World-renowned keynote speakers
G-STIC Conference October 2021
Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Role of NDCs in concerted efforts to achieve climate goals session.
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.
President
24/10/2021
Presenting during the High-level governmental session: shaping a post-pandemic world session.
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Role of NDCs in concerted efforts to achieve climate goals session.
26/10/2021
Presenting during the Closing session: dialogue with the G-STIC co-hosts and strategic partners session.
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.
Director
25/10/2021, 15:45 - 17:15 GST (Dubai)
Chairing the Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation session.
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Role of NDCs in concerted efforts to achieve climate goals session.
25/10/2021
Presenting Opening remarks during the Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation session.
25/10/2021
Presenting Closing remarks during the Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation session.
26/10/2021
Presenting Welcome during the Ensuring a climate resilient recovery after COVID-19 (hosted by CTCN) session.
26/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Dialogue on sustainable development with the G-STIC co-hosts and invited guests during the Closing session: dialogue with the G-STIC co-hosts and strategic partners session.
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.
Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation session.
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).
Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy
President
Director
Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)
TOP EXPERTS
G-STIC Conference October 2021
Managing Director
25/10/2021
Presenting Industrial sensors for process measurements – the importance of innovation quality during the International transfer: global accessibility of low-carbon technologies session.
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.
Executive Director
25/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Debate during the Solutions to overcome data scarcity for NDC’s session.
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Role of NDCs in concerted efforts to achieve climate goals session.
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Solutions to overcome data scarcity for NDC’s session.
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.
Fellow in Energy Materials
26/10/2021
Presenting Sustainability in modern batteries during the Energy generation: transitioning from carbon-based to metal-based materials session.
Robert Armstrong is EaStChem Fellow in Energy Materials at the University of St. Andrews, UK, and has been involved in battery research since 1994. He has published several landmark papers in Li-ion and Na-ion battery research, including the first report of layered LiMnO2 and several papers on layered sodium manganese oxides.
His research is concerned with the synthesis and characterisation of novel electrode materials for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries, with emphasis in correlating structure and properties using powder diffraction combined with electrochemical studies.
Robert Armstrong is a member of the Alistore European Research Institute on advanced batteries, where he is the St Andrews representative on the scientific council. He is project leader for the Faraday Institution project, NEXGENNA, to develop the next generation of sodium-ion batteries.
Director International Relations & Networks
26/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Debate during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
26/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Q&A during the Sustainable Ports session.
26/10/2021
Presenting during the Sustainable Ports session.
26/10/2021
Presenting during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
Since obtaining his master’s degrees in law from the University of Antwerp and in general management from the University of Ghent, Luc Arnouts has continually been active in the port and logistics sector. His career and gaining of operational experience in stevedoring, warehousing and ocean freight forwarding began at the logistics company Group Katoennatie. From there, he moved to SGS-Group Belgium, where he was General Manager of SGS-Van Bree, a member of the Central Management Committee and the Strategic Committee, and in charge of SGS’s logistics and port handling business in Belgium. In 2000, Arnouts joined the leading European airport handling company Aviapartner as VP of Cargo Handling Europe and a member of its Central Board.
In 2007, Luc Arnouts moved to the Antwerp Port Authority as its Chief Commercial Officer. Since 2017, he has been its Director of International Relations and Networks. And as Vice President, he is a member of the Management Board. Alongside these roles, Arnouts is also a member of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp International (a subsidiary of Port of Antwerp focussed on international consultancy, port management and participations in overseas port projects), a member of the board of directors of APEC (the Port of Antwerp’s training subsidiary), and president of the board of directors of RTC, an inland rail terminal.
Deputy Director Division of Science and Technology
25/10/2021, 11:15 - 12:45 GST (Dubai)
Chairing the International transfer: global accessibility of low-carbon technologies session.
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.
Professor Chemistry
26/10/2021
Presenting Cold plasma technology for CO2 conversion: a hot topic! during the Research and policy perspectives on CO2 as a resource session.
Annemie Bogaerts is a full professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Antwerp and head of the research group PLASMANT (Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – ANTwerp).
Having obtained her master’s degree and PhD in chemistry from the University of Antwerp, in 1993 and 1996 respectively, her research focusses on the study of non-equilibrium plasmas by modelling and experimenting with plasma chemistry, plasma reactor design and plasma-surface interactions. Their eventual use is intended for sustainable chemistry and energy/environmental applications, such as CO2 conversion into value-added chemicals, N2 fixation and CH4 conversion, as well as plasma medicine (cancer treatment). Annemie Bogaerts has an ERC Synergy Grant for plasma catalysis for small molecule conversion (electrification of chemical reactions).
