Speakers Profile REvision2023Overcoming the Energy Crisis with Renewables

8 March 2023

in Japanese

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  • FrancescoLaCamera
    Director General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) 
    Francesco La Camera took office on 4 April 2019 and brings more than thirty years of experience in the fields of climate, sustainability, and international cooperation.
    In his role, he is responsible for leading the delivery of IRENA’s work programme and strategy in cooperation with the Agency’s member states. At a critical time for climate change and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, he is tasked with redefining the structure and operations of the Agency in response to the urgent needs of its members.  
    Under his leadership, the Agency has forged a series of new strategic partnerships with UN organisations including UNDP, UNFCCC and Green Climate Fund among others. A key priority of his tenure is to implement a more action-oriented approach to the Agency’s work.  
    Previously, he served as Director-General of Sustainable Development, Environmental Damage, EU and International Affairs at the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land & Sea  since 2014. In this capacity, he developed cooperation and partnership agreements with a wide range of countries.
    As the national coordinator for climate, environment, resource efficiency and circular economy, he led the Italian delegation to UNFCCC’s COP 21 to 24 and the EU Presidency at COP 20. He was also responsible for the preparation and organisation of Italy’s G7 Environment Presidency in 2017.
  • Patrick Graichen
    State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), Germany
    Patrick Graichen began his career in public service at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, first as an officer in the Division for International Climate Protection, then as Personal Assistant to a State Secretary, and subsequently as Head of Division for Climate and Energy Policy. During this time, he played a leading role in negotiating the economic instruments of the Kyoto Protocol, the Federal Government's 2007 Integrated Energy and Climate Programme, the EU's 2008 Climate and Energy Package, and legislative procedures in the field of energy law.
    From 2012, