Ute Collier is Deputy Director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi. She is responsible for IRENA’s work on policy, markets and finance for the energy transition.

This covers policies and finance for scaling up end-use decarbonisation, green hydrogen, sustainable bioenergy, renewables in the power sector, as well as energy access. She also co-leads IRENA’s annual flagship publication, the World Energy Transitions Outlook. Prior to joining IRENA in May 2021, she was Head of Energy at Practical Action, leading the development organisation’s work on renewable energy solutions in energy access settings.

Previously, she worked at the International Energy Agency and the UK’s Climate Change Committee, as well as a number of public sector and non-governmental organisations earlier in her career.

As a specialist in policy analysis, I am deeply passionate about environmental policy, with a particular focus on climate change and energy policy. Through my writing, I actively contribute to knowledge transfer across various media platforms. I have authored a book titled "Environmental Protection Policy and Green Life: Hong Kong in International Perspective," which aims to encourage introspection on both individual inadequacies and policy gaps from a global perspective. The book promotes a comprehensive approach to environmental policy that addresses personal responsibility and systemic change. Additionally, I am an active member of Solmunity, a renewable energy advocacy group working to promote solar energy in Hong Kong.

Mr. Chong is a passionate advocate for sustainable development and social justice. He is the Co-founder and CEO of CarbonCare InnoLab, an NGO promoting climate justtice, and a Co-founder and Director of Climate Finance Asia, a consultancy on climate solutions for business. Mr. Chong was formerly The Executive Director of Oxfam Hong Kong and a member of the Board of Directors of Oxfam International, where he is actively involved in promoting global justice. He is a champion for disability rights having been the President of the Hong Kong Blind Union and A Director on the Board of Dialogue in the Dark HK Foundation.

In addition, Mr. Chong has also served in the Hong Kong government as an Administrative Officer. Mr Chong graduated from The University of Hong Kong with a B.A. degree and a Master's degree in Information Systems from the London School of Economics and Political Science. For his contribution to the community, He was awarded The Honorary Fellowship by the University of Hong Kong and was honoured with the MBE.

Kehkashan Basu, M.S.M. is an educator, environmentalist, champion of women and children’s rights, TEDx speaker, Climate Reality Mentor, author and musician. She is the recipient of Canada's Meritorious Service Medal and the only Canadian to win the International Children’s Peace Prize. A Forbes 30 Under 30, Kehkashan is a United Nations Human Rights Champion, a National Geographic Young Explorer, a UNCCD Land Hero, a UN Habitat Young City Champion, the Regional Organizing Partner for North America for the NGO Major Group and one of Canada's Top25 Women of Influence. Kehkashan is the Founder-President of global social innovation enterprise Green Hope Foundation, that works at a grassroots level in 28 countries, empowering over 500,000 young people and women in the sustainable development process. She is currently an MBA Candidate at Cornell University.

Cory Combs is an associate director at Trivium China, a Beijing-based policy research and strategic advisory company. Cory directs Trivium’s cross-cutting research on China’s climate, natural resource, and industrial policies. He advises governments and multinationals on China’s decarbonization strategy, along with opportunities for international engagement and collaboration. He produces Trivium China’s free Net Zero Weekly newsletter, which offers the public open-access analysis of China’s decarbonization efforts. Cory is a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, which promotes bilateral understanding and cooperation. He previously consulted on energy technology commercialization at the U.S. Department of Energy.

For the past twenty plus years Mr. Eric Roeder have been of service to the United Nations including addressing dust and sand storm mitigation with UNCCD, advancing energy efficiency and cleaner production in industry with the co-benefit of reduced greenhouse gas emissions with UNEP, sustainable and smart agricultural development with UNESCAP in Beijing, resilient rural infrastructure in Sekong Province of Lao PDR with the ILO, and working with the private sector to advance inclusive and sustainable development including the development and delivery of projects without initial funding to advance the private sector's role in disaster and climate risks. For example, he initiated and delivered an ongoing programme titled Maritime Sector Strategies to Augment Tsunami Monitoring where companies have pledged their infrastructure to host monitoring equipment for tsunami. It is envisioned that these strategies extend their reach throughout South-East Asia and the Pacific. Eric has also served as the UNESCAP Network Coordinator on Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, working to advance PPP as a sustainable development mechanism in line with the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. This work enhanced knowledge to better the bankability of projects in this area and to access private financing. Eric is now an ILO as a Technical Specialist on Green Jobs, Climate Action and Resilience through Just Transition - Asia Pacific Region --working with constituents in various sectors on greening, building climate resilience and transitioning away from polluting and resource intensive business processes to cleaner, resilient and more cost effective ones.

