Willy De Backer is Head of the Greening Europe Forum of Friends of Europe.

He previously worked as an independent journalist/consultant specialised in global energy, environment and sustainability policies. De Backer co-founded the EU online policy portal EurActiv.com in 1999 and was editor-in-chief until the end of May 2007.

De Backer is a frequent speaker and professional moderator for conferences on EU policies (especially energy, environment, climate change, sustainable development, transport and CSR) and on internet media and citizens’ journalism.

Before getting into online journalism and becoming an internet entrepreneur, he worked for nearly ten years as a MEP assistant and later staff member of the Green group in the European Parliament. From 1984 until 1989, he was one of the Secretaries-General of the Federation of European Green Parties.

In 2008 and 2009, De Backer was European director of US-based Global Footprint Network (GFN), the think tank behind the concept of the ecological footprint. He is still a senior policy advisor for this organization.