Speakers

Bio

Dr. Hoesung Lee is Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), elected since October 2015, and Endowed Chair Professor at Korea University Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Seoul, Korea. His research encompasses the economics of climate change, energy and sustainable development. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Korean Academy of Environmental Sciences, and chair of the Asian Development Bank President’s Advisory Board on Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Lee was the founding president of the Korea Energy Economics Institute — a government agency for national energy policy development. He was Distinguished Research Fellow at the Korea Environment Institute, senior adviser to the Minister of Energy and Resources and the Minister of Environment, senior fellow at the Korea Development Institute and economist at Exxon Company USA. He served as the president of the International Association for Energy Economics, president of the Korea Resources Economics Association, member of the International Advisory Board of the Battelle-Pacific Northwest National Lab, USA, the Board of Directors of Hyundai Corporation and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan, and council member of the Global Green Growth Institute. He was Co-Chair of the IPCC Working Group III (the socio-economic dimensions of climate change) for the Second Assessment which provided a scientific basis for the UNFCCC’s Kyoto Protocol. He served as Vice-Chair of IPCC 2008-2015, and lead author and review editor for the various IPCC assessments. He has served on many national and international committees addressing climate change and energy. He received his B.A. from Seoul National University and Ph.D. in economics from Rutgers University, USA. He was named to the 2019 TIME 100 Most Influential People in the world.

Bio

Hon. Rolando “Rolly” Biaca Distura serves as Board Member of the 4th district of the Province of Iloilo. He currently chairs the key committees of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change, and Vice Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology , Labor and Employment, Public Order and Safety , Economic Affairs and Environment A multi-awarded public servant, BM Distura was former mayor of Dumangas town. Under his term, the town was awarded for three (3) times as Most Outstanding Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in the Philippines. It also achieved national distinction as a Galing Pook Awardee on Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change. BM Distura was former Administrator of the Iloilo Science and Technology University from 1993 to 1998. He was also on the Board of the Iloilo Elective Cooperative II from 1997-1998. BM Distura is a staunch advocate of disaster risk reduction, renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation, and the environment. He has authored and sponsored, among others, trailblazing ordinances which include the Iloilo Ordinance for RE (I-PORE) and the Local Energy Code.

Bio

Mr. Hongpeng Liu, Director, Energy Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Mr Liu is leading the energy team in ESCAP to promote regional cooperation on energy in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement and the broader SDG agenda. His work ranges from organizing intergovernmental meetings/policy dialogues, developing knowledge products and providing technical assistance to support member States on sustainable energy development in Asia and the Pacific. He is a member of Technical Advisory Group on SDG7 under the UN-Energy which is the United Nations' mechanism for inter-agency collaboration in the field of energy.

Bio

Mr. Hongpeng Liu, Director, Energy Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

He is currently leading the energy team in ESCAP to promote regional energy cooperation with focus on implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 7 in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and energy connectivity for regional economic cooperation and integration. His work ranges from conducting policy studies, organizing intergovernmental meetings & policy dialogues and providing advisory services to facilitating regional cooperation on sustainable energy development in Asia and the Pacific.

Mr Liu has over 30 years’ experience on sustainable energy. Prior to joining the United Nations, he served as government official in charge of energy policies and plans, new and renewable energy industry development, energy and water conservation, environment industry development at different Ministries and Commissions of the central government of China.

Bio

Mr Liu is leading the energy team in ESCAP to promote regional cooperation on energy transition in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Agreement as well as the broader 2030 agenda. His work ranges from organizing intergovernmental meetings/policy dialogues, developing knowledge products and providing technical assistance to support member States on sustainable energy development in Asia and the Pacific. He is a member of Technical Advisory Group on SDG7 under the UN-Energy which is the United Nations' mechanism for inter-agency collaboration in the field of energy.

Bio

Ms. Hongyan Liu is Chairwoman and General Manager of CECEP Fund, a fund management company dedicated to investing in green development projects in China. During the past five years, she has led her team to establish 4 funds and finance 19 projects with a total investment of more than USD 3billion, covering various green aspects for air quality improvement, deploying and promoting high technologies, innovative business models and international best practices to reduce emissions and pollution across the greater Being-Tianjin-Hebei region in China. Ms. Liu has over 20 years of experience in private equity investment, focusing on energy efficiency, environmental protection and clean energy. She also served as a lecturer at Peking University, P.R. China, teaching banking and finance. Ms. Liu obtained her Master’s degree in Economics from Peking University, China as well as the George Washington University, USA.

