Speakers

Bio

Shishir has over 21 years of experience of which 15 years in development and social sector. He has gained expertise in portfolio management, aid management, governance, programme planning and management, strategic information, policy making, communication and advocacy with leading government ministries /departments.

He has worked with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank on Secondment to Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, Government of India(GoI). He has been seconded by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to key ministries like Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA) / Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). Also work with USAID Integrated Healthy Behaviors Program and International NGOs like EngenderHealth, Enable Health Society and contributed to addressing issues of gender and poverty in his work in these organizations. He joined the International Solar Alliance in 2016 and leads cross-cutting activities across partnerships, Governance bodies of the ISA, Resource mobilization & strategy, and programme support. He is currently on secondment from the Asian Development Bank to the ISA and is the Chief of Unit for Governance bodies and Partnerships under Strategy, Finance & Investments Cluster.

Bio

"Shivam has experience in the field of energy efficiency, energy conservation policies & its implementation. He led the team at ECBC Cell in Delhi State Designated Agency (Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Management Centre) from 2017-18. He has assisted EESL in their Super-Efficient Air Conditioner program, Safe disposal of appliances program and development of several tools and dashboard to scrutinize their processes. He has also managed the BEE's Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) feasibility program for 100 projects across India as a project coordinator. Currently, he is assisting Indian Railways in decarbonisation vision, developing the energy efficiency retrofit program for Indian Railways existing buildings and also responsible for capacity building of IR mid-level & senior level executives. He is a BEE Certified Energy Auditor & IGBC Accredited Professional."

Bio

"Climate Group is an international non-profit with the mission to drive climate action, fast. The organisation’s goal is a world of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all. Climate Group does this by forming powerful networks of business and government, unlocking the power of collective action to move whole systems such as energy, transport, the built environment, industry, and food to a cleaner future. Together with these, the organisation is helping to shift global markets and policies towards faster reductions in carbon emissions. Shivangi Dhingra is working with Climate Group as a Programme Coordinator for Transport in India. At Climate Group, her role is to support the growth of the corporate commitment focussed campaigns EV100 and EV100+ in India and coordinate for the execution of the projects on Last Mile Delivery & the Electrification of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucking. With an academic and technical background in urban development management and in architecture prior to that, Shivangi has an experience in inclusive sustainable development and mobility in the urban realm. She has collaborated in the past with civil society and government organisations including national, sub-national state and urban local bodies. This includes work with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), an autonomous body of research and practice under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, on projects focusing on accessibility, neighbourhood level development, as well as with WRI India where she supported initiatives on sustainable cities and transport."

Bio

"Sho is a sustainability and innovation policy specialist based in Japan. With a background in management consulting and venture capital, he founded SHOCKby, Inc., a consultancy focused on policy development. Under his leadership, SHOCKby, Inc. has advised numerous Japanese municipalities on sustainability and civic engagement strategies. Since 2021, Sho has expanded his expertise to the national and international arenas, serving as a Special Advisor on Energy Transition at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and as a Project Officer on Energy at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). Sho holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Public Policy in Science, Technology, and Innovation Governance from the University of Tokyo, along with a Master of Laws from Peking University."

Bio

Mrs. Shovana Maharjan has more than 11 years of experience in renewable energy sector in different development project / program development with management, and communication skills. She has a good knowledge in advocacy, gender and social inclusion, promotion of green and renewable energy, women’s empowerment, engagement and partnership with Local/National Government and Civil Societies / NGOs, budget preparation and management, community development and capacity enhancement in the energy sector of Nepal. She has a Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

Bio

Ms. Shubha Laxmi Shrestha is an accomplished professional currently serving as an Assistant Director heading energy efficiency and outreach sections at Alternative Energy Promotion Center in Nepal. This institution, operating under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, is an apex government organization mandated for promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency throughout the country. With an impressive 18-year career in serving the nation, she has contributed in areas of policy advocacy, strategic planning, standard & guideline formulation, capacity-building activities, monitoring & evaluation, and coordination among stakeholders, including external development partners. With a background in Mechanical Engineering, Ms. Shrestha completed her Master of Engineering in Energy from the prestigious Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, Thailand. Currently, she is pursuing a part-time PhD program at Kathmandu University, Nepal. Her unwavering dedication to driving sustainable energy practices and fostering the adoption of cutting-edge technologies reflects her deep-rooted passion for transforming Nepal's energy landscape.