Dr. Kim Jeong Won is a Senior Research Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute (ESI) within the National University of Singapore. She has extensive experience in energy and environmental research and sustainable development project management in international organizations and research institutes, including ESI, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Korea Environment Institute (KEI), and UNWTO ST-EP Foundation. Her major research areas include policies and development finance in climate change and renewable energy areas, with focuses on policy diffusion among governments and program evaluation based on quantitative analysis and mixed methodology. She is currently leading research projects about carbon pricing and net-zero strategies in Singapore and other economies.

Alexandra Tracy is President of Hoi Ping Ventures in Hong Kong, which she founded to provide research and consulting on green finance and sustainable investment in Asian emerging markets. She is currently Private Sector Observer to the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds, having for several years served as Active Private Sector Observer to the United Nations Green Climate Fund. She is also a director of RIMM Sustainability Pte Ltd in Singapore and of BlueOnion Group in Hong Kong, both leaders in the ESG data space in the region.

Alexandra is Chairman of the Financial Services Research Group, an independent thinktank in Hong Kong focusing on green finance and asset management. She sits on a number of advisory boards in Hong Kong, including Carbonless Asia, Friends of the Earth Hong Kong, the Asia Pacific Investors Cooperation and the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology’s Asian Family Business Research Centre. She is also a director of the Climate Markets & Investment Association in the UK and advisor to the NDCI.org climate commitment community.

From 2013 to 2019, Alexandra was a member of the Listing Committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. She acted as Chairman of the Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia for six years, stepping down in 2015, and was instrumental in establishing the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change during this period.

Alexandra speaks and writes regularly on sustainable finance, development and infrastructure issues. She has an MBA from the Harvard Business School and MA degrees from Yale University and Cambridge University.

Costanza Strinati is a Senior Analyst at Climate Policy Initiative, based in London. Her work focuses on tracking and analysing climate finance flows and assessing progress against climate finance needs. Among others, she is the lead author of IRENA and CPI’s Global Landscape of Renewable Energy Finance report series.

Prior to CPI, Costanza worked at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), where she led the analytical work on renewable energy and energy transition finance and the assessment of renewable energy targets under the Paris Agreement. She also worked at the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in Vienna, supporting renewable energy project preparation and implementation.

She is a certified expert in Climate, Renewable Energy and Sustainable Finance with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology from Bocconi University in Milan.

Angel Hsu is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and the Environment at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She is the Founder and Director of the Data-Driven EnviroLab, an interdisciplinary research group that applies data-driven approaches to pressing environmental issues. Dr. Hsu was a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report and is a member of the National Committee on US-China Relations. Dr. Hsu previously held appointments at Yale-NUS college in Singapore as Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and holds a PhD in Forestry and Environmental Studies from Yale University.

Kevin Li is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in the non-governmental sector, specializing in water, land, climate change, and poverty reduction. He has worked with prominent organizations such as Greenpeace, Oxfam Hong Kong, and International Rivers, and is currently a researcher for CarbonCare InnoLab, a leading Hong Kong-based climate NGO. Kevin is widely respected for his environmental knowledge and ability to propose innovative solutions that effectively address the social and environmental impacts of development. He holds a Master of Arts in Asian Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Hong Kong. Kevin's contributions to the field have earned him numerous accolades, and he is a highly sought-after advisor on social and environmental issues in East and Southeast Asia.

Tim has 30 years financial markets experience, including providing public interest related financial analysis on the energy transition since 2013, studying China, India and Australia.

Tim has founded Climate Energy Finance Australasia at the start of 2022, having co-founded and worked with the global energy finance thinktank IEEFA over 2013-2021. For 17 years Tim was a Managing Director at Citigroup, Head of Australasian Equity Research. Tim has published over 100 reports on the global energy transition.

Liu Xueye has focused on subnational energy and climate decarbonization and climate investment and finance. Ms. Liu joined the iGDP team in August 2019 to conduct research in areas related to decarbonization roadmap for energy and climate, and climate investment and finance projects. She leads research on Energy and Climate decarbonization roadmap planning and climate investment and finance projects.

