Speaker 2021

Bio

Linda Arthur is a senior specialist at the Asian Development Bank Institute. She works with government officials by designing knowledge products to strengthen policy making and implementation across a range of priority areas for developing and emerging Asia, including use of strategic foresight for inclusive recovery policies; innovation ecosystems to spur green growth; and leveraging behavioral insight to augment development impact. She is seconded from the Asian Development Bank, where she has worked since 2003, in various positions, including field assignments in Afghanistan and Pakistan. She holds a PhD from Oxford University and an MA and BA from the University of Toronto.

Bio

Lingshui Mo, is a consultant of ADB on low carbon and green development (climate and clean energy policy, mitigation projects). She is also a visiting researcher at Chongyang Institute for Finance Study, Renmin University in China. She provides technical support to ADB on green finance/climate finance, carbon markets, low-carbon technology financing and transfer, low-carbon city development, clean energy policy.

Prior to ADB, she led a team to develop mitigation projects for carbon finance in the UK consulting company. She participated in the formulation of economic and social development plans, industrial policies, regional plans, and urban infrastructure investment plans, charged the assessment and approval of urban infrastructure projects in the government of PRC. She holds master’s degrees in both economics and international finance.

Bio

Loretta Foran is a Senior Operations Officer with IFC’s Disruptive Technologies & Funds team. She designs and manages innovative programs to help accelerate the adoption of new technologies in emerging markets in high impact areas. Her work includes initiatives to support the digital economy agenda in areas such as health, cooling technologies, skills and entrepreneurship. She helped launch IFC’s TechEmerge program, which brings together top tech companies from around the world with leading corporates in select markets to pilot new technologies, spur innovation, and unlock new markets to deliver sustainable impact. IFC currently has active TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling programs in Mexico, Colombia, India and Nigeria. Energy-efficient, cost-effective and climate-smart cooling technologies are being piloted across sectors related to space cooling, transport and logistics, and industrial and commercial applications.

Loretta has over 20 years of global experience working with multinational corporations, SMEs and governments in various sectors. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she worked with other multilateral organizations, as well as in management consulting and auditing services.

She holds an MBA from INSEAD, a Micro Masters of Supply Chain Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Chartered Accountant designation (inactive), and a Bachelor of Commerce from Queens University in Canada.

Bio

Lorraine H. Akiba is President/CEO of LHA Ventures. She is a recognized thought leader with technical expertise and knowledge in the development of Hawaii’s renewable and clean energy policy and both state and federal regulatory frameworks. Given her diverse professional experience she provides senior policy advisor services in other regulated industry sectors and expertise for development of corporate environmental, social and governance goals and metrics for publicly traded companies.

Ms. Akiba works with international agencies and ministries including the Government of Barbados Ministry of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship; the Inter-American Development Bank; the Asian Development Bank; and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency on energy and economic development policy activities and engagements.

She served from 2012-2018 as a commissioner on the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission which presides over all regulated public utility matters including electric, gas, private water and wastewater, telecommunications, water transportation and motor carrier transportation utilities. She continues to remain active with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners International Committee in peer to peer regulatory review programs sponsored by USAID and the U.S. State Department.

Prior to this appointment, she worked in private practice as a law partner at McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP and Cades Schutte LLP. She headed the Environmental Practice Groups at both law firms with an emphasis in environmental and natural resources law in addition to her commercial and business litigation practice.

She holds many leadership roles in various national and international organizations including the City and County of Honolulu Resilience Strategy Steering Committee, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council Board of Directors and the US-Japan Council. She also is a member of the O-Power Industry Council, the Linux Foundation Energy Advisor Group, and the U.S. DOE Research Advisory Council for the LIFT Solar project.

Ms. Akiba previously served as member of the Advisory Council to the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute; the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and its Energy Resources and Environment Committee; the U.S. DOE and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Future Electric Utility Regulation Advisory Group and the State and Local Efficiency Action Network (SEE Network) Financial Solutions Working Group.

Ms. Akiba holds a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and graduated with honors from the University of California at Berkeley with a B.A. in political science.

Bio

Lourdes is Senior Policy Advisor and Lead, Indonesia, working in IISD's Energy program. Her research focuses on the analysis and production of data of energy subsidies (electricity and fossil fuels), the evaluation and design of sustainable energy policies and on developing communication strategies for energy subsidy reforms. She has worked in projects in Mexico, Guinea, Indonesia, China and India.

Prior to arriving at IISD, Lourdes with energy utilities developing pricing and supply-side support mechanisms for renewables and energy efficiency. She also has international consulting experience, working toward the definition of support mechanisms for renewable energy.

Lourdes holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, complemented by a specialized Master's in Energy Management.

Bio

Ms. Ma. Celeste A. Burgos is Senior Vice President for Land Bank of the Philippines and is currently the Head of the Corporate Banking Group, in charge of lending to the top borrowers of the Bank. Her vast career of more than 30 years as a banker has been dedicated to the Bank’s lending operations. Having filled in various credit-related key positions, her expertise involves the provision of responsive and timely financial assistance and other interventions to different types of clientele, from Landbank’s mandated sector – the small farmers and fishers, to other priority sectors which include agri and aqua related businesses, local government units, countryside financial institutions, small and medium enterprises and private businesses engaged in programs aligned with the priorities of the Philippine Government aimed to promote inclusive growth.

SVP Burgos has also been involved in financing various renewable energy projects and supported programs, partnerships and initiatives that complement the government’s thrust to develop and optimize the use of electricity from renewable sources.

