Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF)

ICEF2026 Program

Main Theme
Green Transformation through “Electrostates” Transition and Security

Main Theme
Green Transformation through “Electrostates” Transition and Security

*Times and session titles are subject to change.

Thursday, October 8 (JST) Venue A

9:00-9:15

Opening Session

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English

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9:20-10:50

Plenary1 /Keynote

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English
Moderator
TANAKA Nobuo (Chair)

TANAKA Nobuo

Chair, ICEF Steering Committee;
Former Executive Director,
International Energy Agency (IEA);
CEO, Tanaka Global, Inc., Japan

Profile
Adnan Z. Amin

Adnan Z. Amin

ICEF Steering Committee;
Senior Research Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government;
Director General Emeritus, IRENA;
Senior Adviser to COP 28 President;
Chair of Officers' Council of the World Energy Council, Kenya

Profile

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11:00-12:00

Session A-1 /EV Adoption and Regional Growth Strategies

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English
Moderator
Nebojsa Nakicenovic

Nebojsa Nakicenovic

ICEF Steering Committee;
Honorary and Emeritus Scholar, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA);
Emeritus Professor of Energy Economics, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria/Serbia

Profile
Changhua Wu

Changhua Wu

ICEF Steering Committee;
China/Asia Director,
Office of Jeremy Rifkin;
Chair, Governing Council,
Asia Pacific Water Forum, United States of America/China

Profile
Vikram Singh Mehta

Vikram Singh Mehta

ICEF Steering Committee;
Chairman, Center for Social and
Economic Progress (CSEP) Research Foundation, India

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13:00-14:00

Session A-2 /Electrified Society and Advanced Nuclear Reactors

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English
Moderator
TANAKA Nobuo (Chair)

TANAKA Nobuo

Chair, ICEF Steering Committee;
Former Executive Director,
International Energy Agency (IEA);
CEO, Tanaka Global, Inc., Japan

Profile
Eija-Riitta Korhola

Eija-Riitta Korhola

ICEF Steering Committee;
Delegate of the Consultative
Commission for Industrial Change
European Economic and Social
Committee, Finland/Belgium

Profile

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14:10-15:40

Session A-3 /Energy Security for the Digital Era “Optimizing Grids on Earth and Beyond”

Part1 /Watts-Bits Integration (Tentative)

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English
Moderator
Sally M. Benson

Sally M. Benson

ICEF Steering Committee; Professor, Energy Science and Engineering,
Stanford University, United States of America

Profile
David Sandalow

David Sandalow

ICEF Steering Committee;
Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University;
Co-Director, Energy and Environment Concentration, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, United States of America

Profile

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Part2 /ICEF Roadmap Project: Space-Based Data Centers

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English
Moderator
David Sandalow

David Sandalow

ICEF Steering Committee;
Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University;
Co-Director, Energy and Environment Concentration, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, United States of America

Profile
Sally M. Benson

Sally M. Benson

ICEF Steering Committee; Professor, Energy Science and Engineering,
Stanford University, United States of America

Profile

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15:50-17:20

Plenary2 /Powering Electrostates: System-Wide Solutions for Secure, Flexible, and Resilient Electrification

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English
Moderator
Hoesung Lee

Hoesung Lee

ICEF Steering Committee;
Former Chair of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
President, Carbon Free Alliance, Korea

Profile
Ismail Serageldin

Ismail Serageldin

ICEF Steering Committee;
Co-Chair of the Board of Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC);
Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria;
Former VP of the World Bank, Egypt

Profile
KURODA Reiko

KURODA Reiko

ICEF Steering Committee;
Principal Research Scientist at the Center for Radical Transformation,
Chiba Institute of Technology;
Senior Visiting Scientist, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS);
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Profile

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17:25-18:10

Closing Session

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

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Thursday, October 8 (JST) Venue B

13:00-14:00

Session B-1 /Building Resilient Circular Value Chains through Data Connectivity

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English
Moderator
SAKANO Akira

SAKANO Akira

ICEF Steering Committee;
Representative Director,
Zero Waste Japan;
Co-Founder, Green innovation;
Chief Circularity Officer, ECOMMIT Co.,Ltd.;
Co-Director, Circular Futures Design Center, Shizenkan University, Japan

Profile
Valli Moosa

Valli Moosa

ICEF Steering Committee;
Chairperson of WWF South Africa;
Former Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Climate Change Commission;
Former President, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN);
Former South AFrican Minister of Environment;
Former Chairperson of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, South Africa

Profile

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14:10-15:10

Session B-2 /From Hype to Market: Aligning Supply and Demand for Low-Emission Hydrogen

Session videos are available.
*You will be redirected to YouTube ICEF official channel.

Japanese English
Moderator
Georg Erdmann

Georg Erdmann

ICEF Steering Committee;
Retired Chair of Energy Systems,
Faculty of Process Engineering, Berlin University of Technology;
President of the Board, KSB Energie AG, Berlin;
Editor of the Springer book series 'Studies on Energy, Resource and Environmental Economics', Germany

Profile
Vikram Singh Mehta

Vikram Singh Mehta

ICEF Steering Committee;
Chairman, Center for Social and
Economic Progress (CSEP) Research Foundation, India

Profile

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TANAKA Nobuo (Chair)
TANAKA Nobuo (Chair)
Position

Chair, ICEF Steering Committee;
Former Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA);
CEO, Tanaka Global, Inc.

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Executive Director Emeritus, The International Energy Agency (IEA)
Nobuo Tanaka is Chairman of the steering committee of the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF), which was established by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014. As Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) from 2007 to 2011, he initiated a collective release of oil stocks in June 2011. He began his career in 1973 in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and has served in a number of high-ranking positions, including Director- General of the Multilateral Trade System Department. He was deeply engaged in bilateral trade issues with the US as Minister for Industry, Trade and Energy at the Embassy of Japan, Washington DC. He has also served twice as Director for Science, Technology and Industry (DSTI) of the Parisbased international organization, OECD. As CEO of Tanaka Global Inc, he advises several Japanese and International companies.

Awards/Publications

Order of Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star, 瑞宝重光章 （2021）
Al Attiyah International Energy Award

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Adnan Z. Amin
Adnan Z. Amin
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Senior Research Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government;
Director General Emeritus, IRENA;
Senior Adviser to COP 28 President;
Chair of Officers' Council of the World Energy Council

Country / Region

Kenya

Career history

Adnan Z. Amin is an experienced international official and development economist specializing in sustainable development with over 30 years of experience in senior positions at the United Nations and as the Founding Director General of The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Mr. Amin served as the CEO of COP28 of the UNFCCC which was is under the Presidency of the UAE. In this capacity he oversaw and managed the policy and operational aspects of COP28 in support of the COP28 President and directly led the political negotiation process the resulted in the adoption of the historic “UAE Consensus” containing pathbreaking agreements to transition away from fossil fuels and achieve a 1.5 degree aligned pathway.
In May, 2025 Mr. Amin was appointed as a Special Envoy of the President of COP30 with special emphasis on the Middle East.
Mr. Amin has served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. There, he specialized in the “Geopolitics of the Energy Transition”. He was appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations as a member of his High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change in September 2020, and is also serving on several Advisory Boards both in the private sector and within academia.

Mr. Amin led a distinguished career serving the United Nations. He served as Head of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) Secretariat, the UN Secretary-General’s policy coordination body comprising the Executive Heads of the UN System. Mr. Amin also led the Secretariat for the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on UN System-Wide Coherence, which resulted in an ambitious reform programme implemented under the framework of “One UN” and “Delivering as One”.
Mr. Amin was also the Director of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) New York Office and led the Secretariat supporting the Intergovernmental review of International Environmental Governance established to review and streamline the proliferation of institutional frameworks within the United Nations. Mr. Amin also served as a Trustee and Member of the Board of Directors of the Cambridge, UK based World Conservation Monitoring Centre, considered one of the premier biodiversity information institutions in the world.

In 2011, Mr. Amin was elected and served as the first ever Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Elected for an initial four-years term, Mr. Amin was re-appointed unanimously by the Assembly for a second term in 2015. During his tenure, IRENA became the authoritative voice of renewable energy and a leading player in the global energy transition. The Agency’s membership increased three-fold and now accounts for over 160 State Members with 24 additional countries in the process of accession, a remarkable achievement in the annals of multilateralism. After his second term he was granted the honorary title of Director General Emeritus by the 2019 IRENA Assembly, in recognition of his leadership and outstanding service to the Agency.

Mr. Amin oversaw the development of IRENA’s operations and programmatic work, directing the growth of the Agency’s knowledge framework, country support and regional engagement. IRENA’s efforts played a key role in showcasing the centrality of renewables to powering sustainable economic growth, creating jobs while meeting climate and sustainable development objectives.

Mr. Amin also propelled IRENA on the global stage. Today, the Agency is a regular contributor to, and a sought-after partner for, global and multilateral Organizations such as the United Nations, G7 and G20, as well as international forums such as the Clean Energy Ministerial, the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue and The Suzhou International Forum on Energy Transitions, among others.

During his tenure, IRENA actively engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including parliamentarians, the private sector and civil society to create an inclusive global platform for cooperation. At his initiative, the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation was established in 2018, and delivered in 2019 a ground-breaking report which outlines the implications of a large-scale shift to renewable energy on the global energy system, economies and relations within and between countries.

After his tenure at IRENA, Mr. Amin has served on a number of important initiatives including:

  • Chair of the Global Council on SDG 7, an initiative by the UAE to advance the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.
  • Member of the OECD High Level Advisory Group on Aligning Development Co-operation with the Objectives of the Paris Agreement.
  • Distinguished Fellow of the Atlantic Council
  • Member of the Jury of the Zayed Sustainability Prize
  • Member of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee
  • Member of the Stanford University Global Energy Council
  • Member of the Global Commission to end Energy Poverty-MIT/Rockefeller Foundation.
  • Awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Practice at the University of Sussex Business School, his alma mater.
  • Member of the International Advisory Panel on Energy of the Government of Singapore.
  • Senior Advisor to the United Arab Emirates Climate Envoy.

Mr. Amin also serves on a number of Advisory Boards within the private sector including Shell New Energy, Porsche Sustainability Advisory Board and Arctic Green Energy.

Awards/Publications

  • Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS) a National Award bestowed by H.E. President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, December 2018
  • The First Order of Zayed II bestowed by the President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of United Arab Emirates, March 2019, in recognition of his service at IRENA.
  • Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, bestowed by the President of Italy, November 2020
  • Astana Medal bestowed by H.E. President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, September 2018.
  • The First Order of Zayed II bestowed by the President H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
    President of United Arab Emirates, February 2024, in recognition of his service as CEO of COP28

Areas of expertise

Geopolitics of the Energy Transition

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Sally M. Benson
Sally M. Benson
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Professor, Energy Science and Engineering, Stanford University

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

1977 to 2007: Various positions at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
2007 to present: Professor at Stanford University

Awards/Publications

1996 DOE Certificate of Appreciation awarded for leading development of the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Program Plan
2007 Contributed to the reports of the IPCC that received the Nobel Peace Prize for “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.”
2009 Michel T. Halbouty Distinguished Lecture Award, Geological Society of America
2009 ARCS 2009 American Pacesetter Award
2011 Alberta Innovates Lecturer of 2011
2009 – 2011 Stanford Fellow
2012 Greenman Award, IEA Greenhouse Gas Program
2015 Honorary Doctorate Degree, Smith College, Massachusetts
2015 Roslyn Silver’27 Science Lectureship, Barnard College
2017 Distinguished CCS Lecture Tour, Peter Cook Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia
2018 Columbia University Arthur D. Storke Lecturer
2019 Society of Petroleum Engineers International Award, Health, Safety, and Environment
2023 Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Areas of expertise

Energy transition, carbon capture and storage, energy systems analysis

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Georg Erdmann
Georg Erdmann
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Retired Chair of Energy Systems, Faculty of Process Engineering, Berlin University of Technology;
President of the Board, KSB Energie AG, Berlin;
Editor of the Springer book series 'Studies on Energy, Resource and Environmental Economics'

Country / Region

Germany

Career history

1995-2018 Professor for Energy Systems at the Institute for Energy Technology, Berlin University of Technology
1982-1995 Post doc researcher and Assistant professor at the Center for Economic Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich (ETHZ)
1993-1995 Delegate at the Paul Scherer Institute, Villigen (Switzerland) in the group of Prof. Dr. Alexander Wokaun.
1976-1982 Appointment as PhD researcher at the University Muenster/Germany

Areas of expertise

Energy Systems and Markets, Energy policy, Economics of innovations, evolutionary economics

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Eija-Riitta Korhola
Eija-Riitta Korhola
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Delegate of the Consultative Commission for Industrial Change European Economic and Social Committee

Country / Region

Finland
Belgium

Career history

PhD in Environmental Politics
Delegate of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change at European Economic and Social Committee 2016-
Member of the Helsinki City Council 2025-
Member of the European Parliament 1999-2014, 2024
Board member of Finnish Forest Administration, Metsähallitus

Awards/Publications

– Annual MEP Award of the European Parliament 2009 (Energy)
– Eija-Riitta Korhola (2014): The Rise and Fall of the Kyoto Protocol – Climate Change as a Political Process, Helsinki University
– Eija-Riitta Korhola: The joys and frustrations of an environmental law-maker, European View 2019
– K.Akimoto, J.Arima, M.Babiker, M.Caine, D.Hobbs, E.Korhola, A.Sieminski, N.Stehr, H.Tezuka,
M.Toyoda, M.Williams (2019) Finding a viable path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, KAPSARC – Prins, G., Cook, M., Green, C., Hulme, M., Korhola, A., Korhola, E-R., Pielke Jr, R., Rayner, S.,
Sawa, A., Sarewitz, D., Stehr, N., & von Storch, H. (2009). How to Get Climate Policy Back on
Course. LSE Mackinder Programme.

Areas of expertise

Emissions Trading, Energy transfer, Climate politics

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KURODA Reiko
KURODA Reiko
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Principal Research Scientist at the Center for Radical Transformation,
Chiba Institute of Technology;
Senior Visiting Scientist, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS);
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

1975 Ph.D. in Chemistry, The University of Tokyo.
1975 – 81: Research Associate, Dept. Chemistry, King’s College, London, U.K.
1981 – 85: Research Fellow/Honorary Lecturer, Dept.Biophysics, ibid.
1985 – 86: Senior Staff Scientist, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, U.K. / Visiting Lecturer, King’s College London.
1986 – 92: Associate Professor, Dept. Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences/ Dept. Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Sciences, The University of Tokyo.
1992 – 2012 Professor, Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences/ Dept.
Biochemistry, Graduate School of Sciences, The University of Tokyo.
2003 – 07: Executive Advisor to the President, The University of Tokyo.
2007 – 11: Member of the Administrative Council, The University of Tokyo
2007 – 10: Head of the Science Interpreter Training Programme, The University of Tokyo (supported by JST).
2010- 12: Head of the Science Interpreter Training Programme, Komaba Organization for Educational Excellence, The University of Tokyo
2012 – 2019 Professor, Research Inst. Science & Technology, Tokyo Univ. of Science.
2019 – 2024 Designated Professor, Frontier Research Institute, Chubu University
2024 – 2026 Distinguished Professor, Chubu University
2026 – current Principal Research Scientist at the Center for Radical Transformation, Chiba Institute of Technology

Awards/Publications

Adjunctive and ex-Council Member of Science Council of Japan
Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science, Sweden
TWAS (the World Academy of Science), Fellow
ISC（International Science Council), Fellow
INGSA-Asia（International Network for Science Advice）,Board member
The Club of Rome, Full ember
Saruhashi Prize (1993),
Nissan Science Prize (1994),
Molecular Chirality Award (2003),
Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize (2004),
Honorary Professor of University of Sichuan, China (2006);
Honorary Doctorate, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden (2009);
Prizes for Science and Technology, The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister
of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2009).
L’Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Award 2013.
Mukai Prize (2014),
Prime Minister’s Commendation for Efforts toward the Formation of a Gender-Equal Society (2014).
Academia Prize, The Academic Society of Japan (2015)
340 peer-reviewed publications in Chemistry and Biology, including Nature, Scientific Reports,
Angewandte Chemie, Journal of American Chemical Society.

Areas of expertise

Chemistry/Molecular and Developmental Biology, Science Communication, Science Policy,
Gender Issues

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Hoesung Lee
Hoesung Lee
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Former Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
President, Carbon Free Alliance

Country / Region

Korea

Career history

A globally recognized climate energy economist and former Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Dr. Hoesung Lee served from 2015 to 2023, leading over 1,000 scientists worldwide in the production of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. Under his leadership, the IPCC’s findings laid the scientific foundation for the Paris Agreement’s first global stocktake and influenced over 140 national carbon neutrality commitments. He is currently president of the Carbon Free Alliance. Dr. Lee has been named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and Bloomberg’s 50 global leaders.
＜Leadership Roles＞
– Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2015-2023)
– Vice-Chair, IPCC (2008-2015) and Co-Chair, IPCC Working Group III (1992-1996)
– Chair, Asia Development Bank Advisory Board on Climate Change and Sustainable Development (2014-2023)
– President, International Association for Energy Economics (1999)
– President, Korea Energy Economics Institute (1986-1995)
– President, Carbon Free Alliance since 2023
– Special Ambassador for Carbon Free Energy since 2023
＜Academic and Professional Appointments＞
– Distinguished Fellow, Institute of Energy Economics Japan since 2023
– Distinguished Professor, Korea University Graduate School of Energy and Environment (2010-2022)
– Member, Steering Committee, Innovation for Cool Earth Forum Japan since 2014
– Member, Council, Global Green Growth Institute (2014-2018)
– Member, Board of Directors, Hyundai Corporation (1993-1999)
＜Selected Impact Achievements＞
– Led the production and release of IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), providing the key scientific basis for global climate action
– Guided the approval and adoption of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (2018), catalyzing global carbon neutrality pledges
– Provided scientific underpinnings for the global stocktake under the Paris Agreement (2023)

Awards/Publications

– TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World (2019)
– Energy Economist of the Year for 2024 by the Energy Intelligence Forum
– Bloomberg 50: Leaders Defining Global Business in 2021
– Outstanding Contribution to the Profession Award 2021 IAEE
– Korea National Order of Civil Merit – Dongbaek Medal (2023)

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Vikram Singh Mehta
Vikram Singh Mehta
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Chairman, Center for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) Research Foundation

Country / Region

India

Career history

Vikram Singh Mehta is currently Chairman of the Think Tank CSEP Research Foundation (Formerly Brookings Institution India Center). Vikram was Executive Chairman of the Think Tank, Brookings Institution India Center and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution from 2012 to 2020. Prior to that he was Chairman of the Shell Group of Companies in India (1994 – 2012); Chief executive of Shell Markets and Shell Chemicals, Egypt (1992-1993). And Advisor, Strategic Planning to the State owned company, Oil India (1984-1988). He started his career by joining the Indian Administrative Service in 1978. He resigned from the service in 1980. Vikram is non executive Chairman of Indigo Airlines and Mahindra Electric Automotive Company and an independent, non-executive, director of Global Health ltd and Jubilant Foods. He is also on the Global Advisory Board of Macro Advisory partners; and PMB Capital

Awards/Publications

Vikram was recipient of Asia House’s Businessmen of the year” award for 2010. He also received Asia Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability’s Award for “Best Independent Director “in India for 2016.”
Vikram is editor of the books “ The Next Stop: Natural Gas and India’s journey towards a Clean Energy Future “. And “ Anchoring Change : 75 years of Grassroots interventions that made a difference “ . Both books were published by Harper Collins .

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Valli Moosa
Valli Moosa
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Chairperson of WWF South Africa;
Former Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Climate Change Commission;
Former President, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN);
Former South AFrican Minister of Environment;
Former Chairperson of the UN Commission
on Sustainable Development

Country / Region

South Africa

Career history

Valli Moosa was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a veteran of the South African Freedom struggle. He worked closely with Nelson Mandela during the settlement talks and served as a negotiator for the ANC. He participated in the drafting of the South African Constitution. He served in President Mandela’s cabinet as Minister of Constitutional Development and in President Mbeki’s government as Environment Minister. He joined the corporate sector in 2004 and currently serves on the board of Sappi Ltd. He has served on the boards of Anglo Platinum, Eskom and Sanlam. Has served as a facilitator in the global climate change negotiation’s for a number of years. He previously served as President of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and as the Chairman of WWF (SA). He also served as the Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Climate Change Commission, chaired by President Ramaphosa, and as the Chairperson of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

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Nebojsa Nakicenovic
Nebojsa Nakicenovic
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Honorary and Emeritus Scholar, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA);
Emeritus Professor of Energy Economics, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien)

Country / Region

Austria
Serbia

Career history

Nebojsa Nakicenovic is the Deputy Chair of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission, Distinguished Emeritus and Honorary Scholar, and was the Deputy Director General and Acting Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analyses (IIASA), and a tenured Professor of Energy Economics at Vienna Technology University.