Projects She has been involved in include: Anhui Carbon Neutral Pathway and Green Finance Roadmap, Progress and Prospects of Peaking Pioneer Cities, and Beyond 2℃ — The Long-Term Emission Reduction Actions of Global Cities in Response to Climate Change.

Ms. Liu received her Master’s degree in Urban Ecology from Beijing Normal University in 2013.

Dr. Nam currently works as the Director, Environment and Development Division of ESCAP. Prior to taking up the current assignment early 2022, he served as the Deputy Head, UNESCAP East and North-East Asia Office, and Environmental Affairs Officer at UNESCAP since 2005. Before joining the UN, he taught at Hanyang University in Seoul, served as an expert member and subcommittee coordinator of the Presidential Commission on Sustainable Development of the Republic of Korea, and worked with Green Korea United, a leading environmental NGO in the ROK as a founding member and the manager of programme and policy.

Priscilla has experience in sustainability strategy development and reporting, stakeholder engagement and high-level climate policies through participating in COP26 and COP27. Priscilla has worked in the international non-profit field to address global inequality and poverty and participated in global and local public education campaigns on global inequality and sustainable development topics such as the climate crisis. Outside of her day job, she co-founded Solmunity and The Shared Meal, aiming to drive community solar and plant-based food system transition in Hong Kong.

I am currently enrolled in the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University in Tokyo. I am going to graduate in September of this year, and will start working for a government agency in April of next year. I have studied abroad in Vancouver Island, Canada for a year during high school and Bonn, Germany for a year during college. I joined Climate Youth Japan in September 2021 and am mainly in charge of coordination with domestic and international youths in the organization. I went to COP27 last year, and am the leader of COP28 project this year.

Tung is a sustainability professional with a decade of experience in climate solutions and financing. He is working as a Country Director at Allotrope Partners and a Co-lead at CEIA Vietnam. Prior to joining Allotrope, Tung assisted corporates and projects in meeting international lenders’ expectations with the global sustainability consulting firm, ERM. During Vietnam's rapid solar expansion in 2020, he managed a portfolio of 30 megawatts of industrial rooftop solar projects, overseeing the projects from opportunity identification to the operational stage. Tung holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London as a Chevening Scholar.

Walter Marin is a successful and versatile leader with extensive global experience across renewable energy domains and solar energy management. He is spearheading the companies' rapid growth with his vision to push for a transformation of the solar home system domain and micro/mini-grid solar solutions, making a difference in people's lives globally. Thanks to a vast career of almost four decades in this sector, Walter’s wish is to put his experience and knowledge at the service of humanity.

Dr. Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary is an associate professor of economics at Tokai University in Japan. In addition, he is a vice president and co-founder of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS) based in Australia. In 2022 he was listed on Clarivate’s list of Highly Cited Researchers (the world's top 0.1% of scientists). In 2023, he received the Medal and Commendation for Science and Technology from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan for his outstanding research achievements in renewable energy financing. He serves as Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management and as associate editor/board member of several other journals. His research credits include authoring over 250 academic journal papers and book chapters and editing 20 books published by major publishers, including Springer, Routledge, World Scientific, and the Asian Development Bank Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Keio University, Japan.

Pascal is an Associate Director with Deloitte Carbon Care Asia in Hong Kong. He assists clients in driving sustainability projects spanning across different sectors including the public sector, banking, energy, mobility, waste management, and the buildings sector. Pascal has led various projects focusing on strategic planning, policy development, and research initiatives. His recent focus is on building new business models with the aim to foster growth for sustainable technologies like renewable energies and electric mobility, including by way of public policy interventions as well as on delivering learning programs with the goal to equip executives with the toolsets to tackle climate change and capture opportunities on the path to a low-carbon economy. Pascal holds a PhD in Renewable Energy Management and Master’s Degrees in International Management and Accounting and Finance from the University of St. Gallen and the London School of Economics.

Pascal is also appointed as Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology focusing on teaching courses on climate solutions and is a lecturer in other executive education programs and MBA modules focusing on climate change related topics, including business model innovation, renewable energy marketing or the adoption of low-carbon mobility.