Bio

Magdalena Kouneva specialises in development finance and possesses a strong familiarity with the international architecture for sustainable development, with significant experience designing and implementing a wide range of financing products and innovative financial instruments. Between 2009-2018 she was the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s advisor for development finance in the finance and planning ministries in Rwanda, Malawi, and Papua New Guinea. In this position, she designed and managed UNDP’s support and strengthened capacities and systems for financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From 2019-2020, she supported the European Commission in introducing a new generation of EU guarantees for private sector operations in Africa and EU-neighbouring countries under the European Fund for Sustainable Development, implemented in partnership with European and international multilateral banks and development finance institutions.

Bio

Mr Mahendra Singhi is an Affable and cheerful person. He is one of the five global Climate Defenders recognized by BBC World. Mr Singhi is Managing Director and CEO of Dalmia Cement, a prominent cement manufacturing group in India ranked no.1 globally by CDP on Low Carbon Economy Transition and appreciated by the UN Secretary-General on climate innovation. Dalmia Cement has already committed in 2018 to become carbon negative company by 2040. Dalmia Cement follows the business philosophy of Clean and Green is profitable and sustainable & is having one of the lowest carbon footprints in cement globally. Dalmia is one of the sustainably growing cement company with 30 million Tonnes capacity.

In the past, he headed Shree Cement Ltd. For 20 years which was adjudged as New Sustainability Champion by WEF during his tenure at Shree in 2012. He has represented the business and cement sector globally in the most recognized multi-country platforms such as the UN Climate Ambition Summit 12th Dec. 2020, Climate Action Summit of UN General Assembly on 23rd Sept. 2019 on the invitation of UN Secretary-General; Paris Climate Agreement Ceremony on invitation from Ex. UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban ki-Moon; Global Climate Action in COP-24 on the invitation of UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Ms Patricia Espinosa; High-Level Govt.-Business dialogues invited by French Presidency. Mr Singhi has more than 40 years of work experience in the cement sector.

Mr Singhi also serves the following organizations and commissions in India and abroad:

1. COP 26 Business Leader
2. Chairman - National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM) India
3. Commissioner, Energy Transitions Commission (ETC), London, U.K.
4. Commissioner, High-Level Commission on Carbon Pricing and Competitiveness, World Bank Group, U.S
5. Director, Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), London. The U.K.
6. Director, World Cement Association (WCA), London
7. Chair, Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), India
8. Member, Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, World Economic Forum
9. Co-Chair, TERI Council for Business Sustainability (TERI-CBS), India
10. Immediate past President of Cement Manufacturing Association (CMA) India
11. Member, Climate Change Council in Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India

Academic Qualification – Science & Law Graduate & Chartered Accountant (21st Rank)

Bio

Maria Goravanchi is a Managing Director at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC), formerly the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). As DFC’s regional representative based in Bangkok, she is responsible for business development in the Lower Mekong, specifically Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand. Ms. Goravanchi brings 15 years of private and public sector finance experience in underwriting, structuring and negotiating investments in emerging and frontier-market nations. She is focused on providing both financing and insurance solutions for long-term investments that strengthen DFC contributions to international development in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and inclusive financial services. Prior to joining OPIC in 2008, she worked as a strategy consultant and project manager on cross-border transactions in emerging markets with IBM Business Consulting Services and Abt Associates. Ms. Goravanchi is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University.

Bio

Maria leads E3G’s work on energy diplomacy, international development finance institutions and geopolitics to drive the sustainable and just transformation of the energy systems.

Maria works with policymakers, academia, civil society, international organizations and businesses to build diplomatic coalitions around the sustainable and socially equitable transition to low-carbon energy systems.

Before joining E3G, Maria worked at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) covering the geopolitical aspects of energy transition and EU energy diplomacy, as well as the EU/German-Russian energy relations. Starting in 2019, she also supported the work of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) on power grid connectivity for sustainable development in Northeast Asia in capacity of an International Consultant. Prior to that, she had worked with Foresight Intelligence, developing strategic foresight formats for a broad range of (geo)political issues.

Maria has a Master’s in political science from the Free University of Berlin and a Diploma in International Relations awarded by the Irkutsk State University (Russia). In her Bachelor, she studied Japanese Studies at the Free University of Berlin and Tsukuba University (Japan). Parallel to her work at E3G, she is writing her PhD on the political economy of energy transition in Northeast Asia.

She speaks English, German, Japanese and Russian.

Bio

Mark Dunn is the Chief Party/Program Manager at Tetra Tech for the USAID Southeast Asia Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy (Asia EDGE) Hub activity, a role he has held since December 2019.

Prior to joining Tetra Tech, he was an independent consultant, based in Bangkok, specializing in the development of sustainable infrastructure throughout Southeast Asia. He provided policy advice, strategy and subject matter expertise to public and private sector clients in the transportation, clean and renewable energy, and information and communications technology sectors.

Mr. Dunn holds a BA in International Relations from Carleton College and an MA from American University in International Economic Policy.

Bio

Mark Radka heads the UN Environment Programme’s Energy and Climate Branch, where he manages the organization’s efforts to link the global energy and environment agendas. UN Environment’s focus is on helping countries reduce emission of greenhouse gases through broad cooperative efforts and supporting engagement by the financial industry in the sustainable energy sector. Mark has a special interest in the technology needs of developing countries and was a coordinating lead author of the IPCC’s Special Report on Methodological and Technological Issues in Technology Transfer. Before joining UNEP he worked on domestic and international environmental programmes with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Bank, and was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand.

Mark received a Master of Public Policy degree in Environmental Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, a M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and a S.B. in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.