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International Symposium on the occasion of the 5th Anniversary
Bringing Vast Renewables to Global Interconnection Speakers

  • Tomas Kåberger
    Chair of Executive Board, Renewable Energy Institute
    Professor, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

    Tomas Kåberger currently spends a quarter of his time in Japan as Chair of Executive Board of the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation. Academically, he got an MSc in Engineering Physics, a PhD in Physical Resource Theory, and Docent in Environmental Science at Chalmers. He has been professor in International Sustainable Energy Systems at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University, and he is currently Professor of Industrial Energy Policy at Chalmers University of Technology and serves as Distinguished Visiting Expert of bio-energy technology at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou.
    Tomas Kåberger currently spends a quarter of his time in Japan as Chair of Executive Board of the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation. Academically, he got an MSc in Engineering Physics, a PhD in Physical Resource Theory, and Docent in Environmental Science at Chalmers. He has been professor in International Sustainable Energy Systems at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University, and he is currently Professor of Industrial Energy Policy at Chalmers University of Technology and serves as Distinguished Visiting Expert of bio-energy technology at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou.

  • Amory B. Lovins
    Cofounder, Chief Scientist and Chairman Emeritus, Rocky Mountain Institute

    For more than 4 decades, Amory B. Lovins has been advising about the nexus of energy, resources, environment, development, and security in more than 65 countries including the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense. He is widely considered among the world’s leading authorities on energy—especially its efficient use and sustainable supply—and a fertile innovator in integrative design. He has published more than 30 books and 600 papers, and won numerous awards including the Right Livelihood Award (the “Alternative Nobel”) , the Onassis Foundation’s first Delphi Prize (one of the world’s top environmental awards), the Nissan Prize, the Blue Planet Prize, and the Shingo Prize (Nobel –like prize in Manufacturing). In 2009, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Foreign Policy one of the 100 top global thinkers. His 31st book with a large RMI team, Reinventing Fire, published in autumn 2011, is a detailed roadmap for eliminating U.S. oil and coal use by 2050, led by business for profit.

  • Masayoshi Son
    Founder & Chairperson, Renewable Energy Institute
    Chairman & CEO, SoftBank Group

    Masayoshi Son was born in 1957 in Tosu City of Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. A year after graduating from the Economics Department of UC Berkeley, Son founded and became Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Corp. Japan (now SoftBank Group Corp.) in 1981. SoftBank Group Corp. went public in 1994, and two years later in 1996, Son launched Yahoo Japan Corporation as a joint venture with Yahoo! Inc. US, running the enterprise first as President & CEO, then became Chairman. In 2001, SoftBank launched the Yahoo! BB broadband ADSL service in partnership with Yahoo Japan Corporation, and later made the high profile acquisition of Vodafone K.K. (now SoftBank Corp.) in April of 2006.
    In July 2013, Sprint Corporation joined the SoftBank Group and Son became its Chairman. Currently he retains multiple positions including Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group Corp., Chairman of SoftBank Mobile Corp., Chairman of the Board of Sprint Corporation, and Director of Yahoo Japan Corporation. Son is also known as the owner of the Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS (a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kyushu).
    After the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, he founded and assumed chairmanship of Renewable Energy Institute to promote the use of renewable energy.

  • LIU Zhenya
    Chairman, Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO)
    Chairman, China Electricity Council (CEC)
    Former Chairman, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC)

    Mr. Liu Zhenya was born in China in August 1952. He holds a Master degree of Engineering. He is a senior engineer with professorship and a senior member of IEEE. Previous to his current position, Mr. Liu Zhenya has served as Chairman and President of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), with over 40 years of experience in electric power industry. Mr. Liu Zhenya currently holds the position of the Chairman of Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and Chairman of China Electricity Council (CEC), a consolidated organization of China’s power enterprises and institutions.