Dr. Shota Furuya is a researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP) in Tokyo. He obtained his PhD in community energy planning from Aalborg University in Denmark and has worked on community-based renewable energy development in Japan. His main research field is the social acceptance of renewable energy, and he focuses on facilitating stakeholders' understanding and collaboration for sustainability. Specifically, he aims to promote a process in which different local stakeholders share a sustainable and creative future vision.

Growing up amidst the beautiful ocean and nature, in Okinawa, a tropical island in Japan, I developed a desire to protect this asset and became interested in environmental issues. In high school, I conducted experiments and wrote several reports to explore what we could do to solve environmental problems. Moreover, I took part in the Global Entrepreneur Challenge, a business contest to solve environmental problems. I am now studying Sustainability and Environmental Management at International Christian University. My aim is to explore more about how humans and the environment can work together for the better.

Al Bernarte has been working in the development sector for more than two decades. Having started out as a Research Associate for SIKAT more than twenty years ago, he had also worked with Philippine NGO Urban Poor Associates (UPA), the network NGOs for Fisheries Reform (NFR), bilateral cooperation organization Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and international NGO ICLEI-Southeast Asia before finding his way back to SIKAT this year to serve as its Executive Director.

He is an alumnus of the University of the Philippines for his bachelor’s degree in engineering and master’s degree in public management.

Chee Shinichi is a sophomore at Tokyo university of Agriculture and Technology. He is majoring in environmental and natural resource science, studying mainly about assessment, prediction, and remediation of environmental pollutants and utilization of biomass resources. He is also the President of Climate Youth Japan, which is a youth environmental NGO. Recently, he discussed the importance of environmental education in Japan with other members. In addition, he has a certification in Nature Experience Activity Leader (NEAL), a person who contributes to the promotion of nature experience activities with professional knowledge and skills.

Fabby Tumiwa is an energy transition strategist and the Executive Director of Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR). IESR is an Indonesia think tank in energy policy and environment that advocates for the low carbon energy transition in Indonesia. Fabby studied electrical engineering at Satya Wacana Christian University.

Fabby has experienced more than 20 years in energy policy and regulation and is a renewable energy practitioner. He advises Indonesian government agencies, businesses, and NGOs, multilateral development organizations on electricity, renewable energy and energy efficiency, energy finance, and climate change policies. From 2006 to 2018, he was a member of the international climate change negotiation team of Indonesia, and the board member of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) from 2011 to 2015.

Fabby Tumiwa is chairman of the Indonesia Solar Energy Association since 2021. He is a member of Sustainable Advisory Council of Gojek, Strategic Adviser of Xurya Daya, a solar developer; Country Adviser of Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (SEA-ETP), a member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) of World Bank and a member of Energy Transition Accelerator High – Level Consultative Group, an initiative by US State Department, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Bezos Foundation.

Fabby is a 2007 LEAD Fellow and 2009 Eisenhower Fellow.

Caroline Avan is a Senior Researcher with the Natural Resources & Just Transition team at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. She conducts research on corporate policies and practices in renewable energy value chains, including BHRRC’s Transition Minerals Tracker and a guide for investors for rights-respecting renewable energy investments. Prior to that, Caroline was an Advocacy officer at Oxfam France, with a focus on climate, human rights and tax justice issues in the extractive sector. She holds a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris, and a MsC in engineering. She is a French national.

Ir. Hj. Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu, M.Sos is the Mayor of Semarang. Before being officially designated as the Mayor in January 2023, she held the position of Deputy Mayor from 2016 to 2022 and was appointed as the Acting Mayor in 2022. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Politics Science degree at UNDIP. In addition to her political career, she is also actively engaged in various organizations, including as the Deputy Chairman of the PDI Perjuangan Branch Representative Council of Semarang, the Chairman of the DPD PINKAN Central Java, the Chairman of the DPD PINKAN (National Kolintang Insan Association) Central Java and the Council of Experts on the NU Muslimat Management Semarang. She also serves as the Chairman of BPK2L, the Old Town Area Management Agency. She has received several awards for her contributions, including Award for Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Service by the Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises in 2018, National Character (Educational Point of View) by the Presidential Advisory Council in 2018 and the Satyalancana Pembangunan by the President of the Republic of Indonesia in 2019.