Among other positions, he was Vice Chair of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) to the European Commission. He is the Director of The World In 2050 (www.TWI2050.org), Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, of International Science Council, and of the Luohan Academy, he is a Member of the Academia Europaea, the Montenegrin Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Earth League, the Earth Commission, the Multi-stakeholder Technical Group of Sustainable Development Goal 7, Scientific Advisory Boards of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, and Steering Committee of the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century. He serves on the Editorial Boards of ten peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Dr. Nakicenovic’s research interests include patterns of technological change including the evolution of energy, mobility, digital technologies, economic development, and climate change. Dr. Nakicenovic holds bachelor and master degrees in economics and computer science from Princeton University and the University of Vienna, where he also completed his Ph.D., and holds Honoris Causa Ph.D. degree in engineering from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Awards/Publications

Google Scholar documents list of 838 publications by Dr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic with some 66 thousand citations.
Dr. Nakicenovic is a recipient of the Austrian Grand Decoration in Silver (Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst); with a number of scientists of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for the research contribution to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change); and with a number of scientists of the 2005 Sheikh Zayed (former UAE President) Environmental Award for the research contribution to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment under the personal leadership of Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General.
He is Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, of the International Science Council, and Luohan Academy, and Member of the Academia Europaea Academia Europaea, Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences (IASCYS)

Areas of expertise

Dynamics of technological change including the evolution of energy, mobility, digital technologies;
economic development, and climate and environmental change.

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SAKANO Akira
SAKANO Akira
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Representative Director, Zero Waste Japan;
Co-Founder, Green innovation;
Chief Circularity Officer, ECOMMIT Co.,Ltd.;
Co-Director, Circular Futures Design Center, Shizenkan University

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

2015-2020: Chair of the Board of Directors, Zero Waste Academy, Japan – served to spread the zero waste community building concepts all over the world and showcased how a small town could be a model of change to the world.
Since 2020, founded Zero Waste Japan – delivers planning and implementation of zero waste policy and projects to local governments, communities and businesses in Japan and elsewhere.
Co-Founded Green innovation in 2021 to develop more than 1,000 “green innovators” to tackle climate change by 2030. Delivering “Green Innovator Academy” where educating students and young professionals to foster Green innovators to deliver Green transformation.
Joined ECOMMIT Co.,Ltd. in 2023 as Director & Chief Sustainability Officer to contribute in building circular economy from business field.
Global Shaper, World Economic Forum 2012 to 2020.
Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2019.
World Economic Forum Future Council on Japan (2020).
World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community Foundations Board (2020-2021).
Master, Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies.

Awards/Publications

Nikkei Women of the Year 2022

Areas of expertise

Zero Waste and Circular Economy policy implementation
Community-based policy making
Cross-sectoral multi-stakeholder policy making

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David Sandalow
David Sandalow
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University;
Co-Director, Energy and Environment Concentration, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

David Sandalow is the Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) and Co-Director of the Energy and Environment Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He is the lead author, most recently, of the ICEF Sustainable Data Centers Roadmap (October 2025), ICEF Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition) (November 2024) and Guide to Chinese Climate Policy (Third Edition) (October 2022). Mr. Sandalow hosts the AI, Energy and Climate Podcast.
Mr. Sandalow chairs the ICEF Innovation Roadmap Project. In that capacity, he has led development of roadmaps on sustainable data centers, artificial intelligence for climate change mitigation, low-carbon ammonia, biomass carbon removal and storage, industrial decarbonization, direct air capture and carbon dioxide utilization, among other topics.
Mr. Sandalow founded and directs CGEP’s US-China Program. He teaches a short course on the energy transition each year as a Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University.
Mr. Sandalow has served in senior positions at the White House, State Department and U.S. Department of Energy.

Areas of expertise

energy, climate and AI policy

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Ismail Serageldin
Ismail Serageldin
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Co-Chair of the Board of Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC);
Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria;
Former VP of the World Bank

Country / Region

Egypt

Career history

Co-Chair of the Board of Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria, Former VP of the World Bank
Ismail Serageldin is the Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria, and was the Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the New Library of Alexandria in Egypt (2001 – 2017).
Before that he was the Vice-President of the World Bank (1993-2000).
He has received many awards including the Order of the Rising Sun of Japan. He is a knight of the French Legion d’Honneur and a Commander of Arts and Letters of the French
Republic. He has lectured widely, published more than 100 books and 500 articles, and has received 40 honorary doctorates from all over the world.

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Vaclav Smil
Vaclav Smil
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba

Country / Region

Canada

Career history

University professor
Author of 50 books
Consultant

Awards/Publications

Fellow of the Royal Society (Science Academy) of Canada
Member of the Order of Canada
50 books on energy, environment, history of technical advances, food and innovation
500 papers

Areas of expertise

interdisciplinary energy studies
history of energy development
biosphere and global biogeochemical cycles

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Changhua Wu
Changhua Wu
Position

ICEF Steering Committee;
China/Asia Director, Office of Jeremy Rifkin;
Chair, Governing Council, Asia Pacific Water Forum

Country / Region

United States of America
China

Career history

Positions Formerly Held:
Greater China Director and Chair of the China Board, The Climate Group
China CEO, ENSR
Director, China Studies, World Resources Institute
Editor, English Edition, China Environment News
Advisory Positions Formerly Held:
President and Chair, and co-founder, Professional Association for China’s Environment/PACE
Member, Global Future Council of Energy, World Economic Forum
Chair, Global Agenda Council on Climate Change, World Economic Forum
Member, Global Agenda Council of Global Governance for Sustainable Development, World
Economic Forum
Founder and Executive Secretary, the Climate Fund, All-China Returned Overseas Chinese
Philanthropy Fund
Founder and Executive Director, the Million Forest Fund, China Greening Foundation

Awards/Publications

Women Leader(s): 2019, Time – 15 global women leaders to fight climate change
Areas of expertise
A specialist and policy analyst of China’s sustainability
An advisor to governments and corporations on sustainability strategy and innovation
A strategist of public and private engagement for clean energy transformation and climate solutions
An advocate for policy change and practice leadership
A public voice for positive changes and innovation
A current affairs and policy commentator on China’s clean transition
A social entrepreneur and innovator for sustainability
An award winner for her contributions to China’s decarbonization

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KISHI Hisashi
KISHI Hisashi
Position

Deputy Division CEO, Global Business Department, Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Hisashi Kishi currently serves as Deputy Division CEO of Global Business Division at Chubu Electric Power. In 2024, he played a role in the investment in NuScale Power Corporation as a hands on basis. In 2019, he was involved in the acquisition of Eneco, a Dutch integrated energy company, with Mitsubishi Corporation. Following the successful acquisition, he was seconded to Eneco for two years, where he contributed to enhancing collaborative initiatives between Eneco and Chubu Electric. From 2016 to 2018, he was seconded to JERA , where he focused on IPP projects in the Middle East. In 2002, he was seconded to the Project Finance Department of JBIC, where he was involved in financing energy infrastructure projects. His interest in international business started in 1998 when he received a company sponsored scholarship to pursue MA in International Studies at the University of Sheffield.

