Programme overview

G-STIC Conference October 2021

Dubai Exhibition Centre – Main Hall – 2A South

17:15
Broadcasting: the sustainable future of corporates

Entrepreneurship

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Entrepreneurship

Broadcasting: the sustainable future of corporates

25/10/2021, 17:15 - 18:00 GST (Dubai)

15:15 - 16:00 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

14:15 - 15:00 WAT (Nigeria)

09:15 - 10:00 EDT (New York)

22:15 - 23:00 KST (Seoul)

21:15 - 22:00 CST (Beijing)

18:45 - 19:30 IST (New Delhi)

10:15 - 11:00 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Business leaders have a critical role to play in enabling attainment of the SDGs. Although awareness and consideration for sustainable development is rising within the business world, deep transformations are still needed and these are very challenging.

However, some companies are already incorporating sustainability within their overall strategies. In doing so, they are making commitments that impact the most fundamental parts of their business.

In February 2021, AB InBev signed a US$10.1 billion sustainability-linked revolving credit facility, coordinated by ING. In addition to being the largest ever Sustainability-Linked Loan (SLL), it is also the first among publicly listed alcoholic beverage companies. The milestone facility has a five-year term and includes a pricing mechanism based on performance in four key areas: water efficiency, recycled packaging, renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This session will dive deeper into the design and execution of this pioneer project, with the aim of inspiring other organisations. It will focus on how to integrate innovative financial mechanisms into business strategy, highlighting opportunities and challenges regarding set-up, monitoring and reporting, as well as looking into the broader corporate mindset.

Panel discussion

Debate

Sean Kidney

Sean Kidney

Climate Bonds Initiative

CEO

Sean Kidney is CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO that works to mobilise global capital for climate action. Projects include a green bond definitions and certification scheme with $34 trillion of assets represented on its Board, working with the Chinese central bank on growing green bonds in China, market development programmes in Brazil, Mexico, ASEAN and Africa, and market tracking services for the green bonds industry.

Sean is a member of the European Commission’s Platform on Sustainable Finance and was a member of its predecessors, the 2017 EU High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and the EU Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance. He is also a member of green finance committees in China, India, Mexico and Kazakhstan, as well as being a Professor in Practice at SOAS University of London.

Robert Spruijt

Robert Spruijt

ING

Head Sustainable Finance EMEA

Robert is heading the Sustainable Finance business for ING in the EMEA region. The Sustainable Finance team is covering sustainable lending, Sustainable Structured Finance, supports Debt Capital Markets on the Green/ Social & Sustainable Bonds structuring and supports the Sustainable Investments team.

Robert started his career in carbon trading and energy derivatives. Thereafter he moved into renewable energy financing, where together with a local team he set up the business in India and thereafter in the wider Asia- Pacific region. Robert joined ING in 2016 in the Energy Sector team and stepped into his current role in 2019.

Robert holds a MSc in Business Administration (Major: Finance & Investments) from the Rotterdam School of Management/ Erasmus University and a BSc in Process Engineering from the Utrecht School of Technology.

Jan De Jaeck

Jan De Jaeck

ING

Sustainable Finance Lead Belgium, Luxembourg and Nordic

Jan De Jaeck is leading the Sustainable Finance business for Belux & Nordics. ING’s Sustainable Finance team provides multiple responsible financial solutions: in the loan market (a.o. Green Loans, Sustainability-Linked Loans), in the Debt Capital Markets (supporting on green / social / sustainable structuring) and offers Sustainability-Linked working capital & financial market products.

Jan started his career within the waste management industry and joined ING begin 1999. He has a broad experience as senior relationship manager for Corporate Clients in Belgium (Food, Beverages & Personal care sector).

From 2007 onwards, Jan became Global Relationship Manager for Corporate Clients across the Nordic countries, focused on Finland, and complemented with Baltic region in 2017. He started as Sustainable Finance specialist early 2019.

Jan is a client focused senior banker with a passion for sustainability, and a drive to be a step ahead. Jan De Jaeck holds a Master of Economics (EHSAL – Brussels) and Master of Management degree. (VLEKHO – Brussels).

Alexandre Pouille

Alexandre Pouille

Anheuser-Bush InBev

Vice President Finance Europe

Alexandre Pouille is now serving as Zone Europe CFO for Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s leading brewer. Alex started as a global management trainee in 2011 and has grown within the organization serving in various functions within the group’s Finance and Commercial functions. Today, Alex is responsible for the group’s Financial Planning & Analysis, Control, Tax, Merger and Acquisition, and finance transformation teams for a geographic scope covering from the Canary Islands to the west, Siberia to the east, and passing through Dubai. Prior to joining AB InBev, Alexandre was a national debate champion in the USA and is still active in supporting high school and university debate initiatives. Alexandre holds a Masters of Accounting degree from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA.

Noah Faase

Noah Faase

Anheuser-Bush InBev

Head of Global Treasury

Noah Faase is a Treasury expert currently leading AB InBev’s Global Treasury team out of Leuven, Belgium. In addition to funding, trading, risk, & cash management, ABI’s Global Treasury engages in the full breath of the business including supporting the company’s ESG agenda. A seasoned Commodity Trading and Risk Management professional with a demonstrated history of success across asset classes, Noah is a specialist in Corporate Finance and enterprise risk management. A penchant for financial markets and the number systems that underpin them, Faase has directed his career towards opportunities to combine high level finance with Sustainability. Noah is enthusiastic about his work and about partnering with ABI to grow and learn and drive the Sustainability agenda forward, particularly in the Lending and Derivatives space. Noah has a Masters in Social and Applied Ethics and a Bachelors in Applied Mathematics.

Katie Hoard

Katie Hoard

ABInBev

Global Director Sustainability & ESG

Katie Hoard is AB InBev’s Global Senior Director of Sustainability and ESG based in Leuven, Belgium. In her role, she works closely with AB InBev’s Global Finance team on Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) engagement and engages across teams in the organization to lead the company’s ESG disclosure. Additionally, Katie is responsible for the global strategy to achieve the company’s Smart Agriculture 2025 Goal, working with Procurement and Supply teams to build resilient, responsible agricultural supply chains globally through partnerships and the development of innovative solutions.

Prior to joining AB InBev, Katie worked in politics and commodities regulation in Washington, DC. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Finance from the University of Arkansas, a Master’s degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics, and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York.

Francesca  Vanthielen

Francesca Vanthielen

Moderator

09:30
The role of technology and innovation in localising the SDGs

All themes

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The role of technology and innovation in localising the SDGs

25/10/2021, 09:30 - 11:00 GST (Dubai)

07:30 - 09:00 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

06:30 - 08:00 WAT (Nigeria)

01:30 - 03:00 EDT (New York)

14:30 - 16:00 KST (Seoul)

13:30 - 15:00 CST (Beijing)

11:00 - 12:30 IST (New Delhi)

02:30 - 04:00 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

As urbanisation continues to increase, 70% of the global population is expected to live in cities by 2050. Achieving the 2030 Agenda’s ambitious goals is therefore not something national governments can do alone. Cities and regions have a vital role to play. Localised areas are already using the SDGs as a basis for rethinking sustainable development from the ground up and entering into dialogue with lower and upper levels of government.

This plenary session will feature inspiring stories about how local governments can contribute to achieving the SDGs, by implementing local strategies that harness technological innovation. Best practices and lessons from international experiences will be shared.

Welcome

Francesca  Vanthielen

Francesca Vanthielen

Moderator

Opening remarks

Shipra  Narang Suri

Shipra Narang Suri

UN-Habitat

Chief, Urban Practices Branch

Abdulla Shipra Narang Suri is an urban planner with a PhD in Post-War Recovery Studies from the University of York, UK. Shipra has a keen interest and extensive experience in issues of urban planning and management, good urban governance and indicators, livability and sustainability of cities, urban safety, as well as post-conflict/ post-disaster recovery. She is also the co-Chair of the World Urban Campaign, a platform that brings together a large array of global organisations to advocate for sustainable urbanisation.

Shipra has worked with the United Nations, specifically, UN-HABITAT, UNDP, and UNESCO, for over sixteen years, and is currently based in Delhi. She has recently concluded a year-long assignment in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) where she led a country-wide project on local governance for UNDP Myanmar. She has worked in Asia, Africa, South Eastern Europe and the Middle-East. She is an Associate (Visiting Fellow) at the Department of Politics, University of York (U.K.), and has also lectured at several universities in India, Europe and the US.

She is an Editor of the international journal ‘CITY’, and a member of a global think tank on ‘Livable Cities’ set up by Philips. Shipra has been involved in the development and execution of a variety of development, research and training projects and programmes, is a regular public speaker at national and international fora, and has several publications to her credit.

Keynote speech

Edvaldo  Nogueira

Edvaldo Nogueira

Brazil

Mayor of Aracaju

Edvaldo Nogueira is the current President of Brazil’s National Front of Mayors (FNP), having formerly served as its Vice President, General Secretary and Vice President of Relations with Forums and Networks.

An affiliate of Brazil’s Democratic Labour Party, he has been elected Mayor of Aracaju, capital of the state of Sergipe on the northeast coast, four times – in 2006, 2008, 2016 and 2020 – and twice as Deputy Mayor.

Edvaldo Nogueira’s efforts have been instrumental in making Aracaju the capital of quality of life in Brazil. He is noted as being outstanding in areas such as planned management and financial organisation for structural works relating to sanitation and urban mobility, for social initiatives such as the construction of houses, schools and health units and for innovative initiatives that combine technology and sustainability, such as the Aracaju Public Private Partnership for Public Lighting.

Panel discussion

Khwezi  Tiya

Khwezi Tiya

Coega Development Corporation (South Africa)

CEO

Khwezi Tiya, the Chief Executive of the Coega Development Corporation (CDC), holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering (University of Natal, South Africa), an MBA (Nyenrode Business University, the Netherlands) and a master’s degree in Financial Management (SOAS, University of London, UK).

He also completed the Advanced Management Programme (The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA) As part of his senior executive development.

Khwezi’s attendance at the Harvard Business School’s 2014 Global Energy Seminar helped shape his thinking and understanding of energy transitions. His certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) in 2005 is testimony to his understanding of overall requirements for complex project development and project management.

Khwezi Tiya began his professional career as an engineer in 1992, working on multidisciplinary projects. He then went on to work for Standard Bank Corporate & Investment Banking in 2010 as Head of the Oil & Gas and Public Sectors (South Africa) in the Client Coverage Division. Having progressed from engineering to management, he now he seeks to master the art of leadership.

Khwezi’s study and work experience have provided him with valuable international exposure. He is passionate about economic development, with a focus on infrastructure, energy and industrialisation, as well as mentoring and inspiring young people.

Tom Verbelen

Tom Verbelen

City of Antwerp

CEO External Relations and International Affairs

Tom Verbelen graduated in sociology and social work. At the start of his career he explored various fields in the social science and beyond, (theatre and television industry, detention centres,…). Joining the city administration late 1997, as manager of the public service offices of the city of Antwerp, and project leader for the founding and expansion of several new offices. At the start of the 2000s he added an active role as coordinator for Antwerp’s district management to his portfolio.

In 2007 Tom became business manager for the City Archives (FelixArchief) for a period of two years. In 2009 he became managing director of Antwerp’s Department of Governance Affairs (DGA), where he started his mandate with a reorganization aimed at preparing the department for a key role in the internal management of Antwerp’s civil administration. Since then, the DGA has taken up the role of central facilitator – the oil, so to speak, that keeps the other parts of Antwerp’s administrative machine running smoothly. The DGA also helps insure that the city administration’s internal organization remains optimally aligned with new developments in Belgian society and supports the administration’s ambitions for optimal procedural efficiency. That makes permanent awareness of best practices and trends in the fields of e-government, privacy, transparency and communication a crucial aspect of all DGA operations.

In 2013 Tom added the role of Information Security Consultant (ISC) and external relation management to his function as head of Antwerp’s Department of Governance Affairs. A combination he took on until the end of 2016.

By January 2017 Tom switched his mandate and started as director external relations and international affairs for the city of Antwerp. This department acts as an ambassador for the city on a local, national and international level. External Relations connects Antwerp to its citizens and the world, organises networking and cultural events, liaises with diplomats, maintains a knowledge and expertise center, fosters existing partnerships and builds new ones. Its core objective is to help maintain and improve Antwerp’s international reputation based on five core values: trustworthiness, stability, personal attention, cultural sensitivity and transparency.

Smt. D. Thara

Smt. D. Thara

Government of India

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs

Thara has been working as an IAS Officer since 1995. She has been working in the State of Gujarat since 1997 and has a versatile experience in various cities of Gujarat such as Ahmedabad, Kheda, Rajkot, Vadodara and Surendranagar in various Departments. She has worked as a District Development Officer in the cities of Vadodara and Surendranagar for a period of 2 years in Land Revenue Management and District Administration and Development Administration. She also has experience as a Collector in Land Revenue Management & District Administration Departments in the cities of Kheda for a period of 1 year and Ahmedabad for a period of 3 years.

Thara has also worked as the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for approximately 2 years. During this period, she has worked on a number of JNNURM Projects. She has been one of the pioneers of the BRTS Project which was a very essential project of the city. She has also initiated the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021 as Chief Executive Authority, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) in 2008.

During her tenure as Chief Executive Authority, AUDA, the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021, Ahmedabad was completed and also the First Revised Draft Development Plan of Gandhinagar as the CEA, GUDA was completed. With her focused vision and great leadership qualities, a number of new concepts and ideas were incorporated in the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021. Few of them included the Central Business District, Transit Oriented Zone and Residential Affordable Housing Zone and also the preparation of Local Area Plans for such projects. She has been the Chief Executive Authority of AUDA and Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad. During her tenure, Ahmedabad was made and executed as a Smart City. Water Management and Security was the focus area. 7.5 lac people were given surface water in one year. 4 STPs were initiated and sewage treatment gap is being completely addressed.

She was working as Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation, Gandhinagar since 24/06/2016. After that she had joined Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as Joint Secretary on 29/07/2019.

Norliza Hashim

Norliza Hashim

Urbanice Malaysia

CEO

Norliza Hashim is the Chief Executive of Urbanice Malaysia, a Centre of Excellence for Community Well-being and Urban Sustainability run by Malayia’s Ministry of Housing and Local Government. In this role, she leads a team that focusses on the implementation of sustainable urbanisation policies in cities and regions. This is achieved through shared knowledge platforms, innovative urban solutions, development research and collaborative partnership.

Norliza led the Local Secretariat team for World Urban Forum 9, which was hosted by Malaysia in 2018. WUF 9 is the world’s premier forum for addressing various urban challenges. Hashim’s key role was to work alongside UN-Habitat in implementing the New Urban Agenda, an initiative that builds on the Cities for All agenda for ensuring inclusive and sustainable cities, especially considering the rapid current pace of urbanisation.

Hashim is a professional town planner with wide experience across the discipline’s spectrum, including the development of plans and blueprints that have contributed towards Malaysia’s nation building. She led several teams of experts during the development of the Low Carbon Cities Assessment Framework for the Ministry of Environment and Water, and is also the Director of the Malaysian Institute of Planners’ Low Carbon Cities and Sustainability Centre.

Norliza is passionate about promoting the sustainability agenda and providing innovative solutions that contribute towards better quality of life and urban environments, for cities and nations as a whole. She sits on the Leadership Council for Sustainable Development Solutions Network Malaysia and several other sustainability-related organisations.

Bibiana Andrea Cuartas Torres

Bibiana Andrea Cuartas Torres

IPSE

Deputy Director of Planning and Promotion of Energy Solutions

Bibiana Cuartas is a management engineer with a master’s degree in systems engineering from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and has completed a specialised course in energy projects at the School of Engineering within the University of Antioquia (EIA).