Dr. Lo is an Associate Professor in Geography at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). He has a PhD in Geography from the University of Melbourne and BSc in Computer Science and Information Systems from the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Lo has held a number of leadership position, including Associate and Acting Director of the David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies, an international hub in social science and humanities research, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Asian Energy Studies, an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to interdisciplinary research on all aspects of energy studies in Asia.

Dr Sam Geall is CEO of China Dialogue, an Associate Fellow in the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House, and Associate Faculty at University of Sussex. His research focuses on climate policy and politics, energy transitions, and environmental governance in China, as well as the overseas impact of Chinese trade and investment in the global South. He has a PhD in Social Anthropology from University of Manchester and was previously Departmental Lecturer in the Human Geography of China at Oxford University. He edited China and the Environment: The Green Revolution (Zed Books, 2013).

Xuan has diverse background spanning across East Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Currently serving as a Program Officer at ICLEI East Asia, he is dedicated to supporting cities' ambitious net-zero commitments by accelerating their low-carbon transitions. Xuan has played a critical role in generating impactful reports, designing and delivering training programs, and organizing international events focused on advancing low-carbon cities. Prior to his role at ICLEI, Xuan worked on the Man and Biosphere (MaB) Program at UNESCO Montevideo, where he focused on critical areas such as biodiversity conservation, resilience building, and climate change adaptation.

Zainab Naeem is a PhD. scholar in Environmental Sciences and has obtained MPhil and Bachelors degree in the same discipline from Fatima Jinnah Women University. Her research interests include climate resilience, circular economy, environmental diplomacy, and SDGs.

At SDPI, she has been working on SDG 12 mapping, climate diplomacy, urban climate resilient development, energy diplomacy & circular economy.

Gerry Arances is a long-term climate and environmental advocate. He has engaged governments, companies, and international and domestic finance institutions concerning the climate crisis and sustainability issues, and has worked with indigenous peoples, communities, and civic movements in tackling human rights and natural resource and minerals management issues. Currently, Arances’s primary work concerns advancing energy transformation, ecological integrity, and people-centered development as Executive Director of the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), and as a convener of the Protect VIP Network, Power for People Coalition, and the Withdraw from Coal, and #WagGas campaigns.

He concerns about Climate Change are for future generations. Starting in 2009, he has joined various international NGOs, including participating in UNFCCC's 15th Conference of the Parties or going for public speaking on different stages of his climate stories. He always believes that future generations can change the world and he even put himself to different countries for exploration from different perspectives, including the Across The Ocean project in South Pacific islands in 2010 for sea level raising witness or the 2041 project to Antarctica in 2013 for ice melting investigation tour. He thinks everyone will have a creative infinite possibility at the co-created learning space, so he continuously dares to put himself to new adventures and now is fully engaged with climate movement builder, as 350.org Asia managing director.

Dr. Cheung obtained his MA in Social Science from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and completed his PhD study in 2015 at The University of Hong Kong. His thesis investigates the multilevel stakeholders dynamics between the government, developers and community in the land supply and land-use planning of public open space in Hong Kong.

Dr. Cheung’s recent research interests extended to the multilevel dynamics in smart energy transitions and smart city development from trust and community perspective. His latest research include: Understanding smart energy transitions as a new source of distrust: The perspectives of Hong Kong citizens on the risks of regional intercity energy collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GPA); and Trust gaps in energy transitions: Japan’s National Deliberative Poll after Fukushima. Prior to joining HKBU in 2017, he served various teaching and research positions in the Department of Urban Planning and Design in The University of Hong Kong.

David Fishman’s areas of expertise cover regulatory and commercial intelligence for the Chinese energy sector, including its nuclear power, solar, wind, and distributed energy markets. His specific experience includes Chinese power market and policy intelligence and forecasting, solar and wind tariff policy, renewable asset transactional due diligence, China business matchmaking, and commercial support for foreign firms seeking to do business with Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

"Dr. Daphne Mah is the Director of Asian Energy Studies Centre and Associate Professor at Department of Geography at Hong Kong Baptist University. She was named the World’s Top 2% Scientist by Stanford University (2022).

Daphne obtained her MSc in Environmental Management from the University of Nottingham in the UK, and completed her PhD study at the University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on social aspects of smart energy transitions, specialising in interdisciplinary research that cuts across the fields of energy technologies (smart grids, solar power, wind energy, nuclear power, and building energy efficiency), energy governance, and sustainability policy studies, with a geographical focus on East Asia covering empirical cases in China, South Korea, and Japan.

