Description: The short-term changes to business operations caused by COVID-19 have gotten people thinking about other changes in the way they will do business going forward.  In the areas of energy and environment, this is especially so.  The panelists described the direct impacts of COVID-19 in their businesses and shared their thoughts on wider trends and impacts for the medium term.

Description: This session included presentations on policy challenges and approaches for dealing with the impact of COVID-19 on the energy sector. The presentations presented an analysis of impacts of, and policy responses to, COVID-19 in the energy sectors of Southeast Asia, China, and Pakistan.

Description: This session included descriptions of the impacts of COVID-19 on different parts of the energy sector including utility power and decentralized energy systems, as well as new models for delivered technical assistance more effectively.                                      

Moderator: Jerry Yan, Director of Future Energy Profile, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Co-Moderator: Yongping Zhai, Energy Sector Chief, Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Scene-Setter Talk: Kelly Hewitt, Principal Planning and Coordination Specialist, Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Sustainable Biofuel Perspectives, Opportunities and Challenges after the Pandemic     
Presenter: David Chiaramonti, Professor, President of Renewable Energy Consortium for R&D Polytechnic of Turin

Global Opportunities through the IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme
Presenter: Jim Spaeth, Program Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Office US Department of Energy

This presentation highlighted key potential areas for collaboration in light of the world changing pandemic.