Cuartas has worked in the Colombian electricity sector for more than 10 years. These include 5 years in consulting and research, developing projects for government entities and private sector companies. During this time, she participated in the development of pre-feasibility studies, financial evaluation and the licensing process for small hydroelectric power plant projects.

From 2017 to 2019, Cuartas was part of the Regulatory Affairs team of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, where she participated in defining the public policy that would allow non-conventional renewable energy technologies to be deployed in the country. She also participated in designing the first and second renewable energy auctions, as well as in the regulation of the Fund for Renewable Energies and Non-conventional Energy Efficiency (FENOGE).

Since February 2020, Bibiana Cuartas has been Deputy Director of Planning and Promotion of Energy Solutions at IPSE, an entity attached to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. Here, she leads the structuring, evaluation and feasibility of energy solutions for areas which are not connected to the country’s national interconnected system. Her role also includes leading expansion of electricity coverage, defining diesel replacement projects and improving service provision in these areas of the country.

Els  van Doesburg

Els van Doesburg

Vice Mayor & Municipal councillor and Chairwoman of the Council for Equal Opportunities, Integration and Inclusion, City of Antwerp, Belgium & Chair of the ZNA group

Q&A

Closing remarks

Shipra  Narang Suri

Shipra Narang Suri

UN-Habitat

Chief, Urban Practices Branch

Abdulla Shipra Narang Suri is an urban planner with a PhD in Post-War Recovery Studies from the University of York, UK. Shipra has a keen interest and extensive experience in issues of urban planning and management, good urban governance and indicators, livability and sustainability of cities, urban safety, as well as post-conflict/ post-disaster recovery. She is also the co-Chair of the World Urban Campaign, a platform that brings together a large array of global organisations to advocate for sustainable urbanisation.

Shipra has worked with the United Nations, specifically, UN-HABITAT, UNDP, and UNESCO, for over sixteen years, and is currently based in Delhi. She has recently concluded a year-long assignment in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) where she led a country-wide project on local governance for UNDP Myanmar. She has worked in Asia, Africa, South Eastern Europe and the Middle-East. She is an Associate (Visiting Fellow) at the Department of Politics, University of York (U.K.), and has also lectured at several universities in India, Europe and the US.

She is an Editor of the international journal ‘CITY’, and a member of a global think tank on ‘Livable Cities’ set up by Philips. Shipra has been involved in the development and execution of a variety of development, research and training projects and programmes, is a regular public speaker at national and international fora, and has several publications to her credit.

09:30
SDGs Labs: Mission Oriented Entrepreneurship and strategic partners

Entrepreneurship

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Entrepreneurship

SDGs Labs: Mission Oriented Entrepreneurship and strategic partners

25/10/2021, 09:30 - 11:00 GST (Dubai)

07:30 - 09:00 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

06:30 - 08:00 WAT (Nigeria)

01:30 - 03:00 EDT (New York)

14:30 - 16:00 KST (Seoul)

13:30 - 15:00 CST (Beijing)

11:00 - 12:30 IST (New Delhi)

02:30 - 04:00 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Entrepreneurial approaches provide novel ways of turning ideas into impact. More specifically, public-purpose-driven entrepreneurship is about understanding local needs and coming up with innovative solutions paired with appropriate business models that promote social inclusion and environmental resilience.

There is growing interest in the role science, technology, and innovation can play in addressing a broad set of societal challenges. However, identifying and/or designing and scaling appropriate solutions is no small undertaking. Transforming today’s economy into a mission economy requires a broad range of actors from different sectors to work together, taking on different roles in the process (such as research, innovation, regulation, market access and skill development). This raises its own challenge, as interactions between these actors within the entrepreneurial ecosystem are often not well understood, especially in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs Labs are interactive, hands-on participatory workshops aimed at bringing together different stakeholders who are passionate about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and entrepreneurial approaches to achieving them. Participants will work in groups using a framework for better understanding SDGs-driven entrepreneurship ecosystems to explore case studies across regions and sectors.

Facilitated by

Nadim Choucair

Nadim Choucair

Founder, 2030 Cabinet & Co-Founder, Global Goals Directory

Cyiza Augustin

Cyiza Augustin

1000 Hills Honey Enterprise

CEO and Co-founder

Cyiza Augustin is the CEO and co-founder of 1000 Hills Honey Enterprise (1000HHE). 1000HHE’s mission is to process and add value to honey while improving the quality of life for all those involved. The business model is based on increasing the value of each harvest, while creating jobs in village communities in the Western province, Rusizi District, Rwanda. Augustin has received awards such as the IEEE PES Power Africa award and currently serves as Global Public Entrepreneurial Policy Liaison (Africa) on the 2021 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.

Donovan  Guttieres

Donovan Guttieres

KU Leuven & IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee

PhD researcher & Global Public Entrepreneurial Policy Liaison

Donovan Guttieres is a PhD researcher within the Access-To-Medicines Research Centre within the Faculty of Business & Economics at KU Leuven (Belgium), working on systems-based approaches to promoting pandemic preparedness. Donovan has a master’s degree in technology and policy from the Institute for Data, Systems and Society (IDSS) at MIT. Before that, he received a bachelor’s in biomedical engineering from Boston University. Guttieres is a member of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations’ Young Engineers / Future Leaders and currently serves as Global Public Entrepreneurial Policy Liaison on the 2021 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.

11:00
Break & Networking
11:15
Role of NDCs in concerted efforts to achieve climate goals

Climate Energy

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Climate Energy

Role of NDCs in concerted efforts to achieve climate goals

25/10/2021, 11:15 - 12:45 GST (Dubai)

09:15 - 10:45 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

08:15 - 09:45 WAT (Nigeria)

03:15 - 04:45 EDT (New York)

16:15 - 17:45 KST (Seoul)

15:15 - 16:45 CST (Beijing)

12:45 - 14:15 IST (New Delhi)

04:15 - 05:45 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and the achievement of long-term climate goals. They embody each country’s efforts to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Agreement states that every country is to prepare, communicate and maintain its intended successive NDCs.

Together, these actions will determine whether the world achieves the Agreement’s aims, including reversing the rise of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as soon as possible and following through with rapid reduction. Goals which can be met by utilising the best-available science to achieve a balance between human-caused emissions and their removal in the second half of this century. It is understood that developing countries will take longer to peak their emissions and that reductions will be undertaken on an equitable basis. All must be done in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, which are critical priorities for many developing countries.

This session will explore the challenges related with using NDCs as a mechanism for achieving climate goals and associated SDGs. How can we create and establish innovative financial mechanisms for implementing them, together with building national and regional capacity? And how can we accelerate this? High-level keynote speakers will share latest insights, examples and best practices.

Chaired by

Francesca  Vanthielen

Francesca Vanthielen

Moderator

Keynote speech

Lazarus Chakwera

H.E. Lazarus Chakwera

Republic of Malawi

President

Lazarus Chakwera is a Malawian theologian and politician who has been President of Malawi since June 2020. In addition to the Presidency, he is also self-appointed to the cabinet as Minister of Defence. Mr Chakwera has been leader of the Malawi Congress Party since 2013, and was previously Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly following highly controversial elections held on 21 May 2019, which were overturned by the Constitutional Court. He was appointed chairman of SADC on 17 August at the SADC 41st Annual Summit held on 9 August to 19 august in Lilongwe, Malawi. He was President of the Malawi Assemblies of God from 1989 to 14 May 2013.

Presentation

Amani Abou-Zeid

H.E. Amani Abou-Zeid

African Union Commission

Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy

Amani Abou-Zeid is the newly elected Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission (AUC). She is in charge of sectors covering Energy, Transport, Tourism and ICT. Prior to joining the AUC, Abou-Zeid has served for more than 30 years in leadership roles at top-tier international organisations, such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), UNDP and USAID, with a focus on infrastructure and energy programmes.

Over her career, Abou-Zeid has amassed a rare mix of experience from across Africa, France, UK and Canada. She has managed large and complex development programmes, including the largest operations portfolio of the African Development Bank (AfDB). An Egyptian national, Abou-Zeid speaks French, English, Arabic and Spanish. She is a trained telecommunications engineer with an MBA in project management from the French University for African Development (Université Senghor), a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Social and Economic Development from University of Manchester, UK. She also has a degree in Arts from Université Sorbonne-Paris IV.

Abou-Zeid has received numerous international awards and recognition for her leadership and excellence, including the honour of “Officier de l’Ordre de Wissam Alaouite” from His Majesty King Mohamed VI of Morocco and being recognised as a World Young Leader by the European Union.

Presentation

Rashid Ali Abdallah

Rashid Ali Abdallah

Africa Energy Commission

Executive Director

Rashid Ali Abdallah has been executive director of the African Energy Commission (AFREC) since November 2018. He has more than 20 years of experience in energy, sustainable development and environmental policy at national, regional and continental level. Prior to joining AFREC, Abdallah served as the Head of the Energy Division within the African Union Commission’s Department of Infrastructure and Energy.

In his current role, Abdallah spearheads and leads the delivery of AFREC’s work programmes and strategy, in cooperation with the African Union Commission and African member states, based on continental, regional and national priorities.

A Sudanese national, Abdallah has bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering (from the University of Khartoum) and project management (from the University of Birmingham, UK) and a Post Graduate Diploma in energy engineering from Khartoum University.

Presentation

Youssef  Nassef

Youssef Nassef

UNFCCC

Director Adaptation

Presentation

Rose  Mwebaza

Rose Mwebaza

Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)

Director

Rose Mwebaza is the Director of the CTCN and brings 20 years’ experience providing policy advice on a wide range of climate change, environment and sustainable development issues. She has previously served as Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank and held leadership positions within the UN Development Programme. Mwebaza was a Lecturer at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, for 10 years, serving as the Head of Department for Commercial Law and Deputy Dean of the Law School.

Mwebaza holds a PhD in environment and natural resource governance from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, a master’s degree in international comparative law (with a Certificate of Academic Excellence) from the University of Florida, U.S.A and a bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B, Hons.) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Presentation

Leen Govaerts

Leen Govaerts

VITO

Unit Manager Smart Energy & Built Environment

Presentation

Eirik Wærness

Eirik Wærness

Equinor

Senior Vice President and Chief Economist

Senior Vice President and Chief Economist in Equinor, group responsible for macroeconomics and energy and commodity market analyses, and head of strategy in mid- and downstream.

Broad experience from government, academics and private sector companies, as advisor and in different leadership positions. In Equinor, leader of Corporate Strategy, Corporate Planning and Analysis, Economic Analysis in Upstream Norway, Energy Market Analysis in addition to current role.

Currently non-executive member of the Board of Innovation Norway, and member of the Global Commission to examine Geopolitics of Energy Transformation, set up by IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, as well as non-executive member of the Board of Centre for applied research at the Norwegian School of Economics.

July 2016 – February 2018 non-executive member of the Board of the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet).

From 2014 in different energy initiatives under World Economic Forum, including special advisor for their work on energy architecture and member of the global council on the future of energy.
In the period 2010-2013 member of the Executive Board of the Central Bank of Norway.

Previous work experience from the Centre for applied research at the Norwegian School of Economics, Norwegian Ministry of Finance, Total E&P Norway, and Pöyry Management Consulting/Econ Centre for economic analysis.

Presentation

Hicham Bouzekri

Hicham Bouzekri

Development and Industry Integration, MASEN

Director of Research

Hisham Bouzekri obtained his engineer diploma in electronics and communications from L’École Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs in 1995. After two years working as a microelectronics industrial process engineer for SGS-Thomson in Casablanca, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 1997 to join the Master of Science program at the University of Florida, from which he graduated in 1998. He went on to get a PhD in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University in 2002. After graduating, Bouzekri was among the pioneers who established STMicroelectronics’ Rabat Integrated Circuit Design Center, a first in Africa.

Hisham Bouzekri held several management positions within STMicroelectronics and ST-Ericsson while concurrently holding an adjunct faculty position at Al Akhawayn University. Over the span of his 24 years of experience, he has co-authored a number of scientific publications and industry standards in wireless communications, and was elected an IEEE senior member.

In 2013, Bouzekri joined Mascir management team, a Moroccan not-for-profit foundation conducting market-oriented R&D in microelectronics, biotechnology & nano-materials. He served as its Chief Executive Officer until 2016.

Between 2017 and 2019, Bouzekri consulted with multiple national and international organisations, including the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) and the United Nations – ESCWA, on establishing innovation and knowledge economy ecosystems. He currently serves as MASEN’s Director of R&D and Industrial Integration.

Closing remarks

11:15
Artificial Intelligence in radiology

Health

×

Health

Artificial Intelligence in radiology

25/10/2021, 11:15 - 12:45 GST (Dubai)

09:15 - 10:45 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

08:15 - 09:45 WAT (Nigeria)

03:15 - 04:45 EDT (New York)

16:15 - 17:45 KST (Seoul)

15:15 - 16:45 CST (Beijing)

12:45 - 14:15 IST (New Delhi)

04:15 - 05:45 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Radiology plays a key role in diagnosis and management of disease, providing individual patient data which enables personalisation of therapy. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence will enable it to be carried out faster, as well as more accurately, efficiently and sustainably. This will free up radiologists’ time for multidisciplinary meetings, policy making and education, while quality of diagnosis in regions that are short-staffed will be enhanced.

Chaired by

Filip Deckers

Filip Deckers

GZA Hospitals

Head of Radiology and Medical Imaging

Presentation

AI’s foreseeable impact on radiologists’ work and how this affects sustainability

Erik Robert  Ranschaert

Erik Robert Ranschaert

ETZ Hospital Tilburg

Digital doctor

Presentation

Implementation of AI in medical imaging equipment for improved quality and sustainability

Ole  Per Maloy

Ole Per Maloy

Siemens Healthineers

Managing Director

Presentation

AI Deployment in LMIC Countries

Herman Oosterwijk

Herman Oosterwijk

RAD-AID International

Trainer/Consultant, Manager Informatics

Presentation

Transmural Radiology and AI

Anjum Ahmed

Anjum Ahmed

Agfa Healthcare

Chief Medical Officer

Presentation

How AI is changing the landscape of medicine

Wiro Niessen

Wiro Niessen

Erasmus MC & TU Delft

Professor of Biomedical Imager Analysis

Presentation

AI management and financing

Erik Robert  Ranschaert

Erik Robert Ranschaert

ETZ Hospital Tilburg

Digital doctor

12:45
Break & Networking
13:00
Screening Chinese TV Forum: Technology for the SDGs

All themes

×

Screening Chinese TV Forum: Technology for the SDGs

25/10/2021, 13:00 - 14:00 GST (Dubai)

11:00 - 12:00 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

10:00 - 11:00 WAT (Nigeria)

05:00 - 06:00 EDT (New York)

18:00 - 19:00 KST (Seoul)

17:00 - 18:00 CST (Beijing)

14:30 - 15:30 IST (New Delhi)

06:00 - 07:00 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Six years after the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) designed to end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change by 2030, are we on the right path?

With science, technology and innovation (STI) helping us navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, they are well-positioned to play a bigger role in achieving the SDGs.

But STI is not enough. To achieve the SDGs, we must make sure no one is left behind. Technology is not a solution for all problems. We need partnerships.

G-STIC collaborated with China Global Television Network’s (CGTN) flagship current affairs opinion show “Dialogue” to launch the special programme “Technologies for SDGs”. In this, VITO’s Managing Director Dirk Fransaer came together with world-renowned scientists and business leaders to share insights into how technologies can help us close the gaps as we strive to achieve the SDGs. Alongside Dirk, the show will feature:

  • Guo Huadong, Director-General, International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS)
  • Gong Ke, President, World Federation of Engineering Organizations
  • Rachel Chikwamba, Group Executive, Council for Industrial and Scientific Research
  • David De Schutter, Global Vice President of the Innovation Center, ABInBev
  • Chen Hong, Chief Executive, Hina Group
14:00
Valuing water: a global perspective

Water

×

Water

Valuing water: a global perspective

25/10/2021, 14:00 - 15:30 GST (Dubai)

12:00 - 13:30 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

11:00 - 12:30 WAT (Nigeria)

06:00 - 07:30 EDT (New York)

19:00 - 20:30 KST (Seoul)

18:00 - 19:30 CST (Beijing)

15:30 - 17:00 IST (New Delhi)

07:00 - 08:30 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Following on from the first session on valuing water and the Flanders’ perspective on how to prioritise water in a changing climate, we widen the perspective by presenting important issues that underpin the value in water. We are aware that in a changing climate more extreme flooding and drought events will occur, meaning that we will have to not only control and reduce GHG emissions but also put in place climate adaptation measures to ensure resilience to the severe impacts that are already happening. We present and discuss how we are responding in different areas of the world to the challenge of putting a proper value in water, including waste water, because “if mitigation is all about carbon, then adpatation is all about water”.

Introduction

Francesca  Vanthielen

Francesca Vanthielen

Moderator

Keynote speech

The untapped potential of wastewater

Jan Goossens

Jan Goossens

Aquafin

CEO

Jan Goossens has been Aquafin’s CEO since the end of 2016. With over 1,000 dedicated employees, Aquafin operates more than 300 wastewater treatment units throughout Flanders, as well as managing and financing the continued expansion of the Flemish Region’s sewer infrastructure and water treatment capacity. Backed by in-house research, the company is also diversifying into large-scale energy, heat and nutrient recovery from wastewater. Another current key activity is the development of integrated stormwater plans to help municipalities counter the increasing effects of climate change, such as drought and flooding.

With a PhD in analytical chemistry, Jan Goossens began his professional career at BASF, where he was involved with both the plastic (nylon) and fertiliser businesses, holding several management positions in HR, sales and operations. He went on to become Managing Director of Marpobel, an industrial water treatment facility in the Port of Antwerp, and Managing Director of Industrial Services, a Dutch maintenance provider to the Chemical, Energy and Offshore Industry. Jan has also been a guest professor at Ghent University for 15 years, where he currently serves as a guest lecturer on water management.

Presentation

Valuing Water and Adaptations to Climate Change in Agriculture

Lifeng Li

Lifeng Li

FAO

Director of Land and Water Division

Lifeng LI is the Director of Land and Water Division, FAO. Prior to joining FAO headquarters, Mr Li served as Coordinator of Support Programmes at the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Incheon, Republic of Korea, during June 2018 – May 2021. He started his career in 2000 as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China. In 2002, he joined the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) China Programme as Coordinator of Freshwater and Marine Programme in Beijing, and, at a later stage, he took up the duties of Officer of Freshwater and Marine Programme and Director of Freshwater Programme.

Between July 2008 and March 2017, he served as Director of Freshwater Programme of WWF International in Gland, Switzerland. During June 2017 to May 2018, he was the Head of Programmes at the Wetlands International in Ede-Wageningen, Netherlands. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Geography from Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, and a Bachelor of Science in Geographical Education from Shandong Normal University in China.

Presentation

Valuing water – a pillar of the NGO approach to development

Arnoud Lust

Arnoud Lust

Join For Water

Board Member

Arnoud Lust started his career as a project manager leading drinking water projects in Haiti for the NGO Join for Water (then called Protos). Today he is Manager International Business Development at VITO and CEO of VITO Middle East LLC in Qatar. He is responsible for increasing the volume of international contracts won by VITO outside Europe and acts as account manager for International Financing Institutions such as the World Bank. Previously he was business development manager of the Energy division of VITO.

For 10 years he was international business development manager for ARCADIS Belgium (previously ECOLAS NV), a consulting and engineering group active in the fields of environment, infrastructure and buildings. 10 years before that he worked for the water company Aquafin, first as Team Leader in the Planning Department and later as Department Head Special Projects and Environmental Management. Arnoud is a board member of the NGO Join for Water since 1998 and was the chairman from 2009 to 2015.

Presentation

How engineering companies address the value of water

Jef Monbaillieu

Jef Monbaillieu

Jan De Nul Group

Business Development Manager

Jef Monballieu is a business development manager at Jan De Nul group, an international marine and civil contractor and president of the steering committee of The Blue Cluster, a Belgian industrial cluster focussed on innovation in the North Sea, with topics ranging from aquaculture to offshore energy. Jef was previously president of the Belgian offshore energy cluster. He has occupied various roles at Jan De Nul group, in the marine construction, civil and offshore branches. He has master’s degrees in civil engineering and business economics from the Ghent University.

Presentation

From Antarctica to Mars: how Water is the blue gold

Jacob Bossaer

Jacob Bossaer

BOSAQ

Founder & CEO

Presentation

Defining the value of water: a global conundrum needing a local response

Pernille  Weiss

Pernille Weiss

European Parliament

Chair of the MEP Water Group

Pernille Weiss (Member of the European Parliament) is a politician from the Conservative People’s Party of Denmark and a member of the European People’s Party, EPP. She holds a seat in the Industry, Research & Energy Committee (ITRE) and is a substitute member of The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

Weiss also holds a substitute seat in The Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM) and has been a board member of SME Europe since 2019. Prior to becoming an MEP, she served eight years as a County Council member. An acknowledged Nordic expert in architecture and health and how built environments impact complex institutions, Pernille Weiss was a head manager in the public health care sector and the building consultancy industry before establishing her own consultancy firm in 2008.

Panel discussion

Jan Goossens

Jan Goossens

Aquafin

CEO

Jan Goossens has been Aquafin’s CEO since the end of 2016. With over 1,000 dedicated employees, Aquafin operates more than 300 wastewater treatment units throughout Flanders, as well as managing and financing the continued expansion of the Flemish Region’s sewer infrastructure and water treatment capacity. Backed by in-house research, the company is also diversifying into large-scale energy, heat and nutrient recovery from wastewater. Another current key activity is the development of integrated stormwater plans to help municipalities counter the increasing effects of climate change, such as drought and flooding.

With a PhD in analytical chemistry, Jan Goossens began his professional career at BASF, where he was involved with both the plastic (nylon) and fertiliser businesses, holding several management positions in HR, sales and operations. He went on to become Managing Director of Marpobel, an industrial water treatment facility in the Port of Antwerp, and Managing Director of Industrial Services, a Dutch maintenance provider to the Chemical, Energy and Offshore Industry. Jan has also been a guest professor at Ghent University for 15 years, where he currently serves as a guest lecturer on water management.

Arnoud Lust

Arnoud Lust

Join For Water

Board Member

Arnoud Lust started his career as a project manager leading drinking water projects in Haiti for the NGO Join for Water (then called Protos). Today he is Manager International Business Development at VITO and CEO of VITO Middle East LLC in Qatar. He is responsible for increasing the volume of international contracts won by VITO outside Europe and acts as account manager for International Financing Institutions such as the World Bank. Previously he was business development manager of the Energy division of VITO.

For 10 years he was international business development manager for ARCADIS Belgium (previously ECOLAS NV), a consulting and engineering group active in the fields of environment, infrastructure and buildings. 10 years before that he worked for the water company Aquafin, first as Team Leader in the Planning Department and later as Department Head Special Projects and Environmental Management. Arnoud is a board member of the NGO Join for Water since 1998 and was the chairman from 2009 to 2015.

Jef Monbaillieu

Jef Monbaillieu

Jan De Nul Group

Business Development Manager

Jef Monballieu is a business development manager at Jan De Nul group, an international marine and civil contractor and president of the steering committee of The Blue Cluster, a Belgian industrial cluster focussed on innovation in the North Sea, with topics ranging from aquaculture to offshore energy. Jef was previously president of the Belgian offshore energy cluster. He has occupied various roles at Jan De Nul group, in the marine construction, civil and offshore branches. He has master’s degrees in civil engineering and business economics from the Ghent University.

Jacob Bossaer

Jacob Bossaer

BOSAQ

Founder & CEO

14:00
Solutions to overcome data scarcity for NDC’s

Climate Energy

×

Climate Energy

Solutions to overcome data scarcity for NDC’s

25/10/2021, 14:00 - 15:30 GST (Dubai)

12:00 - 13:30 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

11:00 - 12:30 WAT (Nigeria)

06:00 - 07:30 EDT (New York)

19:00 - 20:30 KST (Seoul)

18:00 - 19:30 CST (Beijing)

15:30 - 17:00 IST (New Delhi)

07:00 - 08:30 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

While NDCs embody countries’ efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change, mitigating it by reducing GHG emissions remains a critical part of many policies (and SDG13). Verifiable data is crucial for determining efficient strategies and is pivotal for updating NDCs, as well as monitoring and reporting on implementation and progress. However, it is not available in many areas. This session will zoom in on solutions for overcoming data scarcity and focus on capacity building needs.

Presentation

Youssef  Nassef

Youssef Nassef

UNFCCC

Director Adaptation

Presentation

Rashid Ali Abdallah

Rashid Ali Abdallah

Africa Energy Commission

Executive Director

Rashid Ali Abdallah has been executive director of the African Energy Commission (AFREC) since November 2018. He has more than 20 years of experience in energy, sustainable development and environmental policy at national, regional and continental level. Prior to joining AFREC, Abdallah served as the Head of the Energy Division within the African Union Commission’s Department of Infrastructure and Energy.

In his current role, Abdallah spearheads and leads the delivery of AFREC’s work programmes and strategy, in cooperation with the African Union Commission and African member states, based on continental, regional and national priorities.

A Sudanese national, Abdallah has bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering (from the University of Khartoum) and project management (from the University of Birmingham, UK) and a Post Graduate Diploma in energy engineering from Khartoum University.

Presentation

Filip Lefebre

Filip Lefebre

VITO

Urban Climate Service Manager

Filip Lefebre is a business developer and project manager in VITO’s Environmental Modelling business unit’s Climate Service team. This team delivers innovative, sustainable and scientifically sound products and services to better manage, predict and control our shared natural resources (air, water, land, soil, eco-systems), based on computer modelling and information technology. It specialises in the processing of past, present and future climate data into information and services suitable for use by customer-oriented organisations. The Climate Service Team’s expertise covers urban climate services as well as climate health, biodiversity and agriculture services.

Filip has a PhD in physics of regional climate modelling of the Greenland ice sheet (2001) from the Catholic University of Louvain.

Presentation

Cassius Chiwambo

Cassius Chiwambo

Government of Malawi

Director Ministry of Energy

Cassius Chiwambo is a Director at Ministry of Energy in Malawi. He has vast experience in Petroleum and Minerals. Cassius has both Technical as well as Legal skills having done Masters of Mining at Curtin University in Western Australia, Energy and Mineral Law and Policy at Dundee University in Scotland. He is a final year PhD Student pursuing Energy and Petroleum Law at the same institution.

He worked as an Acting Commissioner of Petroleum in Malawi from 2016 to June, 2020 before before appointed as a Director of Energy in July, 2020.

Cassius Chiwambo is the brain behind Malawi’s Upstream Petroleum Sector, having promoted the exploration of actual fuels and also Renewable Sources of Energy from Geothermal and others.

He is currently championing the realization of 1000 MW to the National Grid in 4 years (From 2021 to 2024), which is an Industrial-Economical vision made by His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Mac Cathy Chakwera, the State President of Malawi and supported by Malawi’s National Planing Commission (NPC) and the Agenda 2063 on Universal Access to Electricity.

Panel discussion

Debate

Youssef  Nassef

Youssef Nassef

UNFCCC

Director Adaptation

Rashid Ali Abdallah

Rashid Ali Abdallah

Africa Energy Commission

Executive Director

Rashid Ali Abdallah has been executive director of the African Energy Commission (AFREC) since November 2018. He has more than 20 years of experience in energy, sustainable development and environmental policy at national, regional and continental level. Prior to joining AFREC, Abdallah served as the Head of the Energy Division within the African Union Commission’s Department of Infrastructure and Energy.

In his current role, Abdallah spearheads and leads the delivery of AFREC’s work programmes and strategy, in cooperation with the African Union Commission and African member states, based on continental, regional and national priorities.

A Sudanese national, Abdallah has bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering (from the University of Khartoum) and project management (from the University of Birmingham, UK) and a Post Graduate Diploma in energy engineering from Khartoum University.

Filip Lefebre

Filip Lefebre

VITO

Urban Climate Service Manager

Filip Lefebre is a business developer and project manager in VITO’s Environmental Modelling business unit’s Climate Service team. This team delivers innovative, sustainable and scientifically sound products and services to better manage, predict and control our shared natural resources (air, water, land, soil, eco-systems), based on computer modelling and information technology. It specialises in the processing of past, present and future climate data into information and services suitable for use by customer-oriented organisations. The Climate Service Team’s expertise covers urban climate services as well as climate health, biodiversity and agriculture services.

Filip has a PhD in physics of regional climate modelling of the Greenland ice sheet (2001) from the Catholic University of Louvain.

Cassius Chiwambo

Cassius Chiwambo

Government of Malawi

Director Ministry of Energy

Cassius Chiwambo is a Director at Ministry of Energy in Malawi. He has vast experience in Petroleum and Minerals. Cassius has both Technical as well as Legal skills having done Masters of Mining at Curtin University in Western Australia, Energy and Mineral Law and Policy at Dundee University in Scotland. He is a final year PhD Student pursuing Energy and Petroleum Law at the same institution.

He worked as an Acting Commissioner of Petroleum in Malawi from 2016 to June, 2020 before before appointed as a Director of Energy in July, 2020.

Cassius Chiwambo is the brain behind Malawi’s Upstream Petroleum Sector, having promoted the exploration of actual fuels and also Renewable Sources of Energy from Geothermal and others.

He is currently championing the realization of 1000 MW to the National Grid in 4 years (From 2021 to 2024), which is an Industrial-Economical vision made by His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Mac Cathy Chakwera, the State President of Malawi and supported by Malawi’s National Planing Commission (NPC) and the Agenda 2063 on Universal Access to Electricity.

15:30
Break & Networking
15:45
Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation

Climate Energy

×

Climate Energy

Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation

25/10/2021, 15:45 - 17:15 GST (Dubai)

13:45 - 15:15 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

12:45 - 14:15 WAT (Nigeria)

07:45 - 09:15 EDT (New York)

20:45 - 22:15 KST (Seoul)

19:45 - 21:15 CST (Beijing)

17:15 - 18:45 IST (New Delhi)

08:45 - 10:15 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and the attainment of long-term climate goals. They embody each country’s efforts to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Together, these actions will determine whether the world achieves the Agreement’s aims, including reversing the rise of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as soon as possible and following through with rapid reduction.

This session will explore the challenges related to using NDCs as a mechanism for achieving climate goals and associated SDGs. As a starting point, we need to identify the hurdles and enablers for implementing them, while building national and regional capacity. The UNFCC Technical Committee’s background paper on Mapping Barriers and Enabling Environments in Technology Needs Assessments, Nationally Determined Contributions, and Technical Assistance of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (published September 2018) summarises a detailed analysis which will form this session’s basis for discussion.

Chaired by

Rose  Mwebaza

Rose Mwebaza

Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)

Director

Rose Mwebaza is the Director of the CTCN and brings 20 years’ experience providing policy advice on a wide range of climate change, environment and sustainable development issues. She has previously served as Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank and held leadership positions within the UN Development Programme. Mwebaza was a Lecturer at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, for 10 years, serving as the Head of Department for Commercial Law and Deputy Dean of the Law School.

Mwebaza holds a PhD in environment and natural resource governance from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, a master’s degree in international comparative law (with a Certificate of Academic Excellence) from the University of Florida, U.S.A and a bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B, Hons.) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Introductory video: the vision of G-STIC

Opening remarks

Rose  Mwebaza

Rose Mwebaza

Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)

Director

Rose Mwebaza is the Director of the CTCN and brings 20 years’ experience providing policy advice on a wide range of climate change, environment and sustainable development issues. She has previously served as Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank and held leadership positions within the UN Development Programme. Mwebaza was a Lecturer at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, for 10 years, serving as the Head of Department for Commercial Law and Deputy Dean of the Law School.

Mwebaza holds a PhD in environment and natural resource governance from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, a master’s degree in international comparative law (with a Certificate of Academic Excellence) from the University of Florida, U.S.A and a bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B, Hons.) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Keynote speech

Jairam  Ramesh

H.E. Jairam Ramesh

Former India Minister of Environment

Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)

Jairam Ramesh is a well-known economist, government official and senior pioneer of the Indian National Congress. He is a member of parliament representing Andhra Pradesh state, a position he has held since June 2004.

In 2011, Jairam Ramesh was elevated to the Union Council of Ministers of India and appointed Minister of Rural Development and Minister of the new Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Between May 2009 and July 2011, he was Minister of State at the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Ramesh has been a columnist for The Business Standard, Business Today, The Telegraph, The Times and India Today, and has also anchored a number of popular television programmes on business and the economy. In addition, Jairam Ramesh is the author of the books: “Making Sense of Chindia: Reflections on China and India” (2005), “Mobilising Technology for World Development” (Co-editor, 1979), “To the Brink and Back: India’s 1991 Story” (2015) and “Old History, New Geography” (2016).

Presentation

Insights on the implementation of NDCs in Malawi

Cassius Chiwambo

Cassius Chiwambo

Government of Malawi

Director Department of Energy

Cassius Chiwambo is a Director at Ministry of Energy in Malawi. He has vast experience in Petroleum and Minerals. Cassius has both Technical as well as Legal skills having done Masters of Mining at Curtin University in Western Australia, Energy and Mineral Law and Policy at Dundee University in Scotland. He a final year PhD Student pursuing Energy and Petroleum Law at the same institution. He worked as an Acting Commissioner of Petroleum in Malawi from 2016 to June, 2020 before before appointed as a Director of Energy in July, 2020.

Cassius Chiwambo is the brain behind Malawi’s Upstream Petroleum Sector, having promoted the exploration of actual fuels and also Renewable Sources of Energy from Geothermal and others. He is currently championing the realization of 1000 MW to the National Grid in 4 years (From 2021 to 2024), which is an Industrial-Economical vision made by His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Mac Cathy Chakwera, the State President of Malawi and supported by Malawi’s National Planing Commission (NPC) and the Agenda 2063 on Universal Access to Electricity.

Presentation

Designing a funding framework for the impacts of slow-onset climate change – Insights from recent coastal retreat experiences

Swenja Surminski

Swenja Surminski

Climate Change & the Environment

Deputy Director

Swenja Surminski is Deputy Director and Head of Adaptation Research at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, which is part of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Here, she oversees social science research projects on climate adaptation, climate change Loss and Damage and disaster risk finance, with a geographic scope ranging from the UK to developing countries.

Swenja’s research investigates climate risk management and resilience strategies. It focusses on public policies, financial instruments and individual behaviour through a mix of inter-disciplinary approaches, integrating concepts from geography, climate science, economics and governance studies.

Prior to joining LSE in 2010, Swenja spent more than ten years in the insurance industry working on climate and risks management, holding roles at companies such as Munich Re, Marsh Mc Lennon and the Association of British Insurers. Swenja was a Fulbright Scholar in the US, studying Ecological Economics and International Relations at the University of New Hampshire. She received a PhD in political science from Hamburg University for her work on ‘Climate Change and the Insurance Industry’ in 2002.

Presentation

Blue-green measures for climate adaptation

Griet  Verstraeten

Griet Verstraeten

Department of Environment

Policy Officer Climate Adaptation

Griet Verstraeten works as a policy advisor on climate change adaptation in the Flemish Government Department of Environment and Spatial Development. She is also the lead expert for Belgium on the European Adaptation Strategy.

In her role as policy advisor, Griet coordinates the work on local policy for Flanders carried out by the Flemish Task Force on Climate Change Adaptation and representatives from other Flemish Government departments (including agriculture and fisheries, mobility and infrastructure, economy and innovation, health, nature and forestry, environment, water, spatial planning). She is responsible for the development and implementation of the Flemish Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and for the communication, knowledge exchange and awareness-raising associated with it.

Griet has a master’s degree in bioscience engineering (land and forest management) from KU Leuven, a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Antwerp and over 20 years’ experience in spatial planning, environmental policy, sustainable development and international cooperation. Verstraeten is an expert in international and European policies on climate change adaptation, with specific expertise on the implementation of nature-based solutions.

Griet Verstraeten represents the Flemish Government in the Belgian national working group on climate change adaptation (under the national climate commission) and is an active member of Working Group VI, the network on climate change adaptation under DG Climate.

Presentation

Innovative financing as a catalyst for climate technology transfer

Rywon Yang

Rywon Yang

Green Technology Center

Senior Researcher

Rywon Yang is a senior researcher in the Climate Technology Cooperation Division of the Green Technology Center—Korea. She has two main areas of research. One is linkages between technology and finance in climate change. The other is legal and regulatory aspects of climate technology transfer in developing countries.

Rywon Yang has developed GCF projects (concept notes, readiness proposals) and implemented CTCN technical assistance projects on both adaptation and mitigation technologies for countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Kenya. Previous to this, she worked for the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Justice as a legal specialist. She participated in UNFCCC negotiations as a member of the Korean delegation, and examined the legal implications of negotiation texts for documents such as the Paris Agreement.

Rywon has also led several legal technical assistance projects for revising legal and institutional frameworks, as well as organised capacity building trainings for legal professionals from developing countries, namely Laos, Paraguay and Papua New Guinea. She earned her master’s in law from University Pantheon-Sorbonne Paris I in France.

Presentation

Key findings of the deep dive session on data scarcity

Leen Govaerts

Leen Govaerts

VITO

Unit Manager Smart Energy & Built Environment

Q&A and panel discussion

Cassius Chiwambo

Cassius Chiwambo

Government of Malawi

Director Department of Energy

Cassius Chiwambo is a Director at Ministry of Energy in Malawi. He has vast experience in Petroleum and Minerals. Cassius has both Technical as well as Legal skills having done Masters of Mining at Curtin University in Western Australia, Energy and Mineral Law and Policy at Dundee University in Scotland. He a final year PhD Student pursuing Energy and Petroleum Law at the same institution. He worked as an Acting Commissioner of Petroleum in Malawi from 2016 to June, 2020 before before appointed as a Director of Energy in July, 2020.

Cassius Chiwambo is the brain behind Malawi’s Upstream Petroleum Sector, having promoted the exploration of actual fuels and also Renewable Sources of Energy from Geothermal and others. He is currently championing the realization of 1000 MW to the National Grid in 4 years (From 2021 to 2024), which is an Industrial-Economical vision made by His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Mac Cathy Chakwera, the State President of Malawi and supported by Malawi’s National Planing Commission (NPC) and the Agenda 2063 on Universal Access to Electricity.

Griet  Verstraeten

Griet Verstraeten

Department of Environment

Policy Officer Climate Adaptation

Griet Verstraeten works as a policy advisor on climate change adaptation in the Flemish Government Department of Environment and Spatial Development. She is also the lead expert for Belgium on the European Adaptation Strategy.

In her role as policy advisor, Griet coordinates the work on local policy for Flanders carried out by the Flemish Task Force on Climate Change Adaptation and representatives from other Flemish Government departments (including agriculture and fisheries, mobility and infrastructure, economy and innovation, health, nature and forestry, environment, water, spatial planning). She is responsible for the development and implementation of the Flemish Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and for the communication, knowledge exchange and awareness-raising associated with it.

Griet has a master’s degree in bioscience engineering (land and forest management) from KU Leuven, a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Antwerp and over 20 years’ experience in spatial planning, environmental policy, sustainable development and international cooperation. Verstraeten is an expert in international and European policies on climate change adaptation, with specific expertise on the implementation of nature-based solutions.

Griet Verstraeten represents the Flemish Government in the Belgian national working group on climate change adaptation (under the national climate commission) and is an active member of Working Group VI, the network on climate change adaptation under DG Climate.

Leen Govaerts

Leen Govaerts

VITO

Unit Manager Smart Energy & Built Environment

Closing remarks

Rose  Mwebaza

Rose Mwebaza

Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)

Director

Rose Mwebaza is the Director of the CTCN and brings 20 years’ experience providing policy advice on a wide range of climate change, environment and sustainable development issues. She has previously served as Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank and held leadership positions within the UN Development Programme. Mwebaza was a Lecturer at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, for 10 years, serving as the Head of Department for Commercial Law and Deputy Dean of the Law School.

Mwebaza holds a PhD in environment and natural resource governance from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, a master’s degree in international comparative law (with a Certificate of Academic Excellence) from the University of Florida, U.S.A and a bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B, Hons.) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

15:45
Reorganising the healthcare environment for integrated sustainability

Health

×

Health

Reorganising the healthcare environment for integrated sustainability

25/10/2021, 15:45 - 17:15 GST (Dubai)

13:45 - 15:15 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

12:45 - 14:15 WAT (Nigeria)

07:45 - 09:15 EDT (New York)

20:45 - 22:15 KST (Seoul)

19:45 - 21:15 CST (Beijing)

17:15 - 18:45 IST (New Delhi)

08:45 - 10:15 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Health care workers (HCW’s) play a vital role in providing the necessary care to advance health and wellbeing across the globe. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) estimates that up to 13 million nurses will be needed to fill the global nurse shortage gap in the future. What do health care workers need to stay engaged and motivated in healthcare? How important is the working environment and what can healthcare organisations do to enhance engagement? Which shift in skill mix and competencies do nurses need in the future?

Chaired by

Liesbet Lombaerts

Liesbet Lombaerts

GZA Hospitals

Director Care and Strategy

Wim Van De Waeter

Wim Van De Waeter

ZNA Hospitals

Chief Nursing Executive

Presentation

The working environment in healthcare and the impact on staff welbeing: strategies to adapt the practice setting

Walter Sermeus

Walter Sermeus

KU Leuven

Professor Institute for Healthcare Policy

Walter Sermeus is a professor of healthcare management at the Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, within the University of Leuven KU Leuven, Belgium. He is currently the Programme Director of this university’s Master in Health Care Policy & Management course, and was the Frances Bloomberg International Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto, Canada, in 2015-16.

Sermeus has a PhD in public health, master’s degrees in biostatistics, healthcare management and nursing sciences and a bachelor’s degree in nursing. He was European coordinator of the EU-FP7 RN4CAST-project, Nurse Forecasting in Europe 2009-2011. Walter Sermeus is also a fellow of the European Academy of Nursing Science, the American Academy of Nursing and the Royal Societies of Medicine in Belgium and the UK.

Presentation

The rise of self-employed healthcare workers: filling the missing gaps

Lex Tabak

Lex Tabak

Behavioral coach

Presentation

The globally inenquitable workforce distribution: migration, cultural fit and economic impact

Marguerite Baty  Lucea

Marguerite Baty Lucea

Towson University

Assistant Professor

Presentation

Engaged staff provide safe, high-quality care

Rebecca Richmond

Rebecca Richmond

Optum

Director Optum Advisory Services

Presentation

Useful methods for managing health workforce shortages

Eszter Kovacs

Eszter Kovacs

Semmelweis University

Assistant Professor

17:15
Break & networking
17:30
Mapping the SDG Entrepreneurship ecosystem in the MENA region

Entrepreneurship

×

Entrepreneurship

Mapping the SDG Entrepreneurship ecosystem in the MENA region

25/10/2021, 17:30 - 19:00 GST (Dubai)

15:30 - 17:00 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

14:30 - 16:00 WAT (Nigeria)

09:30 - 11:00 EDT (New York)

22:30 - 00:00 KST (Seoul)

21:30 - 23:00 CST (Beijing)

19:00 - 20:30 IST (New Delhi)

10:30 - 12:00 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

The G-STIC Conference brings together a community of stakeholders who are passionate about using science, technology and innovation in ways that can lead to win-win solutions for the economy, for the environment and for the people.

The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), including its IEEE Entrepreneurship Community, is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.

This session aims to bring together a community of practitioners, innovators and students to meet, share experiences and design entrepreneurial ecosystems that can help accelerate progress towards the SDGs, especially in the MENA region.

18:00
Break & Networking

Belgian Pavilion

14:00
Circular textiles

Circular Economy

×

Circular Economy

Circular textiles

25/10/2021, 14:00 - 15:30 GST (Dubai)

12:00 - 13:30 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

11:00 - 12:30 WAT (Nigeria)

06:00 - 07:30 EDT (New York)

19:00 - 20:30 KST (Seoul)

18:00 - 19:30 CST (Beijing)

15:30 - 17:00 IST (New Delhi)

07:00 - 08:30 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Textiles is a key product category in the European Circular Economy Action Plan. Although there is a long history of collection and reuse of textiles, the existing system is largely based on international trade and minimisation of costs. Achieving sustainability and circularity will only come through systemic change, which will have to consider all aspects of the SDGs. Flexible electronics embedded within textiles for functional and aesthetic reasons is a rapidly emerging phenomenon. These enable tracking and tracing for materials management, but may also complicate recycling of fibres.

Chaired by

Karl Vrancken

Karl Vrancken

VITO

Research Manager Sustainable Materials

Karl Vrancken is Research Manager Sustainable Materials Management at VITO. He is responsible for the strategic management of VITO’s Materials programme. He also has a part-time position as professor at the University of Antwerp (Department of Bio-engineering), where he teaches sustainable resources management.

Karl has broad experience as a researcher and project manager in projects on sustainability assessment and transition, waste management and treatment, secondary raw materials, best available techniques (BAT) and integrated pollution prevention and control. He has also worked as a Detached National Expert with the European IPPC Bureau in Seville (Spain), where he was the author of the BAT Reference Document for the Foundries sector.

Karl is the initiator and chairman of the European Circular Economy Research Alliance (ECERA) and strategic advisor to the European Topic Centre on Waste and Materials for a Green Economy, a consortium of European organisations working in partnership with the European Environment Agency (EEA). During its start-up phase, he was interim Chief Operations Officer to the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) EIT RawMaterials that was founded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

He is an expert speaker on circular economy in the media and at various national and international conferences.

Presentation

The SCIRT project: developing a circular value chain in Europe

Tom Duhoux

Tom Duhoux

VITO

Expert Circular Economy

Tom Duhoux has more than 10 years of experience in applying sustainability and circularity principles in businesses. As well as co-founding a sustainability consultancy, he has proven the concept of circular business innovation in the textiles industry by founding the circular denim brand HNST. Prior to embarking on his consultancy work, Tom worked in waste management in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK. Tom is currently a Circular Economy researcher at VITO, involved in various projects to do with circular textiles.

Presentation

Spinning threads: the potential of agrofood-residues for fully biobased textiles in 2050. First in Asia, then in the world.

Michiel Scheffer

Michiel Scheffer

WUR

Programme Manager Sustainable Textiles

Michiel Scheffer is a Doctor in economic geography (Utrecht, 1992). He has worked for the Dutch fashion industry association Modint, been a professor at Saxion in Enschede and held the position of Gelderland Regional Minister for Economy, Education and International Affairs. Dr Scheffer is currently the Programme Manager for Sustainable Textiles at Wageningen University & Research.

Presentation

Using digital technologies and ecosystems to drive towards a more sustainable textiles and fashion industry

Julie  Lietaer

Julie Lietaer

European Spinning Group

Co-CEO

Julie is holds a master’s degree in Financial Management from Vlerick Business School. She has several years of experience as a business consultant at Arthur D Little and business analyst at Barco.

She is active as a board member of the Belgian textile federation Fedustria, Textirama Foundation and various educational institutes in Belgium. Julie’s expertise lies in knowledge of fibres and sustainable yarns, as well as in circular product development projects.

Presentation

Fiber Traceability

Tobias Herzog

Tobias Herzog

Tailorlux

CEO

Q&A

15:45
Digital technologies for urban mining

Circular Economy ICT

×

Circular Economy ICT

Digital technologies for urban mining

25/10/2021, 15:45 - 17:15 GST (Dubai)

13:45 - 15:15 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

12:45 - 14:15 WAT (Nigeria)

07:45 - 09:15 EDT (New York)

20:45 - 22:15 KST (Seoul)

19:45 - 21:15 CST (Beijing)

17:15 - 18:45 IST (New Delhi)

08:45 - 10:15 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Increasing the circularity of our materials system requires increased recovery of metals from the urban mine. Recycling processes depend on feed materials with a known and constant composition. Extracting these from end-of-life products thereby requires controlled, high-quality processing. This is an area where more effort and automation are needed. Artificial Intelligence has a valuable role to play, as it can be used to characterise and separate complex products and mixed material flows. Novel technologies are entering the market.

Chaired by

Karl Vrancken

Karl Vrancken

VITO

Research Manager Sustainable Materials

Karl Vrancken is Research Manager Sustainable Materials Management at VITO. He is responsible for the strategic management of VITO’s Materials programme. He also has a part-time position as professor at the University of Antwerp (Department of Bio-engineering), where he teaches sustainable resources management.

Karl has broad experience as a researcher and project manager in projects on sustainability assessment and transition, waste management and treatment, secondary raw materials, best available techniques (BAT) and integrated pollution prevention and control. He has also worked as a Detached National Expert with the European IPPC Bureau in Seville (Spain), where he was the author of the BAT Reference Document for the Foundries sector.

Karl is the initiator and chairman of the European Circular Economy Research Alliance (ECERA) and strategic advisor to the European Topic Centre on Waste and Materials for a Green Economy, a consortium of European organisations working in partnership with the European Environment Agency (EEA). During its start-up phase, he was interim Chief Operations Officer to the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) EIT RawMaterials that was founded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

He is an expert speaker on circular economy in the media and at various national and international conferences.

Presentation

Controlled processing of end-of-life products and goods for high grade recovery

Caroline Craenhals

Caroline Craenhals

Belgian Scrap Terminal Group

CEO, Co-owner

Caroline Craenhals was born and raised in the recycling business. Her great grandfather saw there was value in discarded metals and founded Belgian Scrap Terminal. As she grew up, surrounded by heavy machinery, steel and port terminals, her choices in life were always inspired by the family business.

Caroline studied commercial engineering at VUB Solvay Management School and graduated with great distinction with her thesis “Management of automotive shredder residues”. After specialising further, in 2015 she was invited to join a select group of businesswomen from all around the world taking part in “The Women Entrepreneur Program”, an exclusive leadership programme at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Having accumulated years of management experience in the family recycling business’s branches around Western Europe, Caroline is now CEO and co-owner of Belgian Scrap Terminal Group, which supplies the global market with 1.5 million tonnes of valuable and natural resources via the Port of Antwerp.

Under her watch, Belgian Scrap Terminal has evolved from a purely revenue-driven company into a value-driven one, with a genuine passion for recycling.

Caroline strongly believes in an ecosystem where collaboration, smart recycling and urban mining leave nothing to waste.

Presentation

Machine learning for characterisation of WEEE

Eric  Dewaet

Eric Dewaet

Recupel

CEO/COO

Steven Latré

Steven Latré

Imec

Director Research Centre

Steven Latré is a professor at the University of Antwerp and a director at the Imec research centre in Belgium. He leads the IDLab Antwerp research group (100+ members), which is performing applied and fundamental research in the area of communication networks and distributed intelligence. His personal research interests are in the domain of low-power machine learning and its application to wireless network optimisation.

Presentation

AI-based characterisation of streams containing mixed metals

Kris  Broos

Kris Broos

VITO

Expert Sustainable Materials

Kris Broos graduated as an environmental engineer in 1999 and obtained a PhD in Applied and Biological Sciences in 2003 at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). After 5 years of environmental research at CSIRO Land and Water in Australia, Kris moved back to Belgium to work at VITO, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research.

With a track record of more than 35 SCI papers and strong involvement in several large EU projects (H2020, EIT Raw Materials, Interreg), Kris has become an expert on Sustainable Materials Management, particularly in the field of transformation of inorganic waste streams into new resources and products. The recycling of construction and demolition waste, metal slags and industrial waste streams are among his main focus areas.

Kris is currently exploring a new strategic research line on the use of sensor-based technologies and machine learning for the inline characterisation of heterogeneous waste streams.

Presentation

Distributed Ledger Technology for transparency and accountability in the recycling system

Stan  Chen

Stan Chen

RecycleGO

CEO & Co-Founder

An eco-entrepreneur, Stan’s passion for sustainability along with 20+ years of experience in the recycling industry has provided the knowledge needed to design and develop ever-innovative solutions for the recycling industry, the economy, and the environment.

Q&A

18:45
Blue Innovation Awards

Oceans

×

Oceans

Blue Innovation Awards

25/10/2021, 18:45 - 20:00 GST (Dubai)

16:45 - 18:00 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

15:45 - 17:00 WAT (Nigeria)

10:45 - 12:00 EDT (New York)

23:45 - 01:00 KST (Seoul)

22:45 - 00:00 CST (Beijing)

20:15 - 21:30 IST (New Delhi)

11:45 - 13:00 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Want to learn about the latest blue economy initiatives coming out of Flanders? Watch the Blue Innovation Awards to become acquainted with this year’s nominees and cast your vote in our audience award.

The Blue Innovation Awards is a Blue Cluster initiative to give exposure to promising projects, products and services within the fast-growing blue economy in Belgium.

MEET THE EIGHT NOMINEES

Blue Innovation Wave (for SME’s)
1. Leveraging AI for carbon-neutral shipping (Toqua)
2. Enreau (Blue Power Synergy)

Corporate Blue Innovation Wave (for large companies)
3. Automated monitoring & detection of marine mammals (Jan De Nul)
4. MANTA-line (BEXCO)

Blue Innovation Swell (for collaboration initiatives)
5. MPVAqua (TRACTEBEL, Jan De Nul, DEME, SOLTECH & Ghent University)
6. D4PV@Sea – Design for public value at sea (ORG, DEME, Econopolis & Jan De Nul)

Blue Innovation Captain
7. A triple helix approach for innovation in the Belgian Navy (Belgian Navy)
8. Port of Antwerp: the Echodrone & more (Port of Antwerp)

Brazilian Pavilion

12:45
Health (by invitation only)

Health

Bee'ah Waste Management Complex

09:30
Waste-to-energy plant of Bee’ah (Sharjah): world’s largest gasification plant

All themes

×

Waste-to-energy plant of Bee’ah (Sharjah): world’s largest gasification plant

25/10/2021, 09:30 - 12:00 GST (Dubai)

07:30 - 10:00 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

06:30 - 09:00 WAT (Nigeria)

01:30 - 04:00 EDT (New York)

14:30 - 17:00 KST (Seoul)

13:30 - 16:00 CST (Beijing)

11:00 - 13:30 IST (New Delhi)

02:30 - 05:00 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Visit the award-winning integrated waste management complex, managed and operated by Bee’ah, a company known for pioneering sustainability efforts across the Middle East.

Located in the Al Sajaa area of Sharjah, UAE, the Bee’ah waste management complex has several innovations and integrated processes which enable material recovery from a range of recyclables. By processing everything, from paper and plastic to automobile scraps and construction waste, the Bee’ah waste management complex has enabled 76% waste diversion in Sharjah while recovering valuable raw material for a circular economy. The delegation will learn the intricacies of the integrated operations, together with how Bee’ah maximises material recovery and waste diversion through advanced, digitally enabled processes.

In order to achieve 100% waste diversion and contribute to the clean energy mix in the UAE, Bee’ah will soon launch a waste-to-energy plant, the first of its kind in the Middle East. When launched, the plant will contribute 30 MW to the Sharjah grid, equivalent to power requirements for 28,000 homes. The delegation will learn about the initiative and the sophisticated processes that transform unrecyclable waste into a power source.

Online only

11:15
Integrating local approaches for global sustainable development

Circular Economy ICT

×

Circular Economy ICT

Integrating local approaches for global sustainable development

25/10/2021, 11:15 - 12:45 GST (Dubai)

09:15 - 10:45 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

08:15 - 09:45 WAT (Nigeria)

03:15 - 04:45 EDT (New York)

16:15 - 17:45 KST (Seoul)

15:15 - 16:45 CST (Beijing)

12:45 - 14:15 IST (New Delhi)

04:15 - 05:45 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

The principle of circular economy is being adopted in policy strategies around the world, based on a common understanding. However, the starting points for transitioning to circularity are not consistent, because existing local habits, consumption and production systems vary widely from place to place. The approach and tools developed for facilitating circular business will need to be adapted to local circumstances.

Circular economy naturally focuses on local product value chains. Aspects within various circular economies will therefore differ between regions. But this is no reason not to collaborate. We can learn a lot from each other and develop an overall circular economy together. Collaboration and solidarity are critical to meeting the world’s SDGs. And this will not be possible if markets remain guarded by closed-shop practices.

Digital technologies, however, are not bound by borders. They can connect every corner of the globe, making distance irrelevant. This is why digitalisation is a vital enabler for developing a common route towards sustainable development and sustainable management of materials.

The plenary session brings together international initiatives and programmes that aim to build circular economy expertise.

Welcome and opening remarks

Karl Vrancken

Karl Vrancken

VITO

Research Manager Sustainable Materials

Karl Vrancken is Research Manager Sustainable Materials Management at VITO. He is responsible for the strategic management of VITO’s Materials programme. He also has a part-time position as professor at the University of Antwerp (Department of Bio-engineering), where he teaches sustainable resources management.

Karl has broad experience as a researcher and project manager in projects on sustainability assessment and transition, waste management and treatment, secondary raw materials, best available techniques (BAT) and integrated pollution prevention and control. He has also worked as a Detached National Expert with the European IPPC Bureau in Seville (Spain), where he was the author of the BAT Reference Document for the Foundries sector.

Karl is the initiator and chairman of the European Circular Economy Research Alliance (ECERA) and strategic advisor to the European Topic Centre on Waste and Materials for a Green Economy, a consortium of European organisations working in partnership with the European Environment Agency (EEA). During its start-up phase, he was interim Chief Operations Officer to the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) EIT RawMaterials that was founded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

He is an expert speaker on circular economy in the media and at various national and international conferences.

Keynote speech

Opening speech: introducing the GACERE initiative

Inger  Andersen

Inger Andersen (TBC)

UNEP

Executive Director

Statements

Lieze Cloots

Lieze Cloots

OVAM / European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP)

Head international policy team

Lieze Cloots is Head of International Policy at OVAM, the Flanders region’s Public Waste Agency, for whom she has organised events such as the WRF’19 on Resources and Circular Economy held in Antwerp. Since 2017 she has been a member of the coordination group for the EU CE Stakeholder platform (ECESP), the European stakeholder network for circular economy that shares good practices, disseminates knowledge and stimulates dialogue and cooperation.

Lieze is the lead expert for Belgium on the European Circular Economy Action Plan. She has over 20 years’ experience in environment and sustainability policymaking and civil society action, at both national and international level. She has represented Belgium in UN negotiations on sustainable development, chemicals, GMOs, the Aarhus Convention and EU waste legislation.

Cloots has been legal advisor to the Belgian Federal Minister of Environment and was policy director for Bond Beter Leefmilieu, the federation of environment NGOs in Flanders. Lieze has also held board member roles for several Belgian and European organisations associated with sustainable development and is a full member of the Club of Rome EU Chapter. She holds a law degree from the Catholic University of Leuven and a master’s in EU law from the Université de Liege.

Ke Wang

Ke Wang

PACE

Knowledge Lead

PACE is a global community of leaders working together to accelerate transition to a circular economy. As Knowledge Lead, Ke oversees PACE’s content development and knowledge management. She led development of the PACE Circular Economy Action Agenda, which integrates insights from over 100 organisations and is designed to be a rallying call for business, government, and civil society. Ke has also been a driving force behind mobilising the PACE community to turn calls-to-action into actual, impactful action.

Prior to joining PACE, Ke accumulated over 10 years’ experience leading interdisciplinary research and innovation teams in both public and private sectors. Her work with these included setting up large European projects such as Horizon2020 CIRCUSOL. She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University and an Executive MBA from Rotterdam School of Management.

Susanne  Karcher

Susanne Karcher

WRF

Co-Founder and Executive; National Project Coordinator, ACEN

After completing her studies in Chemical Engineering in Germany, Susanne Karcher founded EnviroSense CC (an Environmental Consultancy) in Cape Town in 1999. Her company specialises in planning, development and facilitation of tailor-made governmental, industrial/commercial and residential “Integrated Resource and Waste Management” programmes ultimately geared towards pollution prevention.

Susanne is a qualified RECP (Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production) end-use level trainer with the NCPC and a founding member of the African Circular Economy Network. She also provides voluntary mentoring services as a member of the globally operating Circular Economy Club.

As a one-woman consultancy, and in her former role as the Chair of the Southern African e-Waste Alliance, Susanne specialised in furthering collaborative, safe and inclusive WEEE management at an early point in her career. In 2014 she was appointed as part of a national task team that developed a WEEE Industrial Waste Plan, which was only this year replaced by the formulation and introduction of WEEE EPR-based regulation for South Africa.

Since her first encounter with Empa visiting South Africa (back in 2003), Susanne systematically built and cultivated strong relationships with both Empa and the World Resources Forum in the years that followed. As part of an international round table led by the WRF, she contributed to the development of various signature research publications and projects including the ISO IWA Guidance Principles, the related “Worst to Good Practices” fact sheets and the UNEP “Eco-e Manual: Electronics Supplement”. Susanne also assisted the GIZ with SRI-led training initiatives in Ghana and South Africa.

At the end of 2020, Susanne was appointed by WRF and Empa as the National Coordinator for Phase 2 of the SRI South Africa project (2020-2023).

Kirsten  Dunlop

Kirsten Dunlop

EIT Climate-KIC

CEO

Panel discussion

Debate

Ke Wang

Ke Wang

PACE

Knowledge Lead

PACE is a global community of leaders working together to accelerate transition to a circular economy. As Knowledge Lead, Ke oversees PACE’s content development and knowledge management. She led development of the PACE Circular Economy Action Agenda, which integrates insights from over 100 organisations and is designed to be a rallying call for business, government, and civil society. Ke has also been a driving force behind mobilising the PACE community to turn calls-to-action into actual, impactful action.

Prior to joining PACE, Ke accumulated over 10 years’ experience leading interdisciplinary research and innovation teams in both public and private sectors. Her work with these included setting up large European projects such as Horizon2020 CIRCUSOL. She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University and an Executive MBA from Rotterdam School of Management.

Lieze Cloots

Lieze Cloots

OVAM / European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP)

Head international policy team

Lieze Cloots is Head of International Policy at OVAM, the Flanders region’s Public Waste Agency, for whom she has organised events such as the WRF’19 on Resources and Circular Economy held in Antwerp. Since 2017 she has been a member of the coordination group for the EU CE Stakeholder platform (ECESP), the European stakeholder network for circular economy that shares good practices, disseminates knowledge and stimulates dialogue and cooperation.

