Speakers

Bio

Mel Slade has spent more than thirty years in energy efficiency policy development and implementation in many parts of the world. She started out working in the UK Government on industrial and appliance energy efficiency and has worked with many other governments to establish efficiency programmes, perhaps most notably in China where she has been working since the early 1990s. In 2007 Mel became the Chair of Australia and New Zealand’s Equipment Energy Efficiency programme where she led the phase-out of inefficient lighting, a world first. Mel moved to the International Energy Agency in February 2014 to manage the Energy Efficiency in Emerging Economies Programme. Mel and her team work with policy makers in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand to develop more effective energy efficiency policy, track its progress and assess its potential.

Bio

Mel Slade has spent more than thirty years in energy efficiency policy development and implementation in many parts of the world. She started out working in the UK Government on industrial and appliance energy efficiency and has worked with many other governments to establish efficiency programmes, perhaps most notably in China where she has been working since the early 1990s. In 2007 Mel became the Chair of Australia and New Zealand’s Equipment Energy Efficiency programme where she led the phase-out of inefficient lighting, a world first. Mel moved to the International Energy Agency in February 2014 to manage the Energy Efficiency in Emerging Economies Programme. Mel and her team work with policy makers in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand to develop more effective energy efficiency policy, track its progress and assess its potential.

Bio

Melody brings extensive experience to her role as the technical leader of the Healthy Ocean Program of CCRE. With a career spanning over two decades, she has honed her expertise in environmental sustainability and social development within various contexts. As lead of the Healthy Oceans Program, she provides strategic and sustainable solutions to accelerate climate adaptation and build climate resilience in coastal areas, and facilitating or contributing to new or innovative approaches that support environmental sustainability in ADB operations.

Bio

Meutia Chaerani (Rani) Climate Change Specialist of the Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) Team in the Energy Sector Office, Asian Development Bank. She is leading ADB’s engagement with Indonesia ETM Country Platform under the Ministry of Finance. Prior to this assignment, Rani has previously worked in ADB as the Risk Management Specialist in the Office of Risk Management and Project Portfolio Analyst in the Indonesia Resident Mission where she received ADB Vice President Award. She graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Master’s degree in environmental management, and is a certified Sustainability and Climate Risk Professional. She is also an avid philanthropist in the field of arts and culture, which garnered awards from the Korean and Australian Government for her volunteer initiatives.

Bio

Dr Mi Tian is a lecturer in the Department of Engineering, University of Exeter, UK. Dr Tian expertise in hydrogen energy and significantly contributes to the development of porous polymer composite for on-board hydrogen system, which has a direct impact on light-weighted vehicle and low carbon economy. She has been leading the research on neutron scattering technique for hydrogen energy materials. Mi received the Ede & Ravenscroft Prize in 2019. She was recoganised as one of Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) in 2020.  

Bio

Dr. Michael Renfrew is a development professional working in Cambodia’s clean energy space. In his capacity as EnergyLab Cambodia’s Program Lead, he oversees the implementation of programs related to the kingdom’s energy ecosystem development, inclusive of technologies, processes, and stakeholders. Michael received his PhD in Macroeconomics from the University of Glasgow (2021) working on international trade and FDI in the context of trade agreement characteristics, with a focus on the ASEAN region. He has worked in Cambodia since 2016, leading projects in the public policy and research space covering topics relating to health, education, economic development, and social cohesion.

Bio

Since 2001, Michael has worked in the environmental field developing industry leading technology that increases petroleum efficiency, reduces emissions, and optimizes utilization of oil field resources. Michael has directed operations for international corporations where he established worldwide distribution, developed supply chains, opened new locations, coordinated with government agencies, and managed multiple patents in 70 countries utilized by three different companies. More recently he has been working with the HeliosAltas team to create the most reliable renewable energy systems. They utilized multiple power systems to create redundancy for on and off grid applications.

Bio

Michael is a long-time innovator and Family man with a passion for nature and living life to the fullest. His earlier works include the oversight of $50MM construction projects, specializing in OSHPD Highrise Building Hospital Construction, including clean rooms, and surgical rooms. He has been in the environmental business since 2001 working to help lessen the impact of petroleum by increasing efficiency and reducing emissions, as well as optimizing utilization of current oil field resources.

Mike has been an integral part of creating and developing technologies in the energy field and holds multiple patents in over 70 countries. His work includes establishing worldwide international distribution and supply chains as well as setting up local offices and training local operation and sales forces. As the energy industry has grown so has Mike’s interest and vigor for being a part of new, safe, clean energy.

Bio

Michael Gabisch is a Principal Investment Officer at the Asian Development Bank, where he works on Private Sector Infrastructure projects in the Pacific and the Philippines. Prior to the Asian Development Bank, Mr. Gabisch was an Investment Officer at the African Development Bank. He has an M.B.A from the University of Chicago, and currently resides Papua New Guinea.

Bio

Dr. Michael Abundo is a green (and blue) techno-preneur who specializes in Marine Renewable Energy (with pilot projects in small island developing states and ‘tropical’ solutions) and other technology-enabled, innovation-infused sustainability transitions. He has over 15 years of experience in various roles in the Innovation and Research, Development, & Demonstration (RD&D) Ecosystems of the Asia-Pacific Region working with academe, industry, and government. He has contributed to the inclusion Marine Renewable Energy into South East Asia’s Energy mix at various scales (e.g. energy harvesting, micro-grid, grid-tied/large scale)and for a spectrum of applications (e.g. vessel, ports, aquaculture, etc). Michael is handling R&D/Project collaborations between industry, academe, and government focusing on Digitalization, Data Processing and Management, Autonomous Vehicles (land, air, sea -surface and underwater), Internet-of-Things (IoT), Human Factors, etc in applications such as robotics, food security, resiliency, energy, defense, traffic management (air and vessel), sustainable operations, and the wider Blue Economy. He has successfully initiated, executed, and handed-over a community-based energy intervention programmes especially for accelerated post-disaster recovery with a sustainability plan involving various stakeholders (e.g. NGOs, Academe, Industry, local gov’t).

Bio

Dr. Michael Abundo is a green and blue techno-preneur who specializes in Marine Renewable Energy (with pilot projects in small island developing states and ‘tropical’ solutions) and other technology-enabled, innovation-infused sustainability transitions easpecially in the Blue Economy. Dr. Mike Abundo has over twenty (20) years of experience in various roles in Green and Blue Economy development including sectors such as Renewable Energy, Smart and Sustainable Cities & Communities, Decarbonization, ClimateTech (including R&D), Portfolio / Program / Project development management and other sustainable development & impact initiatives. He has spearheaded and significantly contributed to the inclusion of Ocean Renewable Energy (and other Marine Renewables) into South East Asia’s Energy mix at various scales (e.g. energy harvesting, micro-grid, grid-tied/large scale) and for a spectrum of applications (e.g. vessel, ports, water, aquaculture, tourism, etc).

Bio

From 2012 to 2022, Mr. Michael Schiffer was a senior advisor and counselor on the Democratic Staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. From 2009 to 2012, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. Before joining the Department of Defense, he was a program officer at the Stanley Foundation, responsible for the Foundation's Asia programs as well as a range of other U.S. national and global security issues and in 2004-2005 was a Council on Foreign Relations Hitachi International Affairs Fellow in Japan. From 1995 to 2004, he worked on the staff of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), including as her senior national security adviser and legislative director. Prior to that, he was director of international security programs at New York University's Center for War, Peace, and the News Media and was co-manager of the Poipu Bed and Breakfast Inn in Poipu, Kauai. Mr. Schiffer received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and New York University.