Bio

Huraera Jabeen Ph.D. is an academic and development professional. Her key research focus is urban resilience, gender, and the built environment, with a specific focus on the intersection of gender and climate change in cities. She has undertaken in-depth fieldwork exploring the gender-dynamics of adaptation to climate risks in informal settlements in different urban areas of Bangladesh. Her scholarly research experience on climate change adaptation and risk reduction of urban households are contributing to her emerging international profile from presenting and publishing for academics, professionals and policy-makers. She has wide experience of working with civil society organizations, donors, and community members. Currently she is working with BRAC Institute of Governance and Development as a Senior Research Fellow and a consultant to the Global Practice for Social Urban Rural Resilience Unit of the World Bank in Bangladesh.

Bio

Mr. Hyoung Ryoul Lee manages EAKPF (Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund), which is funded by the Korean government and established in ADB. Before joining ADB, Mr. Lee introduced a Korea Black Friday in 2015, which helped the Korean economy escape difficulties resulted from MERS. He created a euro settlement system in trade between Iran and Korea through discussion with U.S. Treasury in 2016. He successfully concluded exchange rate policy discussion with the U.S. Treasury in 2018. He led the Korean delegation in the Paris Club discussion which successfully suspended IDA countries’ debt repayment to official creditors to support them in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Mr. Lee was voted as a role model leader in the Ministry of Economy and Finance of GOK in 2019.

Bio

Hyunjung Lee is the Asian Development Bank’s energy sector lead for Viet Nam energy sector operation and managing a regional energy efficiency program under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) cooperation. She is working on various investment and technical assistance projects in support for energy transition, power sector reforms (generation auction mechanism and wholesale electricity market development) and clean energy development (grid-connected battery energy storage system, smart and energy efficiency city, green banking and green financing, demand side management program focused on utility energy efficiency and demand response programs, and project).

Bio

Hyunjung Lee is Senior Energy Economist in Southeast Energy Division of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and based in Hanoi, Viet Nam. She is mainly working for Viet Nam as an energy sector coordinator and preparing and implementing various investment and technical assistance projects in support for power sector reforms (solar auction mechanism and wholesale electricity market development) and clean energy development (pilot floating solar auction, smart and energy efficiency city, green banking and green financing, demand side management program focused on utility energy efficiency and demand response programs, and grid-connected battery storage project). She is also managing a regional sustainable energy program under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) cooperation, especially organizing various knowledge works among 6 GMS countries related to integrated and strategic power sector planning and leading the demand-side energy efficiency market studies in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Bio

Hyunjung Lee is the Asian Development Bank’s energy sector lead for Viet Nam energy sector operation and managing a regional energy efficiency program under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) cooperation. She is working on various investment and technical assistance projects in support for energy transition, power sector reforms (generation auction mechanism and wholesale electricity market development) and clean energy development (grid-connected battery energy storage system, smart and energy efficiency city, green banking and green financing, demand side management program focused on utility energy efficiency and demand response programs, and project).

Bio

Ick Jin is currently the Director of Economic Analysis Coordination Division of the National Assembly Budget Office. He undertakes financial analyses on the effect of public expenditures and economic programs. Before joining NABO, he worked at Korea Insurance Research Institute, Korea Capital Market Research Institute, and the Bank of Korea. Mr. Jin holds a Ph.D. from the Rice University at Houston, a CFA designation, and a CIPM designation. His primary research interest includes ESG investing, sustainable development, climate finance, climate technology among others. Mr. Jin has authored academic papers and policy reports: including “Analysis of the impact of achieving NDC on public climate finance,” “Is ESG a systematic risk factor for US equity mutual funds?”, “ESG-screening and Factor-risk-adjusted Performance: the Concentration Level of Screening Does Matter,” “Measuring Cross-Cutting Factors Influencing Institutional and Innovation Efficiency for I4R”, “Circular Economy Policy in Korea,” etc.