Lieze is the lead expert for Belgium on the European Circular Economy Action Plan. She has over 20 years’ experience in environment and sustainability policymaking and civil society action, at both national and international level. She has represented Belgium in UN negotiations on sustainable development, chemicals, GMOs, the Aarhus Convention and EU waste legislation.

Cloots has been legal advisor to the Belgian Federal Minister of Environment and was policy director for Bond Beter Leefmilieu, the federation of environment NGOs in Flanders. Lieze has also held board member roles for several Belgian and European organisations associated with sustainable development and is a full member of the Club of Rome EU Chapter. She holds a law degree from the Catholic University of Leuven and a master’s in EU law from the Université de Liege.

Susanne  Karcher

Susanne Karcher

WRF

Co-Founder and Executive; National Project Coordinator, ACEN

After completing her studies in Chemical Engineering in Germany, Susanne Karcher founded EnviroSense CC (an Environmental Consultancy) in Cape Town in 1999. Her company specialises in planning, development and facilitation of tailor-made governmental, industrial/commercial and residential “Integrated Resource and Waste Management” programmes ultimately geared towards pollution prevention.

Susanne is a qualified RECP (Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production) end-use level trainer with the NCPC and a founding member of the African Circular Economy Network. She also provides voluntary mentoring services as a member of the globally operating Circular Economy Club.

As a one-woman consultancy, and in her former role as the Chair of the Southern African e-Waste Alliance, Susanne specialised in furthering collaborative, safe and inclusive WEEE management at an early point in her career. In 2014 she was appointed as part of a national task team that developed a WEEE Industrial Waste Plan, which was only this year replaced by the formulation and introduction of WEEE EPR-based regulation for South Africa.

Since her first encounter with Empa visiting South Africa (back in 2003), Susanne systematically built and cultivated strong relationships with both Empa and the World Resources Forum in the years that followed. As part of an international round table led by the WRF, she contributed to the development of various signature research publications and projects including the ISO IWA Guidance Principles, the related “Worst to Good Practices” fact sheets and the UNEP “Eco-e Manual: Electronics Supplement”. Susanne also assisted the GIZ with SRI-led training initiatives in Ghana and South Africa.

At the end of 2020, Susanne was appointed by WRF and Empa as the National Coordinator for Phase 2 of the SRI South Africa project (2020-2023).

Kirsten  Dunlop

Kirsten Dunlop

EIT Climate-KIC

CEO

Conclusions

Karl Vrancken

Karl Vrancken

VITO

Research Manager Sustainable Materials

Karl Vrancken is Research Manager Sustainable Materials Management at VITO. He is responsible for the strategic management of VITO’s Materials programme. He also has a part-time position as professor at the University of Antwerp (Department of Bio-engineering), where he teaches sustainable resources management.

Karl has broad experience as a researcher and project manager in projects on sustainability assessment and transition, waste management and treatment, secondary raw materials, best available techniques (BAT) and integrated pollution prevention and control. He has also worked as a Detached National Expert with the European IPPC Bureau in Seville (Spain), where he was the author of the BAT Reference Document for the Foundries sector.

Karl is the initiator and chairman of the European Circular Economy Research Alliance (ECERA) and strategic advisor to the European Topic Centre on Waste and Materials for a Green Economy, a consortium of European organisations working in partnership with the European Environment Agency (EEA). During its start-up phase, he was interim Chief Operations Officer to the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) EIT RawMaterials that was founded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

He is an expert speaker on circular economy in the media and at various national and international conferences.

11:15
International transfer: global accessibility of low-carbon technologies

Energy

×

Energy

International transfer: global accessibility of low-carbon technologies

25/10/2021, 11:15 - 12:45 GST (Dubai)

09:15 - 10:45 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

08:15 - 09:45 WAT (Nigeria)

03:15 - 04:45 EDT (New York)

16:15 - 17:45 KST (Seoul)

15:15 - 16:45 CST (Beijing)

12:45 - 14:15 IST (New Delhi)

04:15 - 05:45 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

If the global goal of carbon neutrality is to be achieved, we need to strengthen research, development and international application of low-carbon technology. While developed countries have sufficient resources to create advanced low-carbon technologies, many others do not. Worldwide adoption of low-carbon technology will only become possible if the relevant innovations are transferred to and disseminated among different countries, industries and companies.

Chaired by

Yu Bai

Yu Bai

Guangzhou Institution of Energy Conversion

Deputy Director Division of Science and Technology

Yu Bai has a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from South China University of Technology (Guangzhou, China), together with a master’s in environmental engineering and sustainable architecture and a PhD in civil engineering & habitat science from the University of Savoie Mont-Blanc (France) and France National Institute for Solar Energy. She has worked in the fields of hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic systems, low-carbon building-related technologies and optimisation, energy strategy, and low carbon development. She is certified as a “BEAM (Building Environment Assessment Method) Professional” by Hong Kong Green Building Council.

Yu is currently Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Division at GIEC, and is experienced in promoting international cooperation. She is one of the representatives of Mission Innovation from China, and also participates deeply in activities under the APEC PPSTI and Energy working group. In 2020, she was selected as a member of the C3E International Ambassador Slate under CEM for advancing the transition to a low-carbon economy, through advancing women’s participation and leadership in the clean energy sector.

Keynote speech

Promotion of Climate Technology Transfer and Investment — ADB Practice and Experience

Lu Xuedu

Lu Xuedu

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Lead Climate Change Specialist

Xuedu Lu PhD is Lead Climate Change Specialist in the East Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Having joined ADB in 2010, he works on low carbon development, carbon market, climate finance and low carbon technology. Prior to joining ADB, Dr. Lv held various different positions including Deputy Director General of National Climate Center, Member of the Executive Board of Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol to UNFCCC, and Deputy Head of the Global Environment Office within the Ministry of Science and Technology. He has also previously been Adjunct Professor of Tianjin University and Tongji University and was engaged in the UNFCCC negotiations from 1996 to 2010 as a member of Chinese delegation.

Keynote speech

Opportunities for international technology transfer cooperation and practice sharing in the field of sustainable development

John Zhang

John Zhang

International Technology Transfer Network (ITTN)

Secretary General

John Zhang has been General Secretary of International Technology Transfer Network (ITTN) since 2013, a role in which he is committed to international technology transfer cooperation, science and technology commercialisation, training of technology transfer professionals and construction of related knowledge systems. He has established 610 ITTN institutions in 35 countries and carried out more than 26 special projects commissioned by institutions such as the Ministry of Science and Technology, the BRICS Technology Transfer Centre, China-Italy Technology Transfer Centre and other inter-governmental platforms.

In 2016, John Zhang was responsible for establishing the International Technology Transfer Committee of China Association for International Science and Technology Cooperation (CAISTC), along with the national “China International Technology Transfer Manager” training and certification system. To date, more than 1,800 Chinese and foreign students have been trained via 47 sessions.

In 2019, he was appointed executive director of China International Talent Exchange and Development, member of the Academic Committee, Standardization Committee of Chinese Management and Research Institute on Science & Technology Evaluation and Achievements, and National Technical Committee for Science and Technology Assessment Standards (SAC/TC580).

During 2017-2019, John Zhang made two applications to the APEC official fund project which resulted in the “Handbook on Technology Commercialisation Practices in APEC Economies” and “Regional Integration 4.0 and Sustainable Development”, a project promoting innovative city construction and open cooperation in the APEC region, which is currently being implemented.

In 2020, Zhang was commissioned by the China Centre for International Science and Technology Exchange (CISTE) to compile the “International Technology Trade Promotion Q&A”, which will serve as a guide for promoting international technology trade. He led ITTN’s launch of the “100 Global Best Practices for Technology Transfer 2020”, a selection made jointly with CISTE and the Institution of Management and Research on Science and Technological Achievements. He also led a project team researching medium and long-term expansion of international multiple technology supply channels and methods.

In 2021, John Zhang was formally hired as an external tutor by the School of Trade Negotiations, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics. Here, he teaches and provides
guidance to students in law, foreign-related rule of law and international organisation. He is committed to promoting the training of international technology transfer talents and the construction of related knowledge systems. With this, he has led the ITTN team in organising more than 50 international technology transfer manager training sessions in nearly 30 cities in China, and trained more than 2,000 people.

Presentation

Industrial sensors for process measurements – the importance of innovation quality

Rolf-Jürgen Ahlers

Rolf-Jürgen Ahlers

ProxiVision GmbH

Managing Director

Rolf-Jürgen Ahlers has a Dipl.-Ing. electrical engineering degree and attained his PhD at Stuttgart University. Since 2011, he has been Honorary Professor at PTW, TU Darmstadt. Alongside this, he is managing director (CEO) of ProxiVision GmbH, chair of the Aerospace Forum Baden Württemberg (Forum LR BW e.V.), vice president of Steinbeis Research and Technology Organization, Stuttgart (Germany), member of the board of LVI (Industry Association of Baden-Württemberg) and chair of its Research, Technology and Innovation working group, and member of the Supply Chain Commission at ASD, Brussels.

Presentation

Optoelectronics-based monitoring for environmental situation awareness: perspectives and practices in COET/SIAT

Li Qiran

Li Qiran

Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences

Principal Investigator

Li Qiran joined COET/SIAT in November 2019 as a senior research engineer. He has a B. Eng degree in optoelectronics from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Wuhan), a Dipl. Ing in micro-nanotechnology from Polytech Paris-Saclay (Orsay) and a PhD in microelectronic materials in the framework of Erasmus-Mundus (IDS Funmat, Caen and Darmstadt). He is currently the SIAT coordinator for the European Commission Erasmus+ Higher Education Capability Building project “Climate change adapted water management” (2021-2024).

Presentation

VPP integrated networks for energy storage and distribution, by FESCOM

Viacheslav Dementev

Viacheslav Dementev

Fescom Technologies LTD

Co-Founder and President

Viacheslav Dementev has a PhD in chemistry of materials from the USSR Academy of Sciences and a master’s in chemical engineering from the Mendeleev Institute of Chemical Technology. He has been deeply involved in energy materials chemistry research in top research institutions in both Russia and the United States. This has led to successful implementation, production and commercialisation of new advanced energy storage devices and systems, which have been brought to market in various industries such as power, telecoms, aerospace and electric transport.

Alongside his research and materials inventions activities, Viacheslav has been responsible for management and administrative leadership of technology transfer and industrial commercialisation projects in the United States, which have resulted in several successful innovative start-up companies.

Dementev is currently fully occupied with building new business within the FESCOM Group of companies, promoting technology transfer and commercial implementation of the FESCOM Virtual Power Plant’s new, advanced technology. The FESCOM Virtual Power Plant is an integrated network of distributed energy storage battery systems, based on FESCOM’s software platform for Battery Energy Storage Virtual Power Plant modules and its Data Acquisition and Power Management electronic system. The advanced FESCOM energy storage battery modules can be built into both existing and newly created electrical infrastructure networks at different levels, from small villages to cities and entire regions, and for different customers such as telecoms, electric transport charging and renewable energy resources, such as rooftop or ground-mounted solar and wind generators.

14:00
Creating sustainable mindsets through management education

Education

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Education

Creating sustainable mindsets through management education

25/10/2021, 14:00 - 15:30 GST (Dubai)

12:00 - 13:30 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

11:00 - 12:30 WAT (Nigeria)

06:00 - 07:30 EDT (New York)

19:00 - 20:30 KST (Seoul)

18:00 - 19:30 CST (Beijing)

15:30 - 17:00 IST (New Delhi)

07:00 - 08:30 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Creating sustainable mindsets is critical for societal prosperity, preservation of nature, future business success and the credibility of the concept of sustainability itself. If there is one place where creating sustainable mindsets and developing sustainability intelligence is crucial, it’s in management education. In the business schools where young, ambitious people from a variety of backgrounds find the context within which they develop their belief systems, their moral values and their attitudes.

Individuals develop sustainability intelligence by focusing on three enablers:
• self-awareness, leading to stronger cooperation with others
• global perspective, leading to a developed global mindset, allowing individuals to find better solutions to problems and complex issues
• societal consciousness, leading to sustainability in essential economic processes.

This session examines the term “sustainability intelligence” by describing a Global Leadership Skills (GLS) programme that was developed and implemented for Master’s students at Antwerp Management School in Belgium. In the second part of the session, you will discover how students felt after completing this programme and the impact it’s has on them.

Chaired by

Jan  De Groof

Jan De Groof

European Association for Educational Law and Policy

President

Presentation

Creating sustainable mindsets

Jan  Beyne

Jan Beyne

Antwerp Management School

Researcher at the Sustainable Transformation Lab

Jan Beyne combines his academic knowledge in the field of sustainable development with a wide range of practical experience. As a researcher and teacher at Antwerp Management School and PhD candidate, he specialises in integrating SDGs in all kinds of organisations, companies and local authorities.

Lars  Moratis

Lars Moratis

Chair in Management Education for Sustainability; Professor of Sustainable Business (AMS / BUas); Founder of Impact Academy

Lars Moratis leads the Chair in Responsible Management Education at Antwerp Management School and Breda University. His research and teaching activities focus on CSR strategy and implementation. His current main interests are the credibility of corporate CSR claims, CSR standards (including ISO 26000), the legitimacy of multi-stakeholder initiatives, critical views on CSR, and education in responsible management.

Presentation

Fariz  Ghaith

Fariz Ghaith

UNESCO

Director Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States

Panel discussion

Interactive discussion

Isabel  Rimanoczy

Isabel Rimanoczy

Convener PRME Working Group on the Sustainability Mindset

Isabel Rimanoczy Ed.D is the Convener of the PRME Working Group of the Sustainability Mindset, an international network of scholars promoting a mindset for shaping a better planet. She has authored fifteen books, most recently a guide for educators: The Sustainability Mindset Principles. Her latest project is the Sustainability Mindset Indicator, a personal development tool for individuals and a teaching support for instructors, due to be launched in autumn 2021.

Isabelle  Byusa

Isabelle Byusa

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Master's Candidate in International Education Policy

Isabelle Byusa was IDEA4Africa’s first Country Director in Rwanda. Originally from Kigali, she is a 2013 graduate from Babson College in the US with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Prior to working with IDEA4Africa, she played a lead role in developing youth entrepreneurial leadership programmes for Babson College.

Kim  Ceulemans

Kim Ceulemans

Toulouse Business School

Assistant Professor of the Department of Management Control, Accounting and Auditing

Kim Ceulemans is an Assistant Professor of Management Control and Sustainability at TBS Business School in Toulouse, France. She earned her PhD in Business Economics at KU Leuven University, Belgium, and worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria, Canada. Her primary research interests include sustainability management, assessment and reporting, with a particular focus on the role of higher education institutions in embedding sustainability.

Before obtaining her PhD, Ceulemans worked as a sustainability coordinator at a Belgian university, where she led projects such as developing the organisation’s sustainability reporting process. Ceulemans is currently part of the PRME Chapter France-Benelux Steering Group and a member of the External Advisory Board of the Copernicus Alliance.

Thomas Dyllick

Thomas Dyllick

The Institute for Business Sustainability

Director

Thomas Dyllick has been running the Institute for Business Sustainability located in Lucerne, Switzerland, since October 2019. He has been at the University of St. Gallen since 1974. First as a student, graduating with a PhD in 1982, then as a Professor in Sustainability Management and Managing Director of the Institute for Economy and the Environment (IWÖ-HSG), which he co-founded in 1992. From 2001-2003 he was Dean of the Management Department and from 2003-2011 University Vice-President in charge of teaching and quality development.

