Empowering the future: Clean energy innovations, regional cooperation and integration, and financing solutions.
2 – 6 June 2025 | ADB Headquarters, Manila
Speakers
ALL SPEAKERS
Zarmina Khan
eeaser
Zarmina Khan
eeaser
Bio
Zarmina Khan is a Sustainability Researcher at eeaser GmbH in Freiburg, Germany, where she is dedicated to finding innovative solutions for a greener future. With extensive experience in research and policy analysis, Zarmina specializes in identifying energy efficiency and sustainability opportunities for industries, developing energy profiles for various countries to inform global sustainability efforts, and producing high-quality informative articles on the latest trends in the field.
Zhang Xiliang
Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy at Tsinghua University
Zhang Xiliang
Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy at Tsinghua University
Bio
Dr. Zhang Xiliang is a professor of management science and engineering and director of the Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy at Tsinghua University. His current research interests include low-carbon energy economy transformation, integrated assessment of energy and climate policies, renewable energy and automotive energy. Since 2015, Professor Zhang has been heading the expert group on China’s national carbon market design, which is a taskforce of the Climate Change Department in the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. He served as the co-leader of the expert group for drafting the Renewable Energy Law and a member of the expert group for drafting the Circular Economy Promotion Law, which was appointed by the Environmental Protection and Resource Conservation Committee of the National People’s Congress in 2004 and 2007, respectively. He was also a lead author of the fourth and fifth IPCC Climate Change Assessment Report. He received the first prize of humanities and social sciences research of the Ministry of Education and the national leading talents award in ecology and environment protection of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in 2020. Dr. Zhang is the current Chair of the Energy Systems Engineering Committee of the China Energy Research Society and a member of the board of directors of the Chinese Society of Sustainable Development and the China Renewable Energy Society. He holds a PhD in Systems Engineering from Tsinghua University.
Zhanna Kapsalyamova
Nazarbayev University
Zhanna Kapsalyamova
Nazarbayev University
Bio
Dr Kapsalyamova is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Nazarbayev University. During her past career she worked as a Deputy Director of the Center for Macroeconomic Research and Quantitative Economic Modeling at the Economic Research Institute under the Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan. She was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and postdoctoral research associate at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates. She holds her Doctoral degree in Economics from Christian Albrechts University of Kiel. Her research interests lie in Energy Economics, Environmental Economics, and Computable General Equilibrium Modeling.
Zixuan Guo
China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute CO., Ltd
Zixuan Guo
China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute CO., Ltd
Bio
Zixuan is an power system planning & operation optimization engineer in Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute, China. Guo is experienced in the field of energy mix research, energy solution & energy project feasibility study, and also had research experience in ADB’s Technical Assistance. In GEDI, Guo has finished several grid integration study of 400MW LNG generations. Guo also had rich experience participating in the low-carbon energy sustainable solution for City, industrial parks, Financial parks. In 2018-2019, Guo Participated in several ADB’s consultancy items in the field of ‘enhancing power resilience of climate change’ and ‘improving power system reliability in Sri Lanka’. Recently, in the background of fast improvement of renewable energy , Guo is dedicated in the study of energy storage to guarantee the sustainability of future power system.
Zonibel Woods
Asian Development Bank
Zonibel Woods
Asian Development Bank
Bio
Zonibel Woods has dedicated over 30 years to address barriers to gender equality and create opportunities for women and girls to live healthy, productive lives free from discrimination and violence. She has extensive and diverse expertise in gender and development and sustainable development, including in the areas of gender mainstreaming, strategic planning, policy analysis and development, training, technical assistance, and capacity building. Zonibel has worked for civil society organizations such as the International Women’s Health Coalition, leading the organization’s global policy work. As the Program Manager for the Ford Foundation’s Global Initiative on HIV and AIDS, she supported the leadership on HIV and AIDS organizations working all over the world. Ms. Woods has extensive experience on environment and sustainable development issues which has spanned over three decades since her involvement in the 1992 Earth Summit. She has been based in the Philippines since 2012, where she worked as a gender consultant focusing on gender and climate change. In 2020 she joined the Asian Development Bank as Senior Social Development Specialist. In her free time, she works on animal welfare. She holds a Master of Arts in Environmental Practice from Royal Roads University. Zonibel has written and published a number of articles and reports on gender, sexual and reproductive health, and climate change.