Director of Research
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Role of NDCs in concerted efforts to achieve climate goals session.
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.
Professor
26/10/2021
Presenting The new role of CO2: from harmful fossil emissions to raw material for sustainable products during the Research and policy perspectives on CO2 as a resource session.
Christian Breyer is Professor for Solar Economy at LUT University, Finland. His main expertise is the integrated research of technological and economic characteristics of renewable energy systems, specialising in energy system modelling for 100% renewable energy on both local and global scale. Breyer’s team has published more studies on 100% renewable energy systems for countries or major regions than any other in the world. These cover integrated sector analyses with power, heat, transport, desalination, industry and negative CO2 emission options. Power-to-X investigations is one of his team’s core research fields. Christian has had more than 300 scientific papers published, of which more than 100 have been in scientific journals.
Professor
26/10/2021
Presenting Perovskite solar cells and green hydrogen during the Energy generation: transitioning from carbon-based to metal-based materials session.
Yi-Bing Cheng is a Professor at Wuhan University of Technology and Director of Photovoltaic Hydrogen Production Laboratory, Guangdong Foshan Xianhu Lab, China, as well as Emeritus Professor of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Australia.
Yi-Bing Cheng is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. He specialises in inorganic materials and processing and characterisation of thin film solar cells. His current research is on perovskite solar cells and green hydrogen production. He has research publications in Science, Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Energy, Nature Photonics, Advanced Materials and more.
Yi-Bing Cheng was named a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Dean
Cheng-Zhong Xu, IEEE Fellow, is the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China and a Chair Professor of Computer Science of UM. He is also Chief Scientist of a key project on “Internet of Things for Smart City” commissioned by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and a key project on “Intelligent Driving” for Macau SAR. He was Chief Scientist at Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) within the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Director of the Institute of Advanced Computing and Digital Engineering. Prior to these, he was in the faculty of Wayne State University, USA for 18 years.
Xu’s research interest is mainly in the areas of parallel and distributed systems, cloud and edge computing, and data-driven intelligent applications. He has published over 400 peer-reviewed papers on these topics and awarded more than 120 patents. Xu was the Chair of IEEE Technical Committee of Distributed Processing. He obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from Nanjing University and his PhD from the University of Hong Kong in 1993.
Director Ministry of Energy
25/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Debate during the Solutions to overcome data scarcity for NDC’s session.
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Solutions to overcome data scarcity for NDC’s session.
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.
Kickstart manager for materials valorisation
26/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Debate during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
26/10/2021
Presenting North-CCU-Hub: carbon capture and utilisation as part of the strategy for achieving climate neutrality in the North Sea Port during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
Simon De Corte has a PhD in environmental engineering from Ghent University, where he is currently its technology transfer advisor. He has been involved in the organisation of several regional, national and European innovation initiatives and communities related to circular economy. Bringing together research, industry and policy has always been at the core of his activities.
Alongside his job at Ghent University, Simon is currently a programme manager at North-CCU-Hub, a joint initiative of industry, governmental actors and knowledge institutes in the North Sea Port area (ranging from Ghent in Belgium to Terneuzen and Vlissingen in The Netherlands) that’s developing a roadmap for carbon capture & utilisation (CCU) in the region. Both commercial and innovative technologies are being deployed in project initiatives.
North-C-Methanol is a first demonstration project that aims to produce 45,000 tonnes of green methanol per year, based on green hydrogen. Production of fuels, proteins and construction materials based on CCU are also currently being investigated. Simon is involved at both strategic and operational level.
Co-Founder and President
25/10/2021
Presenting VPP integrated networks for energy storage and distribution, by FESCOM during the International transfer: global accessibility of low-carbon technologies session.
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.
Director-General
24/10/2021
Presenting Opening remarks by the co-hosts during the High-level plenary opening session: setting the scene session.
25/10/2021
Presenting Opening remarks during the Nature-based solutions session.
26/10/2021
Presenting Closing remarks from the co-hosts during the Closing session: dialogue with the G-STIC co-hosts and strategic partners session.
26/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Dialogue on sustainable development with the G-STIC co-hosts and invited guests during the Closing session: dialogue with the G-STIC co-hosts and strategic partners session.
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).