    Mr. Liu is a renowned expert in international energy and power sector, a pioneer of Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission in China, a practitioner of strong & smart grid, and the initiator of the concept of Global Energy Interconnection (GEI). Under his 12 years’ leadership, Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission has been strongly promoted in both R&D and project application, which has enabled China to enter a new era of UHV grids. He also led SGCC to grow to the world’s largest utility, with a historic rise to the 2nd place on Fortune Global 500 ranking. Facing the challenges of energy security, environment pollution, and climate change, he proposed building Global Energy Interconnection (GEI), phasing in clean energy replacement and electricity replacement, and worked to promote these ideas and its materialization. His efforts has attracted broad attention and been actively responded both in and outside China.

    Mr. Liu’s publications, including Electric Power and Energy in China (In Chinese and English), Ultra-high Voltage AC&DC Grid (in Chinese, English, and Russian), Global Energy Interconnection (in Chinese, English and Russia), are well-received and widely acknowledged.

  • Hwan-Eik Cho
    President, CEO and Standing Director, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)

    Hwan-Eik Cho, president & CEO of Korea Electric Power Corporation(KEPCO) since 2012, formerly served as a leader in two government agencies : Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency from 2008 to 2011 and Korea Export Insurance Corporation from 2007 to 2008. He held several positions as public official since 1973, including the position as vice minister of Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Energy from 2004 to 2006. He was awarded the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in 2014 and the Yellow Stripes Order of Service Merit in 2006. He graduated from Seoul National University in 1973 and holds an MBA from New York University(1981), a Ph. D. degree from Hanyang University(2007).

  • Michael Liebreich
    Founder & Chairman of the Advisory Board Bloomberg New Energy Finance

    Michael Liebreich founded New Energy Finance in 2004 and acted as Chairman and Chief Executive until its acquisition by Bloomberg in 2009. Michael is a frequent commentator in the press, on TV and radio on issues of energy, development and economics. He serves on the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All. He is a Visiting Professor at Imperial College London, Board Member of Transport for London and Chairman of a Medical Charity funding research on colorectal illness. He is a former member of a number of boards and groups namely, the advisory board of the Clinton Global Initiative’s Energy and Climate Change working group, the selection panel for the Zayed Future Energy Prize and the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council for the New Energy Architecture.

  • Oleg Budargin
    Chairman of the Management Board, Director General of Rosseti

    Oleg Budargin was born on November 16, 1960. He graduated from Norilsk Industrial Institute with highest honors, majoring in “Industrial and civil construction”.
    In 1984 he started his professional career as a foreman in the Construction and Erection Department of the shaft-sinking trust company of Norilsk Nickel. Then he became deputy head of the Production Department of the Construction and Erection Association "Norilskstroy". In 1995 he was appointed deputy general director of Norilsk Nickel.
    From 2000 - Norilsk mayor, from 2003 - governor of Taymyr (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous Region.
    On October 27, 2009 at the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders he was elected Chairman of the Management Board of JSC “FGC UES”.
    In June 2013 he was elected Director General of Joint Stock Company “Russian Grids”.
    He is a member of the Russian Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security.
    He has a number of national and industrial awards.

  • Takejiro Sueyoshi
    Vice-Chair of Executive Board, Renewable Energy Institute
    Special Advisor to UNEP Finance Initiative in the Asia Pacific Region

    After graduating from Tokyo University, Takejiro Sueyoshi joined the Mitsubishi Bank (the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ) in 1967 and worked for the bank until 1998. He is Special Advisor to UNEP FI in the Asia Pacific region. During his years with Nikko Asset Management as Deputy President, he was appointed as a member of the UNEP FI Steering Committee. In addition to the involvement in the UNEP FI activities, he is giving many educational speeches about environmental problems and CSR/SRI in various government councils, seminars, universities and schools. He is advisors to mayors of local governments and outside directors of corporations in Japan. He is a member of the Central Committee on Environmental Plan for Ministry of the Environment. He is a Trustee member of CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project). He is CEO of Green Finance Organization Japan (Green Fund) since May 2013. He was a member of the Council for Japan`s Prime Ministers (Mr. Fukuda and Mr. Aso) on Climate Change Policy.