Daphne’s team has been highly active in research. Since 2010, she has been the principal investigator of 29 projects, including five major external grant funded studies (e.g. one Research Impact Fund (HK$3.9m) and one GRF (HK$1.3m)), and a number of contracted studies, amounting to HK$~9 million (Totalling HK$16 million for 39 projects that she served as PI/Co-I). She has published widely in top-tier journals including Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Energy Research & Social Science, Energy Policy, Geoforum, Journal of Cleaner Production, Environmental and Planning C, and The China Review. She is the founding conveners of the Asian Low-Carbon Universities-Cities Network (ALUN) and the Hong Kong Solar Partnership, and a co-founding editor of Journal of Asian Energy Studies. She is also serving as the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Geographical Association (2023-2025)."

Claudia Lee is a climate journalist who has contributed to publications including the BBC and The Conference Board. Combining her law and media background with her passion for climate, Claudia tells relatable and shrewd stories about environmental and social sustainability. She is a Sustainability Research Fellow for The Conference Board (Europe) and a graduate of the University of Cambridge’s Sustainable Business Management Course.

Kylie's academic background in Public Administration and Management led her to work with the District Councillor's Office, where she actively participated in public policymaking. While collaborating with the District Councillor, Kylie played a key role in implementing a Strategic Plan for environmental protection in South Horizons. Additionally, she has a keen interest in creative media, with a specialization in video and graphic design.

In 2021, Kylie joined CarbonCare InnoLab, where she aims to leverage her skills and passion for creative media to make an impact in the field of Climate Action. Her vision is to use creative media to raise awareness and inspire action towards climate change.

Shute is the Director of Homemakers Union Consumers Co-operative and Chair of Green Advocates Energy Co-operative. She completed her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Michigan and joined Homemakers United Foundation 29 years ago. Since then, she has begun engaging in NGO starting from being a volunteer, and has become an entrepreneur of co-operative start-up. Through engaging in environmental movements, she started learning more about the subjects of organic farming, fair trade, energy resources and ageing.

Ringo is the Co-Founder and Director of APAC SEP Ltd., a social innovation company which focuses on supporting social startups. He is also the Co-Founder and Convener of 350HK, the local chapter of the global climate movement 350.org. In 2021, He served as Chief Operating Officer for Carbon Care Asia Ltd till its successful M&A with Dilotte China.

Ringo was awarded the Hong Kong Outstanding Young Person in 1984, and became Chairman of the Outstanding Young Persons Association (TOYPA) in 2009. From 2013 to 2019, Ringo was Chairman of TOYPA TRUST. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Climate & Environment Committee of TOYPA; Hon Treasurer of Golden Age Foundation; Executive Committee Member of the Design Council of Hong Kong; Advisory Member of the VTC Hong Kong Design Institute. Ringo advises to a number of social enterprises such as: Zunosaki Ltd, Food Grace, Community Leap and Urban Spring Ltd.

Dr. Jusen ASUKA is the Professor at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. He had also worked for the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) in Japan as the director of the climate change group from April 2010 to March 2013. He holds a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, a MBA from the INSEAD, and a M.S. from the Graduate School of Agriculture, University of Tokyo. His primary areas of interest are energy policy and environmental policy (e.g. climate policy, air pollution policy) and international cooperation. His recent, specific interests are to promote the green recovery and energy transition which Japan is lagging behind other countries.

Mr. Kwok Hiu Chung obtained Bachelor of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. He has been working in local and international non-government organisations for more than 10 years with rich experiences in different social issues. He joined CarbonCare InnoLab in 2022, focusing on promotion of CarbonCare Label and corporate social responsibility. He also participated in COP27 as an NGO observer.

ZhongXiang Zhang is the founding dean and a distinguished university professor at the Ma Yinchu School of Economics, Tianjin University and Director of China Academy of Energy, Environmental and Industrial Economics, China. He is co-editor of Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, and the founding editorial board members of Climate Policy, Environmental Science and Policy and International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. He is a Fellow of Asia and the Pacific Policy Society, Australia. He authored and edited 22 books and special issues of international journals, authored over 200 publications in English, and is among the Top 20 authors from Chinese universities in all branches of social sciences based on the first-authored articles in key international journals over the 54 years. His paper is selected as the Top 20 papers ever published in the journal Climate Policy over the past 20 years. He is consecutively among the World’s Top 1% Scientists based on either career-long impact or single year impact rated by Stanford University, and is consecutively ranked among the four most cited scholars inside China in the field of economics, econometrics and finance.