Director of Research & Development
26/10/2021, 14:00 - 15:30 GST (Dubai)
Chairing the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
24/10/2021
Presenting CCU Matters: The importance of having abundant renewable energy for CCU solutions during the CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU) in the Middle-East session.
26/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Debate during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
Walter Eevers is Director of Research & Development at VITO, Belgium. After obtaining his PhD in electrically conductive polymers from Antwerp University, he joined Nitto Europe where he was responsible for R&D and business development until becoming General Manager of Techno-Marketing. Walter became involved in global technology sourcing and marketing by setting up multiple collaborations with universities and research institutes.
In 2012, Eevers helped found Nitto Denko Europe Technical Centre in Lausanne as a company dedicated to research activities for medical devices. Eevers is also an external Expert and Vice Chair for the EU Commission, Conacyt (Mexico) and the Qatar Foundation for innovation programmes and projects. He is Vice-President of CO2 Value Europe, an industry association promoting and stimulating CCU.
Eevers is also Chairman of the Board of EnergyVille, the collaboration between KU Leuven, University of Hasselt, IMEC and VITO for sustainable energy research. In his current position, he has stimulated several spinoffs from VITO and held board positions in them. As a visiting professor at University of Antwerp for polymer chemistry, he is guiding research activities in the field of biobased polymer developments.
Director
26/10/2021, 09:30 - 11:00 GST (Dubai)
Chairing the Energy technologies to achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector session.
26/10/2021
Presenting Evolving optimal driving strategies for large-scale use of autonomous vehicles during the Energy technologies to achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector session.
Huiyun Li obtained her PhD from Cambridge University, UK, in 2006. She is now the director of the Automotive Electronics Research Center, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technologies, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIAT-CAS).
Li’s research interests include intelligent vehicles and transportation, V2V security and application. She has had 2 books published, along with over 100 papers in international journals and conferences, is the Principal Investigator (PI) of multiple projects and is the peer reviewer of multiple international academic journals and conference proceedings. Professor Li has been awarded several Prizes of Science and Technology Progress Awards ̶ Provincial and ministerial level (2020, 2019, 2016, 2013).
Beamline Manager
26/10/2021
Presenting Synchrotron-based XAS for energy materials: successful collaboration between SIAT and Thai Synchrotron during the Energy generation: transitioning from carbon-based to metal-based materials session.
Pinit Kidkhunthod is currently Beamline Manager at SUT-NANOTEC-SLRI XAS beamline (BL5.2), Synchrotron Light Research Institute (Public Organisation), Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. His research interest is in the fields of structural studies of advanced functional materials such as catalysts, carbon-based metal composite materials and novel amorphous materials for energy storage applications using an X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) technique. Dr Kidkhunthod has a bachelor’s degree with first class honours 3.99 in physics from KhonKaen University, Thailand (2008) and a PhD in physics from Bristol University, U.K. (2012).
Kidkhunthod was selected as the Thai students’ representative for the DESY summer programme, Germany, in 2007. He has received research grants for young scientists from the Thailand Research Fund (TRF2013), Ministry of Science and Technology (2014) and CoE-Suranaree University of Technology on AFM (2014-present). He has also been appointed Adjunct Professor at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science (SIAT-CASduring 2018-present) and Visiting Scientist at CAS (PIFI programme) in 2021. He is the author and co-author of over 180 papers in ISI and scopus-based journals for structural studies of advanced functional materials using XAS technique.
Urban Climate Service Manager
25/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Debate during the Solutions to overcome data scarcity for NDC’s session.
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Solutions to overcome data scarcity for NDC’s session.
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.
Chief Science Officer
26/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Debate during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
26/10/2021
Presenting Hydrogen in the power sector and its role in climate neutrality during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
26/10/2021
Presenting Loving the Alien: CO2 deserves our affection but save a seat for some other surprising climate change allies during the Research and policy perspectives on CO2 as a resource session.
Jan Mertens is ENGIE’s Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), responsible for co-building ENGIE’s long-term vision on technologies, identifying key international research players in selected emerging technologies and initiating partnerships.
His research activities cover topics related to life cycle assessment, emissions monitoring, carbon capture, carbon use and water footprinting, and he is the author of over 50 international peer-reviewed publications.
Since 2019, Jan has also been Visiting Professor at the University of Ghent, working in the domain of sustainable electricity generation.
Director
26/10/2021
Presenting during the The potential of biodiversity for achieving the SDGs session.