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ESAKI Hiroshi
ESAKI Hiroshi
Position

Professor, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

He received the B.E. and M.E. degrees from Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, in 1985 and 1987, respectively. And, he received Ph.D from University of Tokyo, Japan, in 1998.
In 1987, he joined Resrearch and Development Center, Toshiba Corporation. From 1990 to 1991, he has been at Bellcore Inc., New Jersey (USA). From 1994 to 1996, he has been at Columbia University in New York (USA). He has proposed the CSR architecture, that is the origin of MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching), to the IETF. From 2007 to 2010 and 2014 to 2020, he served as BoT (Board of Trustee) for ISOC (Internet Society). He is a director of WIDE Project, a chair of JPNIC (Japan Network Information Center), a director of Japan Data Center Coucil, director of Green University of Tokyo Project, chair of JNSA (Japan Network Security Assoviation), and the first Chief Arechitect of Digital Agency Japan.

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Richard Hartman
Richard Hartman
Position

Chief Innovation Officer, Air Force Office of Energy Assurance

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

As Chief Innovation Officer within the US Air Force Office of Energy Assurance, Dr. Hartman is responsible for energy security initiatives for the Air and Space Force. As CINO, he identifies and develops strategies to deploy innovative solutions to enhance energy resilience worldwide with global partners in academia, industry, and governments through partnerships to get energy resilience projects approved, solicited, and or built. He holds a Ph.D. in policy and management and has held adjunct faculty positions at George Washington University and Georgetown University and a board member to various public and private sector boards where he advises start-ups as well as established companies.

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Irmela Kofler
Irmela Kofler
Position

Head of Research Area Decarbonisation, K1-MET GmbH

Country / Region

Austria

Career history

Irmela Kofler studied technical chemistry and did her PhD in process engineering. First she worked for a plant manufacturer in the environmental department with focus on dedusting and energy recovery. Since 2015 she is Area Manager at K1-MET, one of the leading and internationally renowned metallurgical competence centers. She leads Area 2, focusing on Decarbonization and sector coupling.

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KUMAHIRA Tomonobu
KUMAHIRA Tomonobu
Position

Co-Founder and CEO, Mizu - Water One

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

Tomo is Co-Founder and CEO of Water One, a California-based startup focused on food and water security. Recognized by Imagine H2O and StartX, Water One offers an AI-enabled water management platform for farmers in water-stressed areas. The company spun out of Stanford's Doerr School of Sustainability, building on his team's publication of the world's first solution map for water-agriculture adaptation. Previously, he was Acting CFO at Komaza, Africa's largest sustainable forestry startup, where he raised 50M dollars in climate finance and designed the world's first securitization model for smallholder forestry. He started his career as a private equity investor at Mitsubishi Corporation. An Acumen Fellow and Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow, Tomo has advised the UN FAO. He holds a BA from Brown University and MS-MBA from Stanford as Knight-Hennessy Scholar.

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Alexis Abramson
Alexis Abramson
Position

Dean, The Climate School at Columbia University;
Professor, The Climate School at Columbia University

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

Alexis Abramson is the Dean of the Columbia Climate School and a Professor of Climate. A leading expert in sustainable energy technology, she focuses broadly on thermal transport, from designing nanostructured materials to addressing building energy efficiency. Before joining Columbia in 2025, she was dean of Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering. Abramson also recently served as a Technical Advisor to Breakthrough Energy Ventures, launched by Bill Gates. During the Obama administration, she held the position as chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office. Abramson holds engineering degrees from Tufts and a PhD from UC Berkeley.

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Alice C. Hill
Alice C. Hill
Position

David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment, Council on Foreign Relations

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

Alice C. Hill is the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is an expert on the risks, consequences, and responses associated with climate change and is the author of the Fight for Climate After COVID-19 and co-author of Building a Resilient Tomorrow. Hill served in the Obama administration as senior director for resilience policy at the U.S. National Security Council and senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In these roles, she was a driving force behind the development of policies addressing national security and climate change. A former supervising judge and prosecutor, she received the U.S. Department of Justice's John Marshall Award for Outstanding Legal Achievement.

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Evelyn N. Wang
Evelyn N. Wang
Position

Vice President for Energy and Climate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
Ford Professor of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

Dr. Evelyn N. Wang is the VP for Energy and Climate and the Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT. She previously served as the Senate-confirmed Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) from 2023-2025, where she led the Agency's development, launch, and execution of high-risk, high-reward energy research and development programs. At MIT, she developed technologies for thermal management, energy conversion and storage, and water harvesting and purification. Dr. Wang holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. She also received an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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Karen Cheah
Karen Cheah
Position

Founder and CEO, Alterpacks Pte Ltd

Country / Region

Singapore

Career history

Karen Cheah is the Founder and CEO of Alterpacks, an award-winning materials startup pioneering circular economy innovation in Asia. Based in Singapore, Alterpacks upcycles food by-products and agricultural waste into high-performance plant-fibre materials that replace plastics and reduce reliance on virgin resources. A former journalist and creative strategist, Karen founded the company after witnessing the impact of waste in vulnerable communities. Today, Alterpacks operates regionally and partners with global agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme in Indonesia and the National Innovation Agency of Thailand to co-develop scalable waste-to-resource solutions. She holds a BA Mathematics and History 2nd Upper Hons from National University of Singapore and an MSc Innovation from Singapore Management University, where she was on the Dean's List and a Leadership Scholar.

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Sann Carriere
Sann Carrière
Position

Founder - Director, Orobo

Country / Region

Singapore/The Netherlands

Career history

Sann Carrière is a systems strategist and entrepreneur building the infrastructure for a circular economy. With over 15 years of leadership across Europe and Asia, she has launched and scaled ventures at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and materials innovation. She is the founder of Orobo, a Singapore-based platform that delivers verifiable sustainability data and Digital Product Passports, and of So Now, a long-running consultancy specialising in circular business design, positioning her as a credible operator and thought leader in the emerging data layer of the circular economy.
Dutch by origin and based in Singapore, with a foundation in Japanese sociotechnical research, Sann brings a rare combination of cross-cultural fluency, foresight, and a track record of executing bold ideas that shape future-fit systems.