He served as an expert to UNCTAD, European Commission, North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, ADB, OECD, IEA and WB, delivered eight keynotes at the International Association for Energy Economics conferences, and made the original contributions to a number of long-term goals and strategies that China has implemented, including the carbon intensity target for 2020, capping carbon emissions around 2030, and the establishment of the belt and road initiative. He began his career at the Beijing-based National Development and Reform Commission in 1980s, was on Faculty of Economics at University of Groningen in the Netherlands in 1990s, a senior fellow at East-West Center, Honolulu in 2000s, and a “Fudan Distinguished Professor” and chairman at School of Economics, Fudan University, Shanghai before taking up his current position.

ZhongXiang Zhang is the founding dean and a distinguished university professor at the Ma Yinchu School of Economics, Tianjin University and Director of China Academy of Energy, Environmental and Industrial Economics, China. He is co-editor of Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, and the founding editorial board members of Climate Policy, Environmental Science and Policy and International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. He is a Fellow of Asia and the Pacific Policy Society, Australia. He authored and edited 22 books and special issues of international journals, authored over 200 publications in English, and is among the Top 20 authors from Chinese universities in all branches of social sciences based on the first-authored articles in key international journals over the 54 years. His paper is selected as the Top 20 papers ever published in the journal Climate Policy over the past 20 years. He is consecutively among the World’s Top 1% Scientists based on either career-long impact or single year impact rated by Stanford University, and is consecutively ranked among the four most cited scholars inside China in the field of economics, econometrics and finance.

He served as an expert to UNCTAD, European Commission, North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, ADB, OECD, IEA and WB, delivered eight keynotes at the International Association for Energy Economics conferences, and made the original contributions to a number of long-term goals and strategies that China has implemented, including the carbon intensity target for 2020, capping carbon emissions around 2030, and the establishment of the belt and road initiative. He began his career at the Beijing-based National Development and Reform Commission in 1980s, was on Faculty of Economics at University of Groningen in the Netherlands in 1990s, a senior fellow at East-West Center, Honolulu in 2000s, and a “Fudan Distinguished Professor” and chairman at School of Economics, Fudan University, Shanghai before taking up his current position.

Experienced public policy specialist with more than 12 years of career history. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, policy analysis & advocacy, project management, FDI promotion and facilitation in the energy sector. He regularly engages and coordinates with the key government stakeholders in both provincial and federal governments to secure government approval, policy support, and regulatory developments for power project development and investment.

Prof. Michael Leung started his academic career as a Lecturer in the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management at the City University of Hong Kong in 2000. In 2002, he joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Hong Kong as a Research Assistant Professor; and in 2006 became an Assistant Professor. In 2010, he joined the City University of Hong Kong again as an Associate Professor in the School of Energy and Environment (SEE). He also serves as the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies) in SEE since 2012. In 2015, he became a Professor.

Prof. Leung's main research interests are solar photocatalysis, fuel-cell electrochemistry, hydrogen production, carbon management, carbon capture and storage, advanced refrigeration and air-conditioning. He is listed as a highly cited scholar in energy science and engineering (http://www.zuihaodaxue.com/news/20160611-220.html). Since 2002, he has totally received HK$18M+ research funding as a PI from ITF, RGC, ECF & WWGF, SDF, industrial sponsorships, university internal grants, donations, etc. He has published 120+ journal papers, 70+ conference papers, 15 books/book chapters, and 6 patents.

Prof. Yang is now leading the Renewable Energy Research Group (RERG) in the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests cover a number of R&D topics in renewable energy applications and energy saving in buildings including solar photovoltaic integration in buildings, wind power generation, indirect evaporative cooling, ground-coupled heat pumps, and hybrid renewable energy and energy storage systems. He has over 500 academic papers and 7 professional books published including more than 300 SCI papers. According to Elsevier, he was listed as “Highly Cited Researcher” from 2016 to 2020 in Engineering. He has received many local and international awards including an award from the Ministry of Education for Outstanding Scientific Research Achievements. He is now serving the International Journal of Applied Energy as Senior Editor.

