Plenaries and Keynote Speakers

Opening Plenary: Envisioning the Low Carbon Energy Future

Tuesday 18 June, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Auditorium A-D

The opening plenary addressed the uncertainties of how energy systems will develop in the future in the context of mitigating and adapting to climate change, rapid technology developments and global pressures to meet sustainability (financial, environment and social). Developing energy systems to meet a broad set of goals that will serve near term need and future needs will be very challenging and ACEF stakeholders—policy makers, regulators, utilities, entrepreneurs, and civil society—will have a critical role to play as we transition to a low-carbon future.

Following welcome remarks from ADB’s Vice-President of Knowledge Management, Amory Lovins delivered a powerful keynote address describing his vision of a smart energy future, and the forces that will shape it. These remarks led into a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring Amory Lovins, Fiza Farhan and ADB President Takehiko Nakao on pathways for energy sector development and the steps needed to deliver sustainable energy for Asia and the Pacific.

Following the coffee break, ACEF participants heard from ACEF’s co-organizers, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Korea Energy Agency (KEA), as well as from ACEF’s Knowledge Partner, the International Energy Agency. The plenary concluded with a scene-setting address from Fiza Farhan on the benefits of inclusive development pathways, and a new ACEF feature called Stories of Impact, which highlighted the impact of ADB’s energy development projects on beneficiaries in their communities and daily lives.

Moderator: Susann Roth, Principal Knowledge Sharing and Services Specialist, Asian Development Bank

Welcome Remarks: The Power of People through Partnership

  • Bambang Susantono, Vice-President, Knowledge Management, ADB

VP Susantono introduced the theme of ACEF 2019: Partnering for Impact, by focusing on the role of all stakeholders in partnering to deliver a truly sustainable energy future that can enable better development outcomes for Asia and the Pacific.

Disruptive Energy Futures

  • Amory Lovins, Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute

Amory Lovins highlighted an energy system transformation from the Age of Carbon to an Age of Silicon. Silicon microchips, telecommunications, and software turn people from being isolated to being networked, and systems from dumb to smart.

Panel Discussion: Harnessing Technology for Sustainable Impact

  • What is needed in the energy sector in Asia and the Pacific?
  • How do we support energy sector development in a truly sustainable manner?
  • What do we need to do now to head in the right direction?

Based on the vision set forth by Amory Lovins in his keynote address, the panel discussed the actions that must be taken by all energy sector stakeholders to put us on the right pathway to design and achieve the energy system we want in the future.

Moderator: Teymoor Nabili

  • Amory Lovins, Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute
  • Fiza Farhan, Advisor and Member, UN High Level Panel on Women Economic Empowerment
  • Takehiko Nakao, President, Asian Development Bank

------------------------------------------Coffee and Tea Break (10:30 - 11:10 a.m.)------------------------------------------

Co-organizer Remarks: Partnering to Deliver the Clean Energy Future

The ACEF co-organizers, USAID and KEA, along with the ACEF Knowledge Partner, IEA, built on the comments from the panel and highlighted the role their organizations can play to support stakeholders and beneficiaries of energy sector development.

  • Gloria D. Steele, Acting Assistant Administrator, USAID
  • Chang-Seob Kim, President, KEA
  • Keisuke Sadamori, Director, IEA

The Exclusive Benefits of Inclusive Development

  • Fiza Farhan, Global Strategic Development Advisor and Member, UN High Level Panel on Women Economic Empowerment

Fiza Farhan highlighted why optimal development pathways can only be accomplished by including all segments of society. She touched on gender inclusion, access to energy, and other social aspects that can be incorporated into energy sector development approaches to create the highest value and impact.

Announcement of ADB Energy Innovation Challenge

Woochong Um, Director General, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, ADB

DG Um, launched of ADB’s first innovation technology challenge which is now inviting technology providers to submit proposals for grants from the High-Level Technology (HLT) Fund to address energy related development challenges. Three challenges will be announced on Wednesday 19th June at an ACEF lunch time session.

Stories of Impact: Solar-based Microgrid Project in Malalison Island, Philippines

Moderator: Yongping Zhai, Chief, Energy Sector Group, ADB

In this new feature of ACEF, Stories of Impact, participants heard the story of how technology and people meet to provide modern energy services that help a community to thrive rather than just exist.


Finance Plenary: Financing Paris Aligned Pathways to the Energy Future

Wednesday 19 June, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Auditorium A-D

This plenary built on the discussions that took place during the four sessions of ACEF 2019’s Innovative Finance Track. The plenary explored strategies for financing the transition from the current fossil-based, centralized energy system to a much more decentralized, low-carbon energy system. The perspectives represented in the panel included that of an impact investor, social and microfinance entrepreneur, commercial bank involved in sustainable energy finance, and development financing institution. Given the urgency of climate change, we need to accelerate the mobilization of financial and technical resources to meet the national, regional and global climate targets established in the Paris Agreement. But we also need to find innovative approaches to blend different forms of capital to support the major transitions needed in the energy sector infrastructure.

Introductory Comments

  • Lotte Schou-Zibell, Chief, Finance Sector Group, ADB

Scene Setting Speech

  • Vineet Rai, CEO, Aavishkaar
  • Perspectives on Trends in Impact and Reimagining a Sustainable World through the Lens of Impact Investing

Panel Discussion (with Q&A from floor)

Moderator: Lotte Schou-Zibell, Chief, Finance Sector Group, ADB

  • Vineet Rai, CEO, Aavishkaar
  • Jim Ayala, CEO and Founder, Hybrid Social Solutions
  • Eunjoo Park-Minc, Chief Advisor and Head of Sustainable Energy Finance, Banco de Oro (BDO), Philippines
  • Michael Barrow, Director-General, Private Sector Operations Department, ADB

Stories of Impact

Woochong Um, Director General, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, ADB

  • The Story Behind ADB’s Offsets for Travel-Related Carbon Emissions of ACEF Participants

Closing Plenary: Leveraging Disruption for Sustainable Impact

Thursday 20 June, 4:00p.m. - 6:00p.m.
Auditorium A-D

This session described how disruptions currently happening in the energy sector can be leveraged to deliver new solutions, with greater impacts—both in energy markets, but also toward the crucial objective of achieving our climate targets. The session began with a video recap of ACEF 2019, followed by a presentation from the winner of the Youth for Asia’s competition, which took place earlier in the week. Following the Youth for Asia presentation, the plenary transitioned into a panel discussion featuring a diverse group of innovative leaders who are applying their vision and building impactful partnerships to accelerate shifts in how we conceive of, design, plan, and use energy.

Video/Key Messages from ACEF 2019

Youth for Asia Video and Keynote Presentation

Introductory Comments

  • Ashok Bhargava, Director, Central and West Asia Energy Division, ADB

Scene Setting Speech

  • Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech
  • Innovating for a Carbon Smart Future

Panel Discussion (with Q&A from floor)

Moderator: Ashok Bhargava, Director, Central and West Asia Energy Division, ADB

  • Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech
  • Ruth Yu-Owen, Co-founder, Connected Women and President and CEO, PhilCarbon
  • Amanullah Ghalib, CEO, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat
  • Atsushi Najima, President and Managing Director of Nissan Philippines

Prize Ceremony for Raffle Draw, and Twitter Tweet to Win and Instagram Photo Contest

Closing Remarks

  • Bambang Susantono, Vice-President, Knowledge Management, ADB