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Jean-Eric Paquet
Jean-Eric Paquet
Position

The Ambassador of the European Union to Japan, The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Japan

Country / Region

EU

Career history

Jean-Eric Paquet is the Ambassador of the European Union to Japan since 2022.
He held various mandates at the European Commission, where he contributed in shaping EU policy in various fields. As the Director-General for Research and Innovation 2018-2022, he set up the European Innovation Council and promoted a whole-of-government approach for R&I.
He gained considerable experience at international level as Director for the Western Balkans in the Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations and as EU Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania 2004-2007.
From 2015 to 2018, he was Deputy Secretary-General of the European Commission, in charge of Better Regulation and Policy Coordination, covering all policy areas related to the EU Green Deal.
In all his endeavours, he puts co-creation and systemic change at the heart of the decision-making process.

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KIHARA Shinichi
KIHARA Shinichi
Position

Director General for Energy and Environmental Policy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Shinichi Kihara was appointed in to current position in July 2023. He leads building international energy/ climate strategies and policies. Mr. Kihara has rich experience in the areas of international energy/ climate policy. He served as Deputy Director-General for Environmental Affairs in 2021, and took the lead for the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo. He served as Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs at Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) in 2020. He served as Director for International Affairs at ANRE in 2012.
Mr. Kihara served as Senior Energy Analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2009. Mr. Kihara joined METI in 1993, has and have diverse experience serving various offices. Mr. Kihara earned a Bachelor of Economics from University of Tokyo in 1993, and MBA in 1998 from Cornell University, USA in 1998.

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Eunjung Lim
Eunjung Lim
Position

Professor, Division of International Studies, Kongju National University

Country / Region

Korea

Career history

Eunjung Lim is a Professor in the Division of International Studies at Kongju National University (KNU). Her areas of specialization include international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, comparative and global governance, and energy, nuclear, and climate change policies of East Asian countries. She previously served on the board of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (2018-2024) and is now a member of several national advisory committees, including the Ministry of Unification and the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth.
She also serves on the governing board of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network. Before joining KNU, she taught at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. She holds degrees from the University of Tokyo (B.A.), Columbia University (M.I.A.), and Johns Hopkins SAIS (Ph.D.).

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George Borovas
George Borovas
Position

Head of Nuclear Practice, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP;
Managing Partner, Tokyo Office of Hunton Andrew Kurth LLP

Country / Region

Japan/United States of America

Career history

George Borovas is head of the Hunton’s nuclear practice.
George advises governments, lenders and sponsors on the development of civilian nuclear power programs and the financing and construction of nuclear power plants.
He has worked on projects and transactions in the UK, the US, Russia, Europe, the Middle East, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, China, Australia and South Africa.
He regularly negotiates contracts and advises clients on the establishment of global joint ventures relating to the nuclear industry as well as on transactions for the trading of fuel, equipment and services for nuclear power plants.
He also advises companies on international nuclear liability and export compliance issues and has represented buyers in transactions involving the acquisition of nuclear power plants.

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ARIMA Jun
ARIMA Jun
Position

Senior Councilor, Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC);
Visiting Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP), The University of Tokyo;
Professor, Kaishi Professional University

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Economics in 1982, and joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (currently the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in the same year. From 2008 to 2011, he served as Deputy Director-General in charge of Global Environmental Issues. From 2011 to 2015, he served as Director of the London Office of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). In 2015, he became Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP), the University of Tokyo. SInce 2025, he is Senior Councilor of Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and Visiting Professor at the GraSPP, U-Tokyo. His otehr positions include Consulting Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Senior Policy Fellow at the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). He has participated in 19 COPs.

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Marcus Dawe
Marcus Dawe
Position

Founder & CEO, MCi Carbon

Country / Region

Australia

Career history

Marcus Dawe is a climate thought leader, tech entrepreneur, and experienced board member based in Canberra, Australia. As CEO and co-founder of MCi Carbon, he leads an award-winning team that transforms CO2 emissions into building materials. Following the 2007 IPCC report, Marcus became an early leader in developing technology to decarbonise heavy industry. He has secured over $90 million AUD in funding for MCi Carbon, including investments from the Australian Government, Orica, ITOCHU, MUCC, Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and RHI Magnesita. Under his leadership, MCi Carbon is entering the global market for carbon capture and utilisation solutions. Marcus has received several awards, including the ACT Chief Minister Entrepreneur of the Year Pearcey Award. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and studied computer science at ANU.

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NIKI Shigeru
NIKI Shigeru
Position

Fellow, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO);
Program Director: Utilization of Unused Subsurface Resources/Geologic Hydrogen, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Shigeru Niki received his Ph. D. from the University of California, San Diego in 1991. In the same year, he joined the Electrotechnical Laboratory (now the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology: AIST). He has served as the Director of the Research Center for Photovoltaic Technologies and Renewable Energy Research Center, and has led R&D in the field of various renewable energy-related technologies such as photovoltaics, wind power, geothermal, hydrogen, energy network, etc., aiming to extend the penetration of renewable energy. In 2019, he joined NEDO as the head of the Renewable Energy Unit (now Sustainable Energy Unit) at the Technology Strategy Center (now the Technology and Innovation Strategy Center). He became a fellow on Apr. 1, 2024, and was assigned to be the Program Director for the NEDO Geologic Hydrogen Program on June 1, 2025.

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Ajay Singh
Ajay Singh
Position

Senior Executive Advisor, Mitsui OSK Lines

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Ajay Singh is senior executive advisor at Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), a major global shipping group. As senior managing executive officer, he earlier led MOL’s South Asia & Middle East business.
Between 1995-2014 Ajay worked at Shell - in India and at global headquarters in London and the Hague - to create and manage several oil and gas businesses in partnership with host governments and other companies in various parts of the world. In 2014, he was invited to work as special advisor to the chairman and president of Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. (JAPEX), an international energy company owned mainly by the Government of Japan. He has also been independently involved in the development of green hydrogen in India.
Ajay Singh is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, Manchester Business School and Walchand College of Engineering.

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Suman Kumar Bery
Suman Kumar Bery
Position

Vice Chairman, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog)

Country / Region

India

Career history

Mr. Suman Bery is Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog (Cabinet Minister rank) since May 1, 2022. A policy economist, he was earlier Global Fellow at the Wilson Center (Washington) and non-resident fellow at Bruegel (Brussels). From 2012-16, he served as Chief Economist, Royal Dutch Shell, advising on global trends and leading scenario work on India’s energy future. Prior, he was Director-General, NCAER, enhancing its global standing. He served on key Indian policy bodies including the PM’s Economic Advisory Council and RBI committees. At the World Bank, his work focused on Latin America’s financial sector. He was also Special Consultant to the RBI Governor (1992-94). Mr. Bery holds degrees from Princeton (MPA) and Oxford (PPE).

