongly grounded in local and regional perspectives, supporting cities and regions in addressing climate, environmental and socio-economic challenges through innovative governance approaches, financing mechanisms and applied solutions. She is currently involved in projects financed by European institutions, including the European Commission (notably Horizon programmes), the European Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee, and regularly contributes to policy-oriented publications.
Her research interests focus on climate adaptation and resilience, eco-innovations, nature-based solutions, frugal innovations and urban challenges, with particular attention to smart and sustainable cities. She is also strongly interested in the blue economy, water resilience and water-related challenges, including integrated water management, climate impacts on water systems and the role of cities and regions in building long-term water security. Her work lies at the intersection of sustainability, low-carbon technologies, innovation and new financial instruments addressing global and regional challenges.
Prior to joining CASE, Karolina was Head of the Impact Research Hub at ImpactCEE, where she led projects across a range of horizontal topics, including climate change mitigation, urban sustainability and eco-innovations. Earlier in her career, she gained professional experience at the European External Action Service and the Polish Institute of International Affairs, developing strong expertise in EU policymaking, multilevel governance and international cooperation.
Selected publications:
Local and Regional Success Stories of Investing in Disaster Resilience, European Committee of the Regions, 2025, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/d0bf5bc2-39de-11f0-8a44-01aa75ed71a1
Affordable Sustainable Housing in the EU, European Economic and Social Committee, 2024, https://www.eesc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2024-11/qe-01-24-005-en-n.pdf
The means for cities and regions to support the energy transition in the Mediterranean, European Committee of the Regions, 2024, https://op.europa.eu/lv/publication-detail/-/publication/26f46977-26db-11ef-a195-01aa75ed71a1
The contribution of the Mediterranean cities and regions to building water resilience, European Committee of the Regions, 2024, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/21361dc9-26dc-11ef-a195-01aa75ed71a1
Natural disasters: anticipatory governance and disaster risk management from a local and regional perspective, Committee of the Regions, 2024, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6baa4130-6353-11ef-a8ba-01aa75ed71a1