Bonnie Au is a multimedia journalist based in Hong Kong. Her news coverage largely reflects her strong interest in environmental issues in the region. Her involvement in a documentary Delikado, which looks at illegal tree logging in the Philippines, has swept numerous awards at global film festivals. She produced and co-hosted several podcast series for Sustainable Asia, focusing on issues including marine protected areas in Antarctica, illegal trafficking of pangolins, and plastic pollution. Some of which has received recognition at the SOPA awards. She is also known for covering local environmental issues including the uprooting of a farming community and an explainer video about Hong Kong’s waste management system. Prior to that, she took part in a documentary project called reFashioned that looks at the recycling of textile waste in Hong Kong with the use of innovative technologies to establish a circular economy.

Bert has over 30 years experience in the energy sector with particular focus on renewable energy development, national energy planning, and policy formulation. He served before as Director for Energy Planning in the Department of Energy, where he was involved in pioneering geothermal steam pricing, electricity cost structures and transfer pricing, national energy balance reporting and the conduct of nationwide household energy surveys. He is the former President of the Biomass Renewable Energy Alliance and was appointed by President Duterte as a member of the National Renewable Energy Board representing private developers.

With 20+ years of experience in the financial management industry with more than 10 years at top ranking investment banking firms (JP Morgan, Citi and Credit Suisse), Cedric has been managing fixed income portfolios and analyzing corporate bonds during the most part of his career. He is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Society in Singapore and has successfully completed the dual degree Executive MBA program of INSEAD in Singapore and Tsinghua University in Beijing.

He has been developing investable projects in the climate finance space in South-East Asia by supporting issuers to issue green bonds aligned with global frameworks, including the taxonomy of the Climate Bond Standard. He’s also been a consultant for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific on Green Finance.

Over the last 3 years, Cedric has led the effort of Climate Bonds Initiative to develop green bond markets in ASEAN, working with regulators, verifiers, financial institutions and issuers on their plans to develop green bonds. He’s been a trainer in the renowned CBI Green Bond Training seminar, as well as a regular presenter in webinars across the region for CBI, ADB and other development institutions.

Dr. Alissa Tung is the Programme Director of CarbonCare InnoLab. She has extensive experience in community engagement and corporate engagement in the NGO sector. Alissa received a PhD in Material Science from Monash University, Australia, after graduating from Fashion Technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research focus was on developing functional Self-Cleaning Textiles addressing pollution to the environment. She authored more than 10 peer-reviewed papers. Before devoting herself into fighting for climate justice, she was an experienced event planner.

She was the NGO observer of COP24 and COP26, which triggered her aspiration on youth empowerment on climate actions. She initiated the Climate Advocacy Training for Youth (CATY) to train Hong Kong climate youth leaders to voice at international platforms, and SolarCare programmes to bring impact on the solar energy in the fuel mix in Hong Kong. Alissa is committed to boosting youth climate actions and connecting young people to the wider climate networks.

Gina Madin is a visionary leader from Santa Rosa City, Philippines, who presented a vision for reducing energy consumption through the implementation of a Local Energy Efficiency and Conservation Code. She highlighted practical steps taken by the city, such as solar panel installation and transitioning to more energy-efficient appliances. Her commitment to sustainability has earned her respect and admiration from her community.

Roman Vakulchuk is head of the Research Group for Climate and Energy and a senior researcher at NUPI. He holds a PhD degree in economics obtained from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. He publishes on energy transition, geopolitics of critical materials, climate change, investment policy, business climate, economic transition and integration, trade, good governance and China’s Belt and Road (BRI) infrastructure.

His geographical specialization is Ukraine, the countries of Central Asia, Kazakhstan in particular, Myanmar and the other countries of Southeast Asia. Vakulchuk advised government institutions in Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Europe and consulted more than 30 international organizations (e.g., Norad, the MFA of Norway, Asian Development Bank, Natural Resource Governance Institute, OECD, the World Bank) on economic reform, climate change and energy governance. He speaks English, Russian, Ukrainian, German, French and Norwegian.

Mr. Vincent Vinarao is the Assistant Department Head of the Quezon City Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management.

Quezon City’s Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department is mandated to implement transformative climate actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase climate resilience, and create a well-informed citizenry.