  • Jeremy Leggett
    Founding Director, Solarcentury
    Chairman, Carbon Tracker Initiative

    Jeremy Leggett is Founding Director of Solarcentury (1997-), a UK based international solar solutions company that installs solar on all scales from residential to solar farms, and designs and manufactures its own solar roofing products. He is founder and Chairman of SolarAid (2006-), an African solar-lighting social enterprise set up with 5% of Solarcentury’s annual profits, whose social venture brand SunnyMoney is a pioneering retailer of solar lanterns in Africa. He is also Chairman of Carbon Tracker, a climate-and-finance think tank analysing climate risk in the capital markets. He is a consultant on systemic risk to major corporations, winner of various international awards including Gothenburg Prize (2015), the first Hillary Laureate for International Leadership in Climate Change (2009) and author of four books on the climate-and-energy nexus, the most recent of which is “The Winning of The Carbon War”.

  • Kiyoshi Kurokawa
    Adjunct Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
    Chairman, Health and Global Policy Institute
    Chair of the Board, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT)
    Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo

    A graduate of the University of Tokyo, professor of medicine at UCLA (1979-84), Univ Tokyo (89-96), Dean Tokai Univ Medical School (96-02), President of the Science Council of Japan (03-06) and Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan (06-08); He served as an executive member of many national and international professional societies of his disciplines, Commissioner of WHO (2005-09), Institute of Medicine of National Academies of Sciences of USA, Master of American College of Physicians and Founding Governor of ACP Japan Chapter serve(d) as Board members of Alexandria Library (Egypt), A*STAR (Singapore), Khalifa University (Abu Dhabi), OIST (Okinawa), Advisory Board to the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He was appointed to be a member of the World Dementia Council by the UK Government in April, 2014 and a member of International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, JBL Center for Radiation Sciences (2015). He was Chair of Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission by the National Diet of Japan (NAIIC; 2011.12-2012.7) and received "2012 Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award" of AAAS and "100 Top Global Thinkers 2012" of 'Foreign Policy' for his leadership in NAIIC.
    His website: http://www.kiyoshikurokawa.com/en

  • Nobuo Tanaka
    President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
    Former Executive Director, International Energy Agency

    Nobuo Tanaka is President of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation as of April 1st, 2015. He had been a former Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) from 2007 to August 2011. He began his career in 1973 in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and has served in a number of high-ranking positions, including Director-General of the Multilateral Trade System Department. He was Minister for Industry, Trade and Energy at the Embassy of Japan, Washington DC. He has also served twice as Director for Science, Technology and Industry ( DSTI) of the Paris-based international organization, OECD.

  • Dörte Fouquet
    Lawyer/Partner, Becker Büttner Held (BBH)
    Director, European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF)

    Dörte Fouquet leads the Brussels office of the law firm Becker Büttner Held (BBH) since January 2011. With more than 30 years of experience, she is a recognized international expert in the areas of energy, environmental and competition law. She is a trusted expert partner of the European institutions. Her client base includes government authorities, non-profit organisations, academic institutions and private companies. She is also Director of the European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF), thus constantly working with renewable energy associations on national and European level.

  • David Suzuki
    Co-Founder, David Suzuki Foundation
    Scientist, Broadcaster, Author
    Co-Founder of The David Suzuki Foundation
    Executive Board Member, Renewable Energy Institute

    In 1990 David Suzuki co-founded The David Suzuki Foundation to work with“government, business and individuals to conserve our environment by providing science-based education, advocacy and policy work for social change that today’s situation demands”. He is Companion to the Order of Canada and a recipient of UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for science, the United Nations Environment Program medal, the 2009 Right Livelihood Award, Global 500, and the Inamori Ethics Prize. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and holds 29 honorary degrees from universities around the world. He is familiar to television audiences as host of the multi-award winning long-running CBC science and natural history television series The Nature of Things. For 35 years, he and his wife, Dr. Tara Cullis, have worked extensively with Canada's First Nations people. He has been honoured with seven names and formal adoption by three tribes. His written work includes more than 55 books, 19 of them for children.