Bio

Shuji has over 15 years of experience with the Asian Development Bank. Based in Bangkok, he is currently in charge of private-sector infrastructure financing opportunities across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with focus on complex, structured projects. As an experienced infrastructure finance expert, Shuji has led financing of a number of milestone transactions including: regional blue loan for PET recycling; large-scale solar power projects in Viet Nam; greenfield mass rapid transit project in Bangkok, Thailand; first utility-scale solar power project in Cambodia; first international-standard IPP project financing in Myanmar, among other things. A national of Japan, Shuji obtained his Master's Degree (MPA/ID) from Harvard Kennedy School, USA; Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan; and Bachelor in Engineering (Civil Engineering) from the University of Tokyo. He is also a CFA charterholder.

Bio

"Shweta Miriam Koshy is an Energy Analyst at the United Nations Development Programme in India. At UNDP, she focuses on improving access and affordability of renewable energy technologies, for the most vulnerable. Leveraging international grant finance, she formulates and implements projects to enhance provision of social services such as health, education, and public transport, and to generate new livelihood opportunities for multi-dimensionally poor. In addition to the projects in India, she manages a multi-country project aimed at building knowledge, informing policy, and demonstrating projects on solar- based irrigation, across 10 countries, primarily in Africa, with the exception of Tuvalu in the Pacific. Through these projects, Shweta’s overarching aim is to strengthen governance mechanisms and market ecosystems for renewable energy. Prior to UNDP, she built up an extensive research background in renewable energy and electrification policies in India at the Centre for Science and Environment. She has also worked with the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to support reporting under the Global Renewable Energy Policy and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Through internships and volunteering, she brings with her valuable on-ground experience, having supported the development of a novel water treatment system; and assessments for a solar mini-grid project. Backed by a robust academic foundation in renewable energy engineering and post-graduation in energy management, Shweta she is intent on contributing to the global efforts towards universal energy access and a just energy transition."

Bio

Col (Ret‘d) Siamelie Latu was a former Deputy Commander and Joint Operation Commander of His Majesty’s Armed Forces (HMAF) of the Kingdom of Tonga. He is the former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Tonga to the People’s Republic of China from 2010-2015. He served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 7 years as Acting Secretary of the Foreign Ministry until he resigned in 2017. He took up the post of CEO of Tonga Energy Commission in 2022. He was selected during OPERA Annual Meeting in 2022 as the Chair of the Office of the Pacific Energy Regulators Alliance (OPERA). As a graduate of the University of New England, Australia he was conferred a Bachelor of Professional Studies. Mr. Latu graduated from the Australian Army Command and Staff College where he was credited with a degree of Master of Defence Studies from the University of Canberra. He is also a graduate of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu Hawaii. He attended the National Defence University of the People’s Liberation Army of the People’s Republic of China. He is also a graduate of Deakin University where he was conferred a Master of Arts (Strategic Studies). He is also a fellow of the Australia Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies.

Bio

Siddharth Goel is a Senior Policy Advisor in the energy program at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). His work focuses on understanding investment barriers and policies to support the development of renewable energy and electric vehicle value chains in emerging economies. He has also advised governments on scaling-up decentralized renewable energy and state-owned enterprises on the clean energy transition. He has previously consulted with Foreign Policy Analytics and Barclays Investment Bank in the US. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University, with a specialization in global energy management and policy.

Bio

"Mr. Siddhartha Shah is Director of Advisory Division in Office of Market Development and PPP covering Pacific, East Asia and South East Asia. He has over twenty five years of experience in the area of infrastructure financing and advisory. He has led several project financing, corporate financing, bond financing, Shariah financing, private equity, public equity, structured transactions, credit risk guarantee and political risk guarantee transactions in ADB. He has worked across Asia and Pacific in many sectors. In the field of climate finance he is working on Energy Transition, Carbon Markets and auctions. He has been in board of several companies‎ and investment committee of private equity fund.‎ Prior to joining ADB he worked in the corporate finance office of BP for many years in oil and gas and alternative energy space. He has an MBA in Finance from University of Chicago."

Bio

Sika Gadzanku is an energy technology and policy researcher in the Accelerated Deployment and Decision Support (ADDS) Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Sika is the technical lead for NREL’s floating solar efforts. She manages several floating solar projects such as the Southeast Asia Floating Solar Assessment Study and coordinates and executes some U.S. and international technical assistance efforts focused on grid integration of renewables. Her work also involves grid-scale modeling and analysis, and research on changes in the energy workforce. Upon joining NREL in 2019, she brought research experience on climate change impacts on hydropower in Sub-Saharan Africa, waste-to-energy technologies, and power systems planning efforts in Ghana and Nigeria. She also has professional experience in energy consulting and distilling complex technical information to policymakers and the general public.