Speakers

Bio

Steve Peters is a Senior Energy Specialist (Waste-to-Energy) in the Energy Sector Group of the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank. He is responsible for developing the knowledge base, project development and implementation in waste to energy and supporting projects across waste, the circular economy and ocean impacts.Prior to joining ADB, Mr. Peters was the Director at Stratcon Singapore Pte Ltd where he consulted on waste to energy, waste to fuels, biomass, biogas, biofuels and innovation in clean technology.

Bio

Steve Olive is a Senior Foreign Service Officer and is the Mission Director for the Regional Development Mission for Asia. From 2018 to 2020, he served as the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Latin America and Caribbean Bureau. In 2017-18, he was the Acting Director of the Foreign Service Center in the Office of Human Capital and Talent Management. At USAID/Kenya and East Africa based in Nairobi, he served as the Deputy Mission Director for Somalia from 2014 to 2017 and concurrently served as the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Mission to Somalia from 2016 to 2017.

Bio

Steve Peters specializes in waste-to-energy topics at ADB's Energy Sector Office. He is responsible for developing the knowledge base, project development and implementation in waste to energy and supporting projects across waste, the circular economy and ocean impacts. He is the current convenor of the OneADB Green Hydrogen Working Group (dataroom). Steve holds a Master of Engineering Science and Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is a past Board Member of Austcham Singapore. He was previously the Managing Director of the Stratcon group of companies and Past chairman of the Asia Pacific Biogas Alliance

Bio

Steve has a degree in Environmental Science and Economics from the University of San Diego. After earning his degree, Steve continued his studies at Harvard Business School and has completed a specialized Energy Specialist training program at the Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco. Steve has helped SES to complete more than 200 energy efficiency projects and his team is now determined to prove the ESCO business model can be successful in Indonesia

Bio

Steve Olive serves as the Mission Director for the Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) since August 2020. He joined USAID in 2000 and is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.

From 2018 to 2020, he was the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, often serving as its Acting Assistant Administrator. In 2017-18, he was the Acting Director of the Foreign Service Center in the Office of Human Capital and Talent Management. At USAID/Kenya and East Africa based in Nairobi, he served as the Deputy Mission Director for Somalia from 2014 to 2017. He concurrently served as the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission and occasionally as the Chargé d'Affaires for the U.S. Mission to Somalia from 2016 to 2017.

Before USAID/Kenya and East Africa, Dr. Olive served as a Deputy Mission Director for USAID/Haiti from 2011 to 2014 leading post-earthquake reconstruction and development efforts. He also was posted in Peru and Nicaragua from 2002-2011 managing environment, trade, agriculture, food security and emergency-response programs. Dr. Olive also worked in Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, and American Samoa as an environment and natural resource management and policy specialist. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii where he was an East-West Center scholar, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Tennessee, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Miami (Ohio) University. He is married to Cristina Olive, also a USAID Foreign Service Officer, and they have a son.

Bio

Steve Olive serves as the Mission Director for the Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA). He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. From 2018 to 2020, he was the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, often serving as its Acting Assistant Administrator. At USAID/Kenya and East Africa based in Nairobi, he served as the Deputy Mission Director for Somalia from 2014 to 2017. He concurrently served as the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Mission to Somalia from 2016 to 2017. Before USAID/Kenya and East Africa, Dr. Olive served as a Deputy Mission Director for USAID/Haiti from 2011 to 2014 leading post-earthquake reconstruction and development efforts. He also was posted in Peru and Nicaragua from 2002-2011 managing environment, trade, agriculture, food security and emergency-response programs. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii.

Bio

Steve Olive serves as the Mission Director for the Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA). He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. From 2018 to 2020, he was the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, often serving as its Acting Assistant Administrator. At USAID/Kenya and East Africa based in Nairobi, he served as the Deputy Mission Director for Somalia from 2014 to 2017. He concurrently served as the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Mission to Somalia from 2016 to 2017. Before USAID/Kenya and East Africa, Dr. Olive served as a Deputy Mission Director for USAID/Haiti from 2011 to 2014 leading post-earthquake reconstruction and development efforts. He also was posted in Peru and Nicaragua from 2002-2011 managing environment, trade, agriculture, food security and emergency-response programs. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii.

Bio

Mr. Zeng has extensive experience engaging policymakers, governmental think tanks, NGOs, businesses, communities for energy efficiency programs in China. Mr. Zeng manages CLASP's China program and works collaboratively with CLASP team members and a wide network of international partners and program stakeholders on the design and implementation of impactful initiatives in China.

Bio

Dr. Sethuvenkatraman is a research group leader in CSIRO with domain expertise in buildings and HVAC systems. He leads smart buildings research activities in CSIRO. His current research focusses on use of digital technologies to decarbonise the built environment sector.

His research leadership has resulted in development of low energy, renewable based cooling solutions for the built environment sector. He also led development of an industry roadmap for improving the uptake of renewable heating and cooling solutions in Australian built environment.

Subbu has experience leading various national, international initiatives and projects related to renewable integration, air conditioning and building energy efficiency. He chairs the Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) Special Technical Group (STG) on renewable heating and cooling.

Bio

Suchart Charles Klaikaew, a Senior Policy Advisor at GIZ, leads the Just Energy Transition in Thailand and coordinates IKI JET's initiatives in coal regions, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Mongolia, Chile, Colombia, and South Africa. He collaborates with subnational and national stakeholders under BMWK and EU-funded initiatives. His responsibilities include coordinating technical assistance for a just transition plan, sustainable economies, developing policy tools, and implementing partnerships. For the JET-CR, Suchart facilitates interregional community engagement, peer exchanges, and global policy dialogues within coal regions. Previously, Suchart worked as an energy consultant in the Asia Pacific, specializing in energy market analysis, renewable energy policies, transmission and distribution systems, tariff studies, and phasing out fossil fuels. He also has expertise in energy transition policy development, community projects, and education across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States. Suchart holds a Master of Science degree in Energy Systems Engineering and Analytics from the United States.

Bio

Sujata has been with ADB since 2003 and has worked in sovereign and non-sovereign operations of the bank.

Sujata has a PhD from the London Business School, University of London and Master’s and Bachelor’s from the University of Delhi.

Before joining ADB, she was the Director of the Policy Analysis Division, at TERI (then the Tata Energy Research Institute), New Delhi. She has also worked as a visiting researcher at the International Institute of Applied System Analysis in Austria.

She was a member of United Nations (UNFCCC) CDM Methodologies for Baselines and Monitoring Panel and a co-coordinating lead author for the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Bio

Sujata has been with ADB since 2003 and has worked in sovereign and non-sovereign operations of the bank. Sujata has a PhD from the London Business School, University of London and Master’s and Bachelor’s from the University of Delhi. Before joining ADB, she was the Director of the Policy Analysis Division, at TERI (then the Tata Energy Research Institute), New Delhi. She has also worked as a visiting researcher at the International Institute of Applied System Analysis in Austria. She was a member of United Nations (UNFCCC) CDM Methodologies for Baselines and Monitoring Panel and a coordinating lead author for the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.