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Faten Attig-Bahar
Faten Attig-Bahar
Position

Deputy Director of the Future Earth Africa Hub, University of Pretoria;
Visiting Research Fellow, Rhodes University

Country / Region

Tunisia

Career history

Dr. Faten Attig Bahar is Deputy Director of the Future Earth Africa Hub at the University of Pretoria and Visiting Research Fellow at Rhodes University. Holding a Ph.D. in Energy Engineering, she is an Alexander von Humboldt alumna with research spanning climate, energy systems, and sustainability transitions. She has held academic and research roles in Tunisia, Germany, and South Africa, and serves on global science bodies including WMO, Future Earth, Africalics, and GEO. She co-chaired the SRI Africa Satellite Events (2023-2025), advancing African leadership in sustainability science and science diplomacy. An IPCC report reviewer and advocate for early-career researchers, she combines technical expertise with strategic governance. Beyond science, she is an award-winning Tunisian author of 20 Arabic children’s books.

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KATASE Hirofumi
KATASE Hirofumi
Position

Executive Vice Chairman and Director, I-Pulse Inc.;
President and CEO, G-Pulse Inc.;
Chairman, Geo Dreams Co., Ltd.

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Hirofumi Katase is Executive Vice Chairman of I-Pulse, a US company applying high pulse power (HPP) to transform industries. He is President and CEO of G-Pulse, pioneering HPP drilling for geothermal, and Chairman of Geo Dreams, leading next-generation geothermal in Japan. He also serves as an independent director at Minebea Mitsumi and Ivanhoe Electric. Formerly Japanese Vice Minister for International Affairs at METI, he held multiple Director General positions in trade, science and technology, and environment, where he initiated the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum, convinced that climate change can only be solved through innovation. As Deputy Secretary-General for Space Policy at the Cabinet Office, he led the establishment of Japanese space policy infrastructure. He holds a law degree from the University of Tokyo and a master in applied economics from the University of Michigan.

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Rajiv Ranjan Jha
Rajiv Ranjan Jha
Position

Director (Projects), Power Finance Corporation Limited

Country / Region

India

Career history

Shri Rajiv Ranjan Jha joined PFC in Mar 1997, after 9 yrs of experience in a coal-based power plant managing construction & O&M functions. As Director (Projects) he is currently responsible for entire Business Development, Project Finance, Appraisal & Structuring, Risk Analysis, Disbursement, Credit Monitoring, Policy & Stressed Assets. He is also Director-in-Charge of PFC Consulting Ltd., leading consulting assignments & supporting key Ministry initiatives like LPS, Praapti Portal, coal sampling empanelment, Shakti B & stressed asset monitoring.
With over 28 yrs at PFC, he has developed deep expertise in project finance, policy formulation, asset monitoring and is playing a pivotal role in driving India’s energy transition through PFC’s financing initiatives. His academic credentials include a B.Sc. (Engg), an Advanced Diploma in Management & a Boiler Operating Engineer Certificate.

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KANEKO Yukihiro
KANEKO Yukihiro
Position

Head of Perovskite Photovoltaics Business Promotion Office, Panasonic Holdings Corporation

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Dr. Kaneko was born in Hokkaido in 1980. He received his B.S. degree in engineering from Nagoya University, Japan, in 2003, and his M.S. degree in engineering from the same university in 2005. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in electronics and applied physics from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, in 2012.
In 2005, he joined Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (now Panasonic Holdings Corporation), where he has been engaged in the development of materials and devices. In 2015, he was assigned as an on-site manager at imec in Belgium. After returning to Japan in 2019, he took on the role of manager of the Perovskite PV team. He has held his current position since 2021.

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SUGIYAMA Masakazu
SUGIYAMA Masakazu
Position

Director and Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Masakazu Sugiyama is the director and a professor at Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo. He received the B.E., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Systems Engineering, all from the University of Tokyo, Japan, in 1995, 1997, and 2000, respectively. In 2000, he became a Research Associate at the Department of Chemical System Engineering, the University of Tokyo. In 2002, he joined the Department of Electronic Engineering as a Lecturer. He became an Associate Professor in 2005. In 2016, he was promoted to a full professor and then moved to RCAST in 2017.
His major research topics are high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) devices using the nano-epitaxial structures of III-V compound semiconductors. He is a recognized leader in the sustainable conversion of solar energy to next-generation fuels.

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YOGO Katsunori
YOGO Katsunori
Position

Group Leader and Principal Research Scientist, Chemical Research Group, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE)

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Katsunori YOGO is Group Leader and Principal Research Scientist in the Chemical Research Group at the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE). He has also served as Visiting Professor at the National University Corporation Nara Institute of Science and Technology since 2004. For over 20 years, he has been engaged in the research and development of various carbon dioxide capture technologies, including absorbents, membranes, and solid sorbents. He has also collaborated with JAXA on developing carbon dioxide adsorbents for life support systems for manned space activities. Since 2015, he has been developing Direct Air Capture technology under NEDO's Moonshot R&D Project.

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Roger Deane Aines
Roger Deane Aines
Position

Author and Advisor, Damianakes Communications

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

Roger Aines conducts research on carbon dioxide removal technology and policy. During 2023-2024 he was on detail assignment to DOE as the Senior Advisor for Carbon Dioxide Removal in the Office of the Under Secretary for Energy and Innovation. He provided oversight and assistance with all aspects of the Carbon Negative Earthshot. This included coordinating the efforts within DOE, and liaising with other government agencies engaged in CDR work including NOAA and the Department of Interior. He was one of the authors of the National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy issued by the National Science and Technology Council. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Carleton College, and Doctor of Philosophy in geochemistry from the California Institute of Technology.

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Rajat Verma
Rajat Verma
Position

CEO & Founder, Lohum

Country / Region

India

Career history

Rajat Verma is the Founder & CEO of LOHUM, India’s largest producer of critical minerals and advanced materials. Under his leadership, LOHUM processes 50,000+ MT annually, producing Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Rare Earths, PGMs, Catalysts, Alloys, Magnets, and Cathode Materials. It holds over 90% of India’s battery recycling market and has expanded to UAE and Africa. Rajat is a key voice in India’s clean energy transition, serving on the National Critical Minerals Mission Empowered Committee, NITI Aayog’s Expert Council, FICCI, CII, and BIS committees. An IIT Kanpur Silver Medalist, he completed his education from Stanford & Harvard.

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Petra Schwager
Petra Schwager
Position

Chief of the Climate and Technology Partnership (CTP) Division, UNIDO

Country / Region

Austria

Career history

Petra has more than 20 years of experience in building-up global and national programmes for sustainable industrial development. She worked with governments, financial institutions, universities, and industries in more than 40 countries. Her expertise covers the promotion of innovative and circular economy approaches, clean hydrogen, carbon market, resource and energy efficient solutions, green chemistry, sustainable performance based business models. In her projects she pays attention to gender parity, supporting women leadership.
She manages strategic partnerships and technical cooperation on climate and technology innovation. She heads UNIDO’s Global Programme on Hydrogen in Industry to support net zero industrial and economic transformation in developing and transition countries. She coordinates UNIDOs engagement at high-level climate related policy events and is a regular speaker.