Closing

Jan  De Groof

Jan De Groof

European Association for Educational Law and Policy

President

Inge Willems

Inge Willems

SDSN Belgium

Network Manager

Inge Willems works as a policy advisor at the Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development (IMDO) of the University of Antwerp. She is National Coordinator of the Belgian chapter of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

15:45
Corporate sustainability reporting: enabling business strategies for the SDGs

Entrepreneurship

×

Entrepreneurship

Corporate sustainability reporting: enabling business strategies for the SDGs

25/10/2021, 15:45 - 17:15 GST (Dubai)

13:45 - 15:15 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

12:45 - 14:15 WAT (Nigeria)

07:45 - 09:15 EDT (New York)

20:45 - 22:15 KST (Seoul)

19:45 - 21:15 CST (Beijing)

17:15 - 18:45 IST (New Delhi)

08:45 - 10:15 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Sustainability reporting helps companies and organisations understand and manage their impact on people and planet. Creating the reports is an important exercise for identifying impact, related risks and ways to mitigate and reduce them, while also identifying new business opportunities. This should lead to taking the necessary action which defines being a responsible, trustworthy company working towards a more sustainable world.

Since 1997, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has been developing a common global language for describing sustainability impacts, to help organisations deliver sustainability reports in a consistent and credible way. Approximately 10,000 companies worldwide have already adopted the GRI Standards, which are freely available for use by all organisations. Important aspects within the GRI Standards include multistakeholder approaches, double materiality and focus on impact.

This plenary session will discuss current trends in sustainability reporting and provide inspiring examples of how it has impacted business for several large MENA and European companies, all of which have a global footprint and have used sustainability reporting to drive their sustainable business strategies.

Chaired by

Marco van der Ree

Marco van der Ree

Global Reporting Initiative

former Chief Development Officer

Introduction

Presentation

Advance action on the SDGs through corporate reporting with the GRI Standards

Sabine Content

Sabine Content

Global Reporting Initiative

Director Corporate and Stakeholder Engagement

As Director of Corporate & Stakeholder Engagement at Global Reporting Initiative, Sabine Content is responsible for all global corporate engagement, as well as raising awareness and building relationships between GRI and key partner organisations and stakeholders. This includes the GRI Community Program, GRI’s core network of supporters, made up of over 500 organisations in more than 70 countries.

The Corporate & Stakeholder Engagement department brings together a worldwide network of companies and organisations committed to GRI’s mission of empowering decision makers everywhere through its sustainability standards and multi-stakeholder network, to take action towards a more sustainable economy and world.

Sabine is from the Netherlands and before joining GRI she spent over 15 years in the international apparel and textiles industry. It was this work that motivated her to contribute to a world where creating financial value goes hand-in-hand with safeguarding the environment and societies.

Presentation

What gets measured gets done

Titus Fossgard-Moser

Titus Fossgard-Moser

Equinor

Head of Environment and Reporting

Titus is presently Head of Environment and Reporting at Equinor. Previous to this he was Head of Safety and Sustainability for Equinor’s international Exploration business and has held a number of other sustainability leadership roles. He has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from McGill University.

Presentation

Building a company to last – the role of sustainability reporting

Katie Hoard

Katie Hoard

ABInBev

Global Director Sustainability & ESG

Katie Hoard is AB InBev’s Global Senior Director of Sustainability and ESG based in Leuven, Belgium. In her role, she works closely with AB InBev’s Global Finance team on Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) engagement and engages across teams in the organization to lead the company’s ESG disclosure. Additionally, Katie is responsible for the global strategy to achieve the company’s Smart Agriculture 2025 Goal, working with Procurement and Supply teams to build resilient, responsible agricultural supply chains globally through partnerships and the development of innovative solutions.

Prior to joining AB InBev, Katie worked in politics and commodities regulation in Washington, DC. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Finance from the University of Arkansas, a Master’s degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics, and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York.

Presentation

Nadja Picard

Nadja Picard

PWC

Partner and Global Reporting Leader

Nadja Picard is a German CPA and tax advisor and is PwC’s Global Head of Reporting. With an initial focus on ESG, she focuses on enhancing the corporate reporting of PwC’s clients beyond financial reporting to meet investor and stakeholder demands, including appropriate assurance responses. She also drives PwC’s related service offerings and thought leadership.
Nadja continues to advise companies on Capital Markets Transactions, especially Initial Public Offering and has extensive experience in German and cross-border transactions in the US, UK and HK / China.

Overview

Marco van der Ree

Marco van der Ree

Global Reporting Initiative

former Chief Development Officer

Panel discussion

Panel debate

Sabine Content

Sabine Content

Global Reporting Initiative

Director Corporate and Stakeholder Engagement

As Director of Corporate & Stakeholder Engagement at Global Reporting Initiative, Sabine Content is responsible for all global corporate engagement, as well as raising awareness and building relationships between GRI and key partner organisations and stakeholders. This includes the GRI Community Program, GRI’s core network of supporters, made up of over 500 organisations in more than 70 countries.

The Corporate & Stakeholder Engagement department brings together a worldwide network of companies and organisations committed to GRI’s mission of empowering decision makers everywhere through its sustainability standards and multi-stakeholder network, to take action towards a more sustainable economy and world.

Sabine is from the Netherlands and before joining GRI she spent over 15 years in the international apparel and textiles industry. It was this work that motivated her to contribute to a world where creating financial value goes hand-in-hand with safeguarding the environment and societies.

Katie Hoard

Katie Hoard

ABInBev

Global Director Sustainability & ESG

Katie Hoard is AB InBev’s Global Senior Director of Sustainability and ESG based in Leuven, Belgium. In her role, she works closely with AB InBev’s Global Finance team on Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) engagement and engages across teams in the organization to lead the company’s ESG disclosure. Additionally, Katie is responsible for the global strategy to achieve the company’s Smart Agriculture 2025 Goal, working with Procurement and Supply teams to build resilient, responsible agricultural supply chains globally through partnerships and the development of innovative solutions.

Prior to joining AB InBev, Katie worked in politics and commodities regulation in Washington, DC. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Finance from the University of Arkansas, a Master’s degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics, and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York.

Nadja Picard

Nadja Picard

PWC

Partner and Global Reporting Leader

Nadja Picard is a German CPA and tax advisor and is PwC’s Global Head of Reporting. With an initial focus on ESG, she focuses on enhancing the corporate reporting of PwC’s clients beyond financial reporting to meet investor and stakeholder demands, including appropriate assurance responses. She also drives PwC’s related service offerings and thought leadership.
Nadja continues to advise companies on Capital Markets Transactions, especially Initial Public Offering and has extensive experience in German and cross-border transactions in the US, UK and HK / China.

Titus Fossgard-Moser

Titus Fossgard-Moser

Equinor

Head of Environment and Reporting

Titus is presently Head of Environment and Reporting at Equinor. Previous to this he was Head of Safety and Sustainability for Equinor’s international Exploration business and has held a number of other sustainability leadership roles. He has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from McGill University.

Q&A

Closing

Marco van der Ree

Marco van der Ree

Global Reporting Initiative

former Chief Development Officer

15:45
Leveraging a global network of technologists (hosted by IEEE)

Entrepreneurship

×

Entrepreneurship

Leveraging a global network of technologists (hosted by IEEE)

25/10/2021, 15:45 - 17:15 GST (Dubai)

13:45 - 15:15 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

12:45 - 14:15 WAT (Nigeria)

07:45 - 09:15 EDT (New York)

20:45 - 22:15 KST (Seoul)

19:45 - 21:15 CST (Beijing)

17:15 - 18:45 IST (New Delhi)

08:45 - 10:15 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Grassroots leadership and technical know-how are key enablers of sustainable development solutions. IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, has a global network of technically trained volunteers in over 160 countries. IEEE members collaborate on world‐changing technologies, from computing and sustainable energy systems to aerospace, robotics, communication, healthcare and more. They are leaders in their fields and connected both to a global, technical network and their local communities.

This session will showcase the technical and geographic capacities IEEE brings to the table, using examples from local innovations developed by IEEE volunteers to address community challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will also explain how organisations can partner with IEEE to help scale existing programmes, pilot new activities, and develop new approaches utilising best-in-class technology, entrepreneurship resources and broad global reach.

Presentation

Susan Kathy Land

Susan Kathy Land

IEEE

2021 IEEE President & CEO

Susan Kathy Land is a Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency. She has more than 30 years of industry experience in the application of software engineering methodologies, the management of information systems, and leadership of software development teams.

Kathy served as the 2018 Vice President, IEEE Technical Activities. She also served two additional terms on the IEEE Board of Directors as Division VIII Director/Delegate in 2011 and 2012 and as Division V Director/Delegate in 2014 and 2015. She was President of the IEEE Computer Society in 2009. Kathy was a member of the IEEE-USA Board of Directors in 2013 and 2016.

Kathy has been an active member of the IEEE Standards Association for more than 20 years and served as the Computer Society Vice President for Standards in 2004. She was the recipient of the 2007 IEEE Standards Medallion.

An IEEE Fellow, Kathy is the author and co-author of a number of texts and publications supporting software engineering principles and the practical application of software process methodologies. She is an IEEE-HKN Member and IEEE Computer Society Richard E. Merwin Award recipient.

Presentation

Sampathkumar  Veeraraghavan

Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan

IEEE

Global Chair, 2021 IEEE Humanitarian Activities Committee

Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan is a globally renowned technologist, best known for his technological innovations in addressing global humanitarian and sustainable development challenges. He is a seasoned technology and business leader with over 16 years of experience in Top 500 Fortune companies.

Throughout his career, Veeraraghavan has led business-critical strategic programmes and successfully delivered cutting-edge technologies in areas of conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Understanding, cloud computing, enterprise systems, infrastructure technologies, assistive and sustainable technologies. Sampath served as an expert in the 2020 Broadband Commission working group on school connectivity co-chaired by UNESCO, UNICEF and ITU to drive “GIGA,” a Global School Connectivity Initiative.

Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan is the founder and president of “The Brahmam”, a humanitarian programme delivering next-generation social innovations to achieve SDGs and benefit marginalised communities all over the world. He spent over a decade launching large-scale transformational global initiatives that brought together academic institutions, industry leaders and government agencies to address pressing challenges faced by children with disabilities, impoverished women and students from marginalised communities in developing nations.

Sampath is the Global Chair of the 2021 IEEE Humanitarian Activities Committee (IEEE HAC). (The USA-based IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, is of the world’s largest technical professional organisations.) In this role, he spearheads the global strategy and portfolio of sustainable development and humanitarian engineering programmes, aimed at delivering impactful programmes which engage and benefit 400K+ IEEE members at grass roots level in 160 countries. He is credited with launching several novel global programmes in humanitarian engineering which successfully inspired and engaged students and young professionals in sustainable development activities.

Sampath was Global Chair (2019-2020) of the IEEE Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technologies (SIGHT), which achieved record-breaking growth through high-impact, technology-driven sustainable programmes benefiting members in 119+ countries. He is the founding chair for the IEEE SIGHT day (2020) and SIGHT week (2019), a global programme that showcases the impactful IEEE technology-based humanitarian programmes. He currently leads the IEEE Standards 2021 Corporate Sustainability Working Group. As an active IEEE and IEEE-HKN member, Sampath has spearheaded more than 20+ global committees and has made significant contributions in advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

Sampath is accredited with numerous global awards and media mentions for his leadership excellence and technological innovations in addressing global sustainable development challenges. He was recently honoured with the top global accolade “2020 IEEE Theodore W. Hissey Professional Award”. He has delivered 250+ invited talks at international forums, premier technology conferences and industry panels organised by UN, IEEE, ITU, World IoT forum and leading universities around the globe. He has authored and published 30+ research publications and thought leadership articles in leading global conferences, journals and magazines. His technological innovations and leadership excellence have been featured in cover stories of global media such as IEEE TV, IEEE spectrum, USA today, E-week, AI-news and IEEE transmitter, The Bridge and ACM-News.

Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan has a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA (2010), and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Anna University, India (2005). He currently works as a senior technology and programme management leader in the conversational Artificial Intelligence industry, where he spearheads a portfolio of science and engineering programmes to advance spoken language innovations.

Presentation

Ajay Poddar

Ajay Poddar

Synergy Microwave

Chief Scientist

Ajay Poddar is an IEEE Fellow, an Electronics & Communication Engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology Calicut, India, and a Master of Technology in RADAR & Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. He also holds a doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) from Technical University Berlin, Germany, and a post-doctorate (Dr.-Ing. habil) from Brandenburg Technical University, Cottbus, Germany.

Poddar has received over a dozen awards for scientific and technological innovations and meritorious services, holds over 3 dozen patents, has published 300+ scientific papers in journals and conferences and co-authored 4 technical books/chapters. From 1991 to 2001, he worked as a senior scientist in DRDO and was a visiting professor at the University of Pune, India. He is currently the Chief Scientist at Synergy Microwave, NJ, USA, where he is responsible for design/development of signal generation/processing electronics, opto-electronics, RF-MEMS and Metamaterial- Electronics for industry, medical and space applications. He is also serving as a visiting professor at the University of Oradea, Romania, the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu, India, and is a guest lecturer at Technical University Munich, Germany.

Poddar received the 2015 IEEE IFCS Cady Award, in recognition of his outstanding scientific contributions to a host of frequency generating and frequency-controlled electronics and timing devices for industrial, medical and space applications. He is also the recipient of the 2018 IEEE MGA Innovation Award for his dedicated volunteering service to members, chapters and humanitarian projects, the 2015 IEEE R1 Award for “Outstanding Scientific Contributions, Leadership and Service”, and the 2009 IEEE R1 Award for “Outstanding Leadership and Contributions in the Research, Design and Development of Microwave Systems”. Additionally, Poddar is included in the list entitled “Divine Innovation: 10 Technologies Changing the Future of Passive and Control Components” (Cover page, Microwave Journal, November 2011).

Poddar was elected as an AdCom member of IEEE AP-S in 2018 and IEEE MTT-S in 2019, for 3-year terms, by a 10,000-strong eligible electorate from each society. As chair of the Global Chapter Activity Committee, Dr. Poddar has created more than 100 chapters worldwide in the last 10 years to connect outreach regions for the benefit of members and local communities. Dr. Poddar has been actively involved with IEEE SIGHT/HAC, IEEE sister societies and IEEE MGA activities, including charitable services for addressing inequality, especially in underserved communities. These engagements have served to broaden his experience as a leader and mentor, as well as a proactive volunteer who is able to inspire students, researchers and young professionals.

Poddar has been involved in helping underprivileged and underserved communities for more than 30 years. His wide-ranging experience of technical work and collaboration with industry, academic institutions and research organisations is helping to engage pre-university, undergraduate and graduate students, young professionals and local communities in connecting with these communities, sharing knowledge and assisting educational attainment to promote equality and help reduce poverty.

Presentation

Fernando Guarin

Fernando Guarin

Global Foundries

Distinguished Member of Technical Staff

Fernando Guarín is a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Global Foundries in East Fishkill, New York, where he is currently leading the team qualifying GlobalFoundries RF 5G technology offerings. This follows his retirement from IBM’s SRDC after 27 years as a Senior Member of Technical Staff in 2016.

From 1980 until 1988, Guarín worked in the Military and Aerospace Operations division of National Semiconductor Corporation.  In 1988, he joined IBM’s microelectronics division, where he worked in reliability physics and modeling of Advanced Bipolar, CMOS and Silicon Germanium BiCMOS technologies.

Fernando Guarín is an IEEE Life Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Electron Device Society EDS, where he has served in many capacities including member of the IEEE’s EDS Board of Governors, chair of the EDS Education Committee and EDS Secretary. He was also the EDS President 2018-2019.

Guarín earned his BSEE from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, his M.S.E.E. degree from the University of Arizona (USA), and his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, NY (USA). He has been actively working in microelectronic reliability for 40 years.