Musonda Mumba, a Zambian National, is the Director for The Rome Centre for Sustainable Development under United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in close collaboration with Italian Government (Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition). The Centre focuses on three priority areas notably: Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Nature Protection. In her role, she provides strategic leadership on these matters through convening, collaboration, connecting and co-creation as the world navigates complexity and uncertainty, with the aim of achieving the SDGs collectively. Her ambition is that this work is done with a Systems Thinking lens and also Systems Leadership.
She has over 25 years’ experience in environmental and conservation issues globally. She is the Chair of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) and Vice-Chair for the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). She is also the Founder of the Network of African Women Environmentalists (NAWE).
She has published widely in various journals, newspapers, articles and contributed to book chapters. Before joining UNDP, Musonda was the head of United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP’s Terrestrial Ecosystems Programme and served in various roles over a period of 12 years. Before working for UNEP, Musonda worked for the Zambian Government, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (in Switzerland), WWF (at International, UK and East Africa Regional Offices) and as such working with governments on Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
She received her BSc. Ed degree at University of Zambia (UNZA) and has a PhD from University College London (UCL) in Wetland Conservation and Hydrology.
CCUS Business Development
Senior Researcher
26/10/2021
Presenting Developing a national framework for deploying and scaling up e-mobility in Zimbabwe during the Energy technologies to achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector session.
Jyoti has been working with UNEP DTU Partnership (UDP) since 1997 on a variety of issues on energy and environment. This includes energy economics and energy policy, energy efficiency, renewables, technology assessment, environmental economics and policy, and climate change issues. He has worked with several developing countries in Asia and Africa on these issues. Jyoti was Head of the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency at UNEP DTU from its inception in September 2013 till September 2016. Between 2011 and 2013, on leave from UNEP DTU, he was Chief Economic Advisor at Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, New Delhi, where he was responsible for providing inputs and advice to the Commission on various issues from an economic perspective. Prior to joining UNEP DTU, Jyoti was a faculty member at Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) at Mumbai. He also has a rich industry experience; he has worked with power plant equipment suppliers during the initial years of his career. One of Jyoti’s renewable energy financing projects in India won the Energy Globe Award in 2007 and the UN-21 Award for efficiency and effectiveness in 2008.
Jyoti has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, and a Doctorate in Management with specialization in the Energy Sector from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore.
Senior Scientist
24/10/2021, 16:00 - 17:30 GST (Dubai)
Chairing the CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU) in the Middle-East session.
26/10/2021, 16:00 - 17:30 GST (Dubai)
Chairing the Research and policy perspectives on CO2 as a resource session.
Principal Investigator
25/10/2021
Presenting Optoelectronics-based monitoring for environmental situation awareness: perspectives and practices in COET/SIAT during the International transfer: global accessibility of low-carbon technologies session.
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).
Professor Mechanical Engineering
26/10/2021
Presenting Using CO2 as a resource: barriers and accelerators during the Research and policy perspectives on CO2 as a resource session.
Volker Sick is the DTE Energy Professor of Advanced Energy Research and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He leads the Global CO2 Initiative at the University of Michigan that seeks to get CO2 capture and use recognised and implemented as a mainstream climate solution.
Deputy Head of the Energy Policy Team
26/10/2021
Presenting UK policy framework and implementation pathway on Net Zero Transport during the Energy technologies to achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector session.
Emma is the Deputy Head of the Energy Policy Team at the British Embassy in Beijing, where she supports engagement and dialogue with China to increase UK-China clean energy cooperation. She works closely with a network of contacts within government, academic institutions, business and other Embassies to support China’s clean energy transition.
Before joining the British Embassy, Emma worked in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London as the Policy Officer for Ireland, Romania and Bulgaria. Prior to the FCDO, Emma worked at the British Chamber of Commerce in Chengdu and for the Asia Business Centre at the University of Nottingham.
Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering
26/10/2021
Presenting Combining algorithms and data to optimise vehicle traffic routing and reduce fuel consumption during the Energy technologies to achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector session.
Since 2005, Suk Won Cha has been an assistant, associate and full professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Seoul National University. He served as the Associate Dean at the College of Engineering from 2013 to 2015 and the Associate Dean of Office of International Affairs at Seoul National University from 2019 to 2021.