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Andriah Feby Misna
Andriah Feby Misna
Position

Director of New and Renewable Energy, Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

Country / Region

Indonesia

Career history

Andriah Feby Misna is the Director of Various New and Renewable Energy at Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, since 2022. Her professional journey reflects a strong dedication to advancing sustainable energy. Prior to her current role, she served as Director of Bioenergy from 2018 to 2022, where she spearheaded national efforts to enhance bioenergy development and policy. In 2017-2018, she was Deputy Director of Investment & Cooperation in New and Renewable Energy, focusing on strategic partnerships and investment facilitation. From 2015 to 2017, she led energy efficiency initiatives as Deputy Director of Energy Conservation Program Planning, following her earlier role from 2011 to 2015 as Deputy Director of Technical Assistance & Cooperation on Energy Conservation, where she promoted technical collaboration and capacity building across the sector.

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Erin Sikorsky
Erin Sikorsky
Position

Director, Center for Climate and Security;
Adjunct Professor, George Mason University

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

Erin is Director of the Center for Climate and Security (CCS), a Washington, DC-based research institute that works globally. She is the author of Climate Change on the Battlefield, published by Bloomsbury earlier this year, and an adjunct professor at George Mason University. Previously, Erin served on the National Intelligence Council (NIC) in the United States, where she co-authored the quadrennial Global Trends report and led the US intelligence community’s environmental and climate security analysis. Prior to her position on the National Intelligence Council, she worked as a senior analyst in the US intelligence community for over a decade, leading teams examining conflict and instability risks in Africa and the Middle East, and won the National Intelligence Analysis Award.

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Matt Wilkinson
Matt Wilkinson
Position

CEO, Thorcon International

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

Matt leads Thorcon with 30+ years in technology, previously as VP of Strategy & Operations at SAP, driving its cloud transition. With Civil Engineering and MBA degrees, Matt blends technical and business expertise.

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Caroline DeWitte
Caroline DeWitte
Position

Co-Founder, Oklo Inc.

Country / Region

United States of America

Career history

Caroline DeWitte is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Oklo Inc., a company developing compact nuclear powerhouses with inherent safety features to deliver affordable, reliable, and clean energy. Oklo’s innovative design-build-own-operate model enables direct power sales to customers such as data centers and the oil and gas sector. The company is also advancing nuclear fuel recycling technologies to repurpose nuclear waste as fuel and to produce valuable isotopes for medical and industrial applications.
Caroline has co-founded multiple organizations and was one of the youngest recipients of the University of Oklahoma Regent's Alumni Award. She previously served on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee and was a panelist at the 9th Clean Energy Ministerial.

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MORIWAKI Masanao
MORIWAKI Masanao
Position

Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Business Development & Management Division, Hitachi GE Vernova Nuclear Energy, Ltd.

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

Since April 2021, Masanao Moriwaki has served as Senior Vice President and Division General Manager of the Global Business Development & Management Division at Hitachi GE Vernova Nuclear Energy.
This division is tasked with developing international nuclear business opportunities and managing overseas nuclear projects.
His specific responsibilities include fostering alliance partnerships with GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH).
Currently, he is focused on the BWRX-300, an economically competitive small modular reactor being developed in collaboration with GVH.
His international experience includes roles at the UC Berkeley, the IAEA, and GVH. Over his 35-year career, he has contributed to nuclear research, global project management, and strategic partnerships. He holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Nagoya University.

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Ken Haig
Ken Haig
Position

Senior Director, Government Affairs, Microsoft

Country / Region

Japan/United States of America

Career history

Ken Haig, Ph.D., is Senior Director of Government Affairs at Microsoft, leading the company’s public policy engagement in Japan since early 2025. Previously, he led energy and environmental policy-related work at Amazon Web Services, Oracle, and Opower across the Asia-Pacific region. Before joining the private sector, he was a U.S.-based academic teaching and researching comparative politics and public policy. He holds a B.A. from Harvard University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and has academic affiliations at Keio University and Hokkaido University in Japan (where he has been based since 2012).

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HARA Daishu
HARA Daishu
Position

Senior Director of the Hydrogen and Ammonia Department, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)

Country / Region

Japan

Career history

He has served as Senior Director of the Hydrogen and Ammonia Department at NEDO since March 2025. He previously held key positions including Director of the Smart Community and Energy Systems Department, where he led numerous projects on fuel cells, hydrogen production, and turbine technology innovation. He also served as Deputy Director of NEDO’s Washington, D.C. office, overseeing cooperative research and technology transfer projects across North America and promoting collaboration between Japanese and U.S. government agencies. In addition, he was an adjunct lecturer at Tohoku University, where he worked on coordinating national projects. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, with a specialization in electrochemistry.

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Jooho Whang
Jooho Whang
Position

Former President & CEO, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP)

Country / Region

Korea

Career history

Dr. Jooho Whang served as President & CEO of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power from Aug 2022 to Sep 2025, leading Korea’s largest nuclear utility during a pivotal energy transition. He received his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Seoul National University, M.S. in Medical Physics, and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He began his career at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and later spent over 30 years at Kyung Hee University as professor, Dean of Engineering, and Executive Vice President. He also served as President of the Korean Energy Society (2013) and the Korean Nuclear Society (2016). He held national policy roles, including Chairman of the Technical Expert Committee in the National S&T Council and member of the Atomic Energy Commission. From 2020 to 2022, he chaired the Advisory Board on Nuclear Power Plant Export.

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Paolo Frankl
Paolo Frankl
Position

Head of Renewable Energy Division, International Energy Agency

Country / Region

France

Career history

Paolo Frankl is Head of the Renewable Energy Division at the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Dr. Frankl leads the IEA’s work on renewables, providing analysis and advice on policies, markets and technologies to 32 Member countries and 17 Accession and Association countries.
A physicist by training, Dr. Frankl holds a Ph.D in Energy and Environmental Technologies from the University of Rome 1 “La Sapienza” and has been post-doc Marie Curie research fellow at INSEAD business school in Fontainebleau, France. Dr. Frankl has over 30 years of experience working on renewable energy systems and markets, life cycle assessment and eco-labelling.

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Xiangsheng Sun
Xiangsheng Sun
Position

Chairman of ISETS; Former Secretary General of IEF

Country / Region

China

Career history

Chairman of International Society for Energy Transition Study; Former Secretary of General of International Energy Forum; Ex-President of Economy and Technology Research Institute / China National Petroleum Corporation

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Lee Warren
Lee Warren
Position

Director, Engineering and Technology, Rolls-Royce

Country / Region

United Kingdom

Career history

Lee Warren is Director, Engineering & Technology at Rolls-Royce and responsible for strategic direction and governance of Nuclear Licenced Site Activities. He is Head of Technical Authority for Products; and responsible for development and maintenance of all engineering & scientific skills and capability.
In previous roles, Lee has spent time on secondment to Babcock and BAE Systems. He was previously Head of Engineering for reactor cores at RRSL, Chief Engineer for Research and Technology and Assistant Chief Engineer for Strategic Projects. Lee is a Chartered Engineer at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Derby. He is a Member of the UK Government Nuclear Skills Task Force and industry contributor to the UK Government Nuclear Regulatory Task Force.

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