  • Mark B. Glick
    State Energy Administrator
    Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism
    Hawaii State Energy Office

    As Hawaii’s Energy Administrator, Mr. Glick leads the state’s internationally regarded clean energy transformation and innovation efforts. His professional career features private and public sector roles in a wide area of disciplines including energy, resource and asset management, clean transportation strategies, environmental policy, and economic development. Some highlights of his tenure as Administrator include: Contributing to passage of the United States’ first 100 percent renewable portfolio standard that also increases the interim goal to 30 percent 2020; Helped Hawaii exceed its 2015 interim renewable portfolio and energy efficiency portfolio standards; Leading the United States for five consecutive years in the per capita value of energy savings performance contracts; Overseeing all energy related regulatory filings and legislative testimony of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, including dockets on the change of control application of Nextera Energy and Hawaii Electric Industries (HECO, MECO and HELCO) and the Power Supply Improvement Plans of the Hawaii Electric Industries; Establishing the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority and the GEMS low-interest bond/ on-bill energy finance program with an initial issuance of $150 million in bonds; Establishing the annual VERGE Hawaii: Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit. VERGE Hawaii

  • Kamon Iizumi
    Governor of Tokushima Prefecture
    Chairperson of the Renewable Energy Council

    Kamon Iizumi graduated from the Faculty of Law at Tokyo University in March 1984 and joined the Ministry of Home Affairs in April of the same year. He served as the head of the Local Public Finance Division of Yamanashi Prefecture and of Saitama Prefecture in 1993 and 1995, respectively. He was appointed various positions such as the Head of the Regional ICT Project Promotion Office in the Communications Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and as the Planning Director for Local Tax in the Policy Planning Division within the Local Tax Bureau at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. From 2001, he served as the Head of the Commerce, Industry and Labour Department and as the Head of the Environment and Citizens’ Affairs Department at the Tokushima Prefectural Government. In May 2003, he was elected as the Governor of Tokushima Prefecture and is currently serving his fourth term in office. Since 2013, he has been acting as chair of the Renewable Energy Council.

    Notable Positions
    Deputy Main Office Head of the Regional Revitalization Initiatives Headquarter for the National Governors’ AssociationTeam Leader of the ICT Promotion Project for the National Governors’ Association
    Member of the Governors’ Alliance for Supporting the Future Generation for the Revitalization of Japan

  • Daisaku Kadokawa
    Mayor of Kyoto City
    Chairperson of the GDC Renewable Energy Council

    After graduating from the evening course of the Faculty of Law, Ritsumeikan University in 1974, Daisaku Kadokawa served in various posts with the Kyoto City Board of Education, eventually becoming its Education Director. He was elected Mayor of Kyoto City in 2008 and is currently serving his third term in office. Since 2015, Mr. Kadokawa has been one of the expert members of a subcommittee of the Cabinet’s Education Rebuilding Implementation Council and he holds positions with a number of other government advisory bodies, including serving as a temporary member of the Central Council for Education of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and as Education Rebuilding Implementation Advisor. In addition, he holds a wide range of other posts, including being a managing member of the 7th scout troop of Kyoto, Scout Association of Japan (since 1993); Chairperson of the League of Historical Cities (since 2008); advisor to the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry (since 2008); advisor to the Kyoto UNESCO Association (since 2008); Vice President of the Mayors Association of Designated Cities (since 2009); member of the Kyoto University Administrative Counci l (since 2010); Chairman of Japan Cultural Heritage Regional Cooperative Association (since 2011); Chairperson of the GDC Renewable Energy Council (since 2011); and Chairman of the Society for the Promotion of Kyoto Scout Association (since 2016). He is also a member of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change.

    *GDC: government-decreed cities

  • Hiroshi Takahashi
    Professor, Tsuru University
    Senior Research Fellow, Renewable Energy Institute

    Hiroshi Takahashi specializes in electricity system reform, public policy and local autonomy. He has actively been participating in the policy formation of Japan’s electricity system reform and renewable energy deployment as a Member of Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy as well as Special Advisor to the Cabinet Office. He obtained doctoral degree from the University of Tokyo and master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and currently serves as Professor at Tsuru University. His former career includes Product Planner at Sony Corporation, Deputy Director at IT Policy Office of Cabinet Secretariat, Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo, and Research Fellow at Fujitsu Research Institute.

    He is the author of “Market Liberalization of Electric Utilities” published by Nihon Keizai Shinbun Shuppan-sha.

External Links

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  • 自然エネルギー協議会
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