Cha obtained his bachelor’s degree in engineering at Seoul National University, before going on to get his master’s and PhD at Stanford University. For the past decade, Professor Cha has been investigating electric/hybrid/fuel cell automotive and advanced fuel cells from materials to system level. He has pioneered optimal energy management strategy for such systems and an innovative vacuum fabrication process for electrolyte/electrode materials, publishing more than a hundred papers – including covers and frontispiece – in renowned journals such as Advanced Energy Materials, Journal of Materials Chemistry, NGP Asia Materials, CIRP Annals-Manufacturing Technology, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology and so on. Cha is also well-recognised as a co-author of “Fuel Cell Fundamentals (Wiley and Sons)” – the world-wide bestseller in fuel cells research, cited more than 3,500 times.
Professor Cha has served as an organiser and committee member for numerous conferences, such Asian Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, American Chemical Society Meetings, World Chemistry Congress (IUPAC), International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition. In addition, he is the long-time organising chair and committee member of the International Conference on Precision Engineering and Sustainable Manufacturing.
Cha is the recipient of several achievement awards, including the Academic Excellence Award from the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers and the Springer Award from International Journal of Automotive Technology, as its most cited author. Professor Cha serves as an editor of International Journal of Automotive Technology (listed in SCIE) and is also a founding editor and senior editor of International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing – Green Technology – top 6% journal in mechanical engineering.
Deputy Director
25/10/2021
Presenting Designing a funding framework for the impacts of slow-onset climate change – Insights from recent coastal retreat experiences during the Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation session.
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.
Senior Business Developer
26/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Debate during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
26/10/2021
Presenting Carbon capture and storage: the role of the port in development of a CO2 storage hub during the Flemish ports as a breeding ground for low CO2 emission technologies session.
Mark Tandy is a business development manager in the Carbon Capture and Storage team at TotalEnergies. Having worked in the energy sector since obtaining his MBA from the Saïd Business School at Oxford University, he has held a number of senior commercial management and director level positions, and worked on projects all over the world. This experience has given him a deep understanding of the practical application of business models and joint venture management.
In addition to applying his transactional expertise, Mark has worked closely with regulators, policy makers and government, most recently as an active participant in the UK government’s consultation on CCS and low-carbon hydrogen business models. In his current role at TotalEnergies, to which he applies over 15 years of experience in CCS, Mark is responsible for new business and partnerships in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions.
TotalEnergies itself has been active since the late 1990s in the development of carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCUS) to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today, 10% of the company’s R&D budget is allocated to relevant technologies. It also supports the Oil & Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), which manages an investment fund of over $1 billion for clean technologies, including CCUS. Alongside its flagship project in Norway, Northern Lights, the company is maturing a number of other CCS projects in Europe and other parts of the world.
Program Manager Sustainable Chemistry
17/01/2022, 14:30 - 16:00 GST (Dubai)
Facilitating the Global value chains for decarbonisation of the energy system session.
26/10/2021
Presenting Getting to carbon-neutral: electrifying nature’s carbon cycle during the Research and policy perspectives on CO2 as a resource session.
18/01/2022
Presenting Panel discussion during the Unlocking the full potential of the blue economy for a sustainable future session.
Policy Officer Climate Adaptation
24/10/2021
Joining panel discussion Conclusions and panel statements during the Valuing water: Flanders’ approach to prioritising water session.
24/10/2021
Presenting Blue–green measures for climate adaptation during the Valuing water: Flanders’ approach to prioritising water session.
25/10/2021
Presenting Blue-green measures for climate adaptation during the Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation session.
25/10/2021
Presenting Q&A and panel discussion during the Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation session.
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.
Senior Vice President and Chief Economist
25/10/2021
Presenting during the Role of NDCs in concerted efforts to achieve climate goals session.
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.
Professor, Department of Electromechanical Engineering and Associate Dean (Academic Affairs)
26/10/2021
Presenting Optimization of Biodiesel Ratio for Automotive Engines using Kernel-based Extreme Learning Machine and Cuckoo Search during the Energy technologies to achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector session.
Pak Kin Wong received the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, in 1997. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Electromechanical Engineering and Associate Dean (Academic Affairs), Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau. He is also the Fellow of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and Chartered Fellow of Chartered Association of Building Engineers, U.K. His research interests include automotive engineering, artificial intelligence for medical diagnosis, fluid transmission and control and mechanical vibration. He has published over 266 scientific papers. 170 out of 266 are refereed journal papers.
Lead Climate Change Specialist
25/10/2021
Presenting Promotion of Climate Technology Transfer and Investment — ADB Practice and Experience during the International transfer: global accessibility of low-carbon technologies session.