Presentation

Ken Stauffer

Ken Stauffer

IEEE Entrepreneurship

Chair

Ken Stauffer was born and raised in Tanzania, East Africa. He has spent 30+ years in the telecommunications industry, having begun his career at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, NJ, after receiving his MSEE from Polytechnic University in New York City. At Bell Laboratories, Ken worked in Data Services Performance where he and the team designed a system called Packet-ASPEN to measure performance in packet networks and to establish Data Applications Labs.

Stauffer later moved to the International Operations Group to design and deploy AT&T’s Global Network Management Center in NYC, and to deploy the Centers in Europe alongside a Pan-European Frame Relay network. For AT&T’s Global Strategy and Business Development Group, Ken developed business and technical models for WORLDPARTNERS2, participated in the creation of CONCERT, the AT&T/BT Joint Venture, and managed AT&T’s business relationship with Japan Telecom in Japan.

Ken left AT&T in 2000 to become an entrepreneur as part of a management team founding EPIK Communications – a $450M start-up in Florida. He designed EPIK’s advanced services strategy, created both the Product Innovation Group and EPIK Labs, implemented a suite of “enlightened” IP and Ethernet products, and served as EPIK’s Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Technology Officer. He also led a team to create the vision for “The NAP of the Americas” in Miami, which was sold in 2011 to Verizon for $1.4B.

In Jan 2003, Ken formed Technology Assurance Labs to provide consulting, design and testing services to venture capital groups, network equipment manufacturers and service providers. In 2010, Technology Assurance Labs began developing RFID products for the rail industry and IoT products for the propane and natural gas industry.

Ken Stauffer also founded Cypress Equipment, a product sales company.

Ken is a Life Senior Member of IEEE and co-founded the IEEE Entrepreneurship Initiative in 2015. He is currently chair of IEEE Entrepreneurship and chair of the Vaughn College Board of Trustees in NYC.

16:00
Nature-based solutions

Water

×

Water

Nature-based solutions

25/10/2021, 16:00 - 18:00 GST (Dubai)

14:00 - 16:00 CEST/SAST (Brussels, Cape Town)

13:00 - 15:00 WAT (Nigeria)

08:00 - 10:00 EDT (New York)

21:00 - 23:00 KST (Seoul)

20:00 - 22:00 CST (Beijing)

17:30 - 19:30 IST (New Delhi)

09:00 - 11:00 BRT (Rio de Janeiro)

Creating a water-secure future requires integrating cost-effective Nature-Based Solutions into existing water management policies and programmes. This session will identify and debate various possibilities and related technological interventions, as well as opportunities for enhanced collaborations, market mechanisms and policy interventions.

If you can not join us in Dubai, you can follow this session online via YouTube.

Chaired by

Anshuman  Jaiswal

Anshuman Jaiswal

TERI

Associate Director Water Resources Division

Opening remarks

Vibha  Dhawan

Vibha Dhawan

TERI

Director-General

Vibha Dhawan has been associated with The Energy and Resources and Institute (TERI) since 1985, including serving as Vice-Chancellor of TERI School of Advanced Studies from 2005-2007. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India.

Dhawan is actively involved in both research and policy development, at both national and international level. She is a task force member on a number of committees, including the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL).

Vibha Dhawan is currently serving as Adjunct Professor to the Consul General South Asia Partnership at Michigan State University. She has successfully completed a number of international assignments, including coordinating the Asia Pacific Consortium on Agriculture Biotechnology (APCoAB), advising the Director General of The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and the Deputy Director of research partnerships & co-ordination with the Borlaug Institute for South Asia. She has served on the boards of prestigious organisations in India and other countries, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Ambedkar University, Ayurvet Foundation and Centre for Bioscience and Agriculture International (CABI).

Keynote speech

Gajendra  Singh Shekhawat

H.E. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Government of India

Union Minister for Jal Shakti

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is an Indian politician from Rajasthan who is currently serving as Union Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Jal Shakti. He is a member of parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), representing Jodhpur in the Lok Sabha.

Shekhawat began his political career in student politics in 1992, when he was elected as president of the Student Union at JNVU University, gaining more votes than previously achieved by any other Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad supporter. Shekhawat was appointed as National General Secretary of the BJP Kisan Morcha, the farmers’ wing of the Bharatiya Janta Party. He was also a member of the Rajasthan State Executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Shekhawat was elected as a member of parliament to the 16th Lok Sabha in 2014, with the highest ever winning margin (4,10,051 votes) from the constituency of Jodhpur. One of his major achievements during his tenure as an MP has been the expansion of Jodhpur Airport, a demand that had continuously been raised during the last 18 years.

On 3 September 2017, he was appointed as Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. Shekhawat became the Minister of Jal Shakti on 31 May 2019.

Presentation

Smt. D. Thara

Smt. D. Thara

Government of India

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs

Thara has been working as an IAS Officer since 1995. She has been working in the State of Gujarat since 1997 and has a versatile experience in various cities of Gujarat such as Ahmedabad, Kheda, Rajkot, Vadodara and Surendranagar in various Departments. She has worked as a District Development Officer in the cities of Vadodara and Surendranagar for a period of 2 years in Land Revenue Management and District Administration and Development Administration. She also has experience as a Collector in Land Revenue Management & District Administration Departments in the cities of Kheda for a period of 1 year and Ahmedabad for a period of 3 years.

Thara has also worked as the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for approximately 2 years. During this period, she has worked on a number of JNNURM Projects. She has been one of the pioneers of the BRTS Project which was a very essential project of the city. She has also initiated the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021 as Chief Executive Authority, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) in 2008.

During her tenure as Chief Executive Authority, AUDA, the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021, Ahmedabad was completed and also the First Revised Draft Development Plan of Gandhinagar as the CEA, GUDA was completed. With her focused vision and great leadership qualities, a number of new concepts and ideas were incorporated in the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021. Few of them included the Central Business District, Transit Oriented Zone and Residential Affordable Housing Zone and also the preparation of Local Area Plans for such projects. She has been the Chief Executive Authority of AUDA and Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad. During her tenure, Ahmedabad was made and executed as a Smart City. Water Management and Security was the focus area. 7.5 lac people were given surface water in one year. 4 STPs were initiated and sewage treatment gap is being completely addressed.

She was working as Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation, Gandhinagar since 24/06/2016. After that she had joined Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as Joint Secretary on 29/07/2019.

Presentation

Ibrahim Hafeezur Rehman

Ibrahim Hafeezur Rehman

VITO Arabia Science and Technology LCC

CEO

Ibrahim Hafeezur Rehman studied in the UK as a Chevening Scholar in 2000 and has a doctorate from the University of Utrecht. He has over 26 years’ experience in projects and activities related to rural development, dissemination of Rural Energy Technologies, Natural Resources Management and, in particular, Watershed Development.

Rehman has worked with bilateral agencies, corporate set-ups and NGOs on issues related to alleviating poverty. His key focus areas include involving and consolidating grassroots institutions, undertaking initiatives pertaining to market development for clean energy technologies in rural areas, and implementing replicable models of efficient management of natural resources at the grassroots level.

Rehman has worked in various different countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Thailand and Belgium. He is a co-author of three books and has had several papers/articles published in reputed journals and magazines.

Vote of thanks

Anshuman  Jaiswal

Anshuman Jaiswal

TERI

Associate Director Water Resources Division

Introduction

Welcome

Anshuman  Jaiswal

Anshuman Jaiswal

TERI

Associate Director Water Resources Division

Presentation

Constructed Wetlands Plus (CWplus)

Christian Kazner

Christian Kazner

Hochschule Bochum

Professor

Christian is an international expert in water management and teaches urban water management at the Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Germany. He covers the entire water cycle, with particular expertise in water and wastewater treatment and reuse. Christian has more than 25 years of experience in the water industry, having worked as a lecturer, team leader in water research, international project manager and consulting engineer.

Christian’s expertise in water includes integrated water resources management, alternative water sources and water stress mitigation, industrial water management and water recycling. He has worked with regional, national and international funding organisations and water associations, as well as industrial partners. Christian is an active member of Water Europe and was editor of the IWA journal Water Science and Technology till 2020. His vast teaching experience at the highest level of education is expected to be very helpful for shaping teaching curriculums to be more efficient and effective.

Presentation

‘Air to Water’ systems

Naveen Mathur

Naveen Mathur

Maithri Aquatech Private Limited

Chief Executive Officer

Naveen Mathur is currently the CEO of Maithri Aquatech, a ‘Make in India’ company whose product MEGHDOOT has been approved by the Ministry of Jalshakti through the Mashelkar Committee. The company is a Participant Member of United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and member of the CEO Water Mandate.

He is a Business and Strategy Expert with over 25 years of rich experience across various industries. He has worked earlier both in India and overseas markets in companies such as WaterHealth, Selular Group, Nokia and Electrolux.

Naveen has done his PGDBM in Marketing from Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education, Mumbai. He is a member of the CII National Committee of Water.

Presentation

Sponge City and Nature-based Solutions, Inspired by Ancient Wisdom

Chen Jianxi

Chen Jianxi

Turenscape

Presentation

Demonstrating riverbank filtration as a nature-based solution in India – examples from project CCRBF

Cornelius Sandhu

Cornelius Sandhu

University of Applied Sciences Dresden Germany

Senior Researcher

Cornelius Sandhu is a senior researcher and lecturer in the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Dresden, Germany (HTWD). He has more than 16 years’ experience in the field of RBF-based water supply in India.

Presentation

Manoj K. M. Chaturvedi

Manoj K. M. Chaturvedi

Metito Overseas Qatar

Environment and Sustainability Lead

Manoj K. M. Chaturvedi, a Chartered Environmentalist, is presently associated with Metito Overseas Qatar, a leading water and wastewater multinational company as Environment Sustainability Team Lead. Over the last two decades, Dr Chaturvedi has been associated with and have contributed effectively to the areas of construction environment and sustainability management of key infrastructure and industry projects in India and Middle East Countries.

In his past assignments, he led the respective organizations in various capacities including as Operations Manager – Environment Division & Principal Consultant CSR and Sustainability at Qatar Design Consortium, Doha, Qatar; as Deputy General Manager-CSR-UN Water Mandate at Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. (HCC), Mumbai and as Field Service Manager at GE (Power and Water) etc. He has honor of being one among 20 experts from across the world to contribute to Evaluation of Research Proposals under SC5-12-2018 EU-India water co-operation during March- April 2018.
With a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Environmental Science and Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IITB), Chaturvedi is a Core Environment and Sustainability Specialist with more than 20 years of hands on experience. He has managed several projects funded by International Agencies including European Union, the World Bank, and SIDA as well as State and Central Government Agencies of India.

He has also assisted Ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoUHA) and Environment Forests & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Govt of India, in execution of JNNURM projects in city of Nashik on behalf of GIZ as environmental consultant.

He has been member of several professional bodies including International Organization for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IOBB), Australia; Institute of Environment Management and Assessment, UK and Eco-Ethics International Union, Germany; Working group for development of India Water Tool by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Water Action Hub (WAH) and Collective Engagement Working Group (CEWG), Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) of United Nations Global Compact’ The CEO Water Mandate.

Panel discussion

Factors and barriers for promoting the uptake of Nature Based Solutions for water security

Christian Kazner

Christian Kazner

Hochschule Bochum

Professor

Christian is an international expert in water management and teaches urban water management at the Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Germany. He covers the entire water cycle, with particular expertise in water and wastewater treatment and reuse. Christian has more than 25 years of experience in the water industry, having worked as a lecturer, team leader in water research, international project manager and consulting engineer.

Christian’s expertise in water includes integrated water resources management, alternative water sources and water stress mitigation, industrial water management and water recycling. He has worked with regional, national and international funding organisations and water associations, as well as industrial partners. Christian is an active member of Water Europe and was editor of the IWA journal Water Science and Technology till 2020. His vast teaching experience at the highest level of education is expected to be very helpful for shaping teaching curriculums to be more efficient and effective.

Naveen Mathur

Naveen Mathur

Maithri Aquatech Private Limited

Chief Executive Officer

Naveen Mathur is currently the CEO of Maithri Aquatech, a ‘Make in India’ company whose product MEGHDOOT has been approved by the Ministry of Jalshakti through the Mashelkar Committee. The company is a Participant Member of United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and member of the CEO Water Mandate.

He is a Business and Strategy Expert with over 25 years of rich experience across various industries. He has worked earlier both in India and overseas markets in companies such as WaterHealth, Selular Group, Nokia and Electrolux.

Naveen has done his PGDBM in Marketing from Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education, Mumbai. He is a member of the CII National Committee of Water.

Manoj K. M. Chaturvedi

Manoj K. M. Chaturvedi

Metito Overseas Qatar

Environment and Sustainability Lead

Manoj K. M. Chaturvedi, a Chartered Environmentalist, is presently associated with Metito Overseas Qatar, a leading water and wastewater multinational company as Environment Sustainability Team Lead. Over the last two decades, Dr Chaturvedi has been associated with and have contributed effectively to the areas of construction environment and sustainability management of key infrastructure and industry projects in India and Middle East Countries.

In his past assignments, he led the respective organizations in various capacities including as Operations Manager – Environment Division & Principal Consultant CSR and Sustainability at Qatar Design Consortium, Doha, Qatar; as Deputy General Manager-CSR-UN Water Mandate at Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. (HCC), Mumbai and as Field Service Manager at GE (Power and Water) etc. He has honor of being one among 20 experts from across the world to contribute to Evaluation of Research Proposals under SC5-12-2018 EU-India water co-operation during March- April 2018.
With a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Environmental Science and Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IITB), Chaturvedi is a Core Environment and Sustainability Specialist with more than 20 years of hands on experience. He has managed several projects funded by International Agencies including European Union, the World Bank, and SIDA as well as State and Central Government Agencies of India.

He has also assisted Ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoUHA) and Environment Forests & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Govt of India, in execution of JNNURM projects in city of Nashik on behalf of GIZ as environmental consultant.

He has been member of several professional bodies including International Organization for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IOBB), Australia; Institute of Environment Management and Assessment, UK and Eco-Ethics International Union, Germany; Working group for development of India Water Tool by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Water Action Hub (WAH) and Collective Engagement Working Group (CEWG), Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) of United Nations Global Compact’ The CEO Water Mandate.

Smt. D. Thara

Smt. D. Thara

Government of India

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs

Thara has been working as an IAS Officer since 1995. She has been working in the State of Gujarat since 1997 and has a versatile experience in various cities of Gujarat such as Ahmedabad, Kheda, Rajkot, Vadodara and Surendranagar in various Departments. She has worked as a District Development Officer in the cities of Vadodara and Surendranagar for a period of 2 years in Land Revenue Management and District Administration and Development Administration. She also has experience as a Collector in Land Revenue Management & District Administration Departments in the cities of Kheda for a period of 1 year and Ahmedabad for a period of 3 years.

Thara has also worked as the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for approximately 2 years. During this period, she has worked on a number of JNNURM Projects. She has been one of the pioneers of the BRTS Project which was a very essential project of the city. She has also initiated the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021 as Chief Executive Authority, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) in 2008.

During her tenure as Chief Executive Authority, AUDA, the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021, Ahmedabad was completed and also the First Revised Draft Development Plan of Gandhinagar as the CEA, GUDA was completed. With her focused vision and great leadership qualities, a number of new concepts and ideas were incorporated in the Second Revised Draft Development Plan 2021. Few of them included the Central Business District, Transit Oriented Zone and Residential Affordable Housing Zone and also the preparation of Local Area Plans for such projects. She has been the Chief Executive Authority of AUDA and Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad. During her tenure, Ahmedabad was made and executed as a Smart City. Water Management and Security was the focus area. 7.5 lac people were given surface water in one year. 4 STPs were initiated and sewage treatment gap is being completely addressed.

She was working as Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation, Gandhinagar since 24/06/2016. After that she had joined Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as Joint Secretary on 29/07/2019.