Zonibel Woods
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Zonibel Woods
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Bio
Zonibel Woods has dedicated over 30 years to address barriers to gender equality and create opportunities for women and girls to live healthy, productive lives free from discrimination and violence. She has extensive and diverse expertise in gender and development and sustainable development, including in the areas of gender mainstreaming, strategic planning, policy analysis and development, training, technical assistance, and capacity building. Zonibel has worked for civil society organizations such as the International Women’s Health Coalition, leading the organization’s global policy work. As the Program Manager for the Ford Foundation’s Global Initiative on HIV and AIDS, she supported the leadership on HIV and AIDS organizations working all over the world. Ms. Woods has extensive experience on environment and sustainable development issues which has spanned over three decades since her involvement in the 1992 Earth Summit. She has been based in the Philippines since 2012, where she worked as a gender consultant focusing on gender and climate change. In 2020 she joined the Asian Development Bank as Senior Social Development Specialist. In her free time, she works on animal welfare. She holds a Master of Arts in Environmental Practice from Royal Roads University. Zonibel has written and published a number of articles and reports on gender, sexual and reproductive health, and climate change.
Zonibel Woods
Asian Development Bank
Zonibel Woods
Asian Development Bank
Bio
Zonibel Woods has dedicated over 30 years to address barriers to gender equality and create opportunities for women and girls to live healthy, productive lives free from discrimination and violence. She has extensive and diverse expertise in gender and development and sustainable development, including in the areas of gender mainstreaming, strategic planning, policy analysis and development, training, technical assistance, and capacity building. Zonibel has worked for civil society organizations such as the International Women’s Health Coalition, leading the organization’s global policy work. As the Program Manager for the Ford Foundation’s Global Initiative on HIV and AIDS, she supported the leadership on HIV and AIDS organizations working all over the world. Ms. Woods has extensive experience on environment and sustainable development issues which has spanned over three decades since her involvement in the 1992 Earth Summit. She has been based in the Philippines since 2012, where she worked as a gender consultant focusing on gender and climate change. In 2020 she joined the Asian Development Bank as Senior Social Development Specialist. In her free time, she works on animal welfare. She holds a Masters of Arts in Environmental Practice from Royal Roads University. Zonibel has written and published a number of articles and reports on gender, sexual and reproductive health, and climate change.
Zonibel Woods
ADB
Zonibel Woods
ADB
Bio
Zonibel Woods' commitment to gender equality spans over 25 years of working with governments, foundations, international organizations, and civil society on developing policies and implementing programs to support women's empowerment. At ADB much of her work focuses on gender and climate change, where she leads a five country regional technical assistance project focusing on women's resilience to increasing heat stress and climate change."
Zou Ji
Energy Foundation China
Zou Ji
Energy Foundation China
Bio
Prof. Ji ZOU, as CEO & President of Energy Foundation China, overall manages the organization. He previously served as a deputy director general of China’s National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, focusing on China’s low-carbon development strategy and policy, and also led international climate negotiations and collaboration as a key member of the Chinese climate negotiation team. From 2009 to 2012, He served as the first China Country Director of the World Resources Institute, during which he led the institute in exploring projects in climate change, clean energy, and sustainable and livable cities. Since 2017 when he was on board as the leader of Energy Foundation China, he has pursued in renewable development and energy efficiency improvement in China and Southeast Asia. Prof. Zou holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and a master’s in Technical Economics, both from Tsinghua University, and a Ph.D. in Resources and Environmental Economics from Renmin University.
Zulfikar Yurnaidi
ASEAN Centre for Energy
Zulfikar Yurnaidi
ASEAN Centre for Energy
Bio
Dr. Zulfikar Yurnaidi is Senior Officer of Sustainable Energy, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for ACE. He is also Senior Research Analyst of ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT). In those roles, Zulfikar conducts research and cooperation activities in the field of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate change. These include development of thematic publications and popular articles, as well as development and management of collaborative activities. He holds Doctoral Degree from Department of Energy Studies, Ajou University. Prior to ACE, he was a researcher in Green Technology Center (GTC) Korea, focusing on green technology cooperation with partner countries, such as on waste-to-energy, climate smart agriculture, water monitoring system, and AI-based disaster response, in Indonesia and Bhutan. Prior to that, he was post-doctoral researcher and lecturer in Ajou University, working in energy modelling focusing on application of energy technologies and policies under the view of comprehensive energy system.
Zulpat Aziyeva
Project Office for Central Asia on Climate Change and Green Energy
Zulpat Aziyeva
Project Office for Central Asia on Climate Change and Green Energy
Bio
Zulpat Aziyeva brings a rich background in oil, gas, and international maritime transport projects to her role as Advisor to the CEO at the Project Office for Central Asia on Climate Change and Green Energy. With extensive experience in the Middle East and Central Asia, she is uniquely positioned to drive transformative climate initiatives across the region. Zulpat is committed to accelerating the climate transition in Central Asia through strategic policy support, innovation, and robust partnerships. Her responsibilities include spearheading regional actions to combat climate change, developing effective climate policies, enhancing cooperation among nations, and supporting cutting-edge research and innovation. Zulpat also focuses on promoting partnerships and collective action, as well as enhancing awareness and capacity building, to ensure a cohesive and sustainable approach to environmental challenges. Zulpat’s leadership is instrumental in navigating the complex landscape of energy and environmental sustainability, ensuring that Central Asia progresses towards a greener and more resilient future."