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.
Senior Researcher
25/10/2021
Presenting Innovative financing as a catalyst for climate technology transfer during the Enablers and hurdles for accelerating NDC implementation session.
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.
Secretary General
25/10/2021
Presenting Opportunities for international technology transfer cooperation and practice sharing in the field of sustainable development during the International transfer: global accessibility of low-carbon technologies session.
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.
Professor School of Environment and Science
26/10/2021, 11:30 - 13:00 GST (Dubai)
Chairing the Energy generation: transitioning from carbon-based to metal-based materials session.
Shanqing Zhang has a bachelor’s degree from Sun Yat-sen University, China, and a PhD from Griffith University, Australia. He is also a Future Fellow of the Australian Research Council, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and Fellow of Royal Australia Chemical Institute (FRACI).
Professor Zhang currently leads Sustainable Energy Research in the Centre for Catalysis and Clean Energy, Griffith University, and is a full professor in the School of Environment and Science of Griffith University. Zhang has developed a series of patented technologies for energy and environmental applications based on functional materials. He focuses on research and development of functional polymeric materials for energy storage devices such as metal ion batteries and supercapacitors.
In recent years, Zhang has had more than 280 high quality papers published, including Chem. Rev., JACS, Angew Chem Int. Ed., Nat. Commun., Adv. Mater., Adv. Energy Mater., Adv. Funct. Mater., Nano Energy, and ACS Nano, with more than 12,000 citations and an H-index of 64. He has presided over a number of major Australian national energy and environmental research and industrial projects.
Associate Director
26/10/2021
Presenting Fibre-based wearable energy storage devices during the Energy generation: transitioning from carbon-based to metal-based materials session.
Zijian Zheng is currently full professor at the Institute of Textile and Clothing (ITC) and Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests are surface and polymer science, nanofabrication, flexible and wearable electronics, energy conversion and storage.
Zheng obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University in 2003 and a PhD in chemistry from Cambridge University in 2007 (supervisor: Prof. Wilhelm T. S. Huck). In 2008, he worked as postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Chad A. Mirkin at Northwestern University in the USA. He joined ITC as Assistant Professor in 2009, and was promoted to tenured Associate Professor in 2013 and Professor in 2017.
Zijian Zheng has had approximately 120 papers published in high-impact international scientific journals, including Science, Nat. Mater., Nat. Comm., Adv. Mate., JACS, Angew. Chem., and has filed more than 25 patents. He serves as Guest Editor of Advanced Materials and Small, and Editor-in-Chief of EcoMat, a flagship open-access journal about green energy and environment, published by Wiley. Dr. Zheng is the recipient of more than 15 academic awards, such as Founding Member of The Young Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong (2019), Chang Jiang Scholar (2020) and RGC Senior Research Fellow (2021).
Chief Scientist
26/10/2021
Presenting Materials critical to decarbonisation strategies during the Energy generation: transitioning from carbon-based to metal-based materials session.
Dalong Zhong is a Chief Scientist at the National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy (NICE) in Beijing, China. His main research activity over the last two years has been leading a national key R&D project “Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Energy Technology”. He has over 20 years of working experience in the area of advanced manufacturing and materials technologies. Before joining NICE in January 2018, he was as a senior scientist, lab manager and then principal engineer at the GE Global Research Center.
Dalong Zhong has 47 filed patents and published 33 peer-reviewed papers. He has been invited to many international conferences and forums, such as the Energy Sub-Forum of the Euro-Asia Economic Forum and the International Forum of Sustainable Urban Development.
Managing Director
Executive Director
Fellow in Energy Materials
Director International Relations & Networks
Professor Chemistry
Director of Research
Professor
Professor
Dean
Director Ministry of Energy
Kickstart manager for materials valorisation
Co-Founder and President
Director-General
Director of Research & Development
Director
Beamline Manager
Urban Climate Service Manager
Chief Science Officer
Director
Director Adaptation
CCUS Business Development
Senior Researcher
Senior Scientist
Principal Investigator
Professor Mechanical Engineering
Deputy Head of the Energy Policy Team
Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering
Deputy Director
Senior Business Developer
Program Manager Sustainable Chemistry
Policy Officer Climate Adaptation
Senior Vice President and Chief Economist
Professor, Department of Electromechanical Engineering and Associate Dean (Academic Affairs)
Lead Climate Change Specialist
Senior Researcher
Secretary General
Associate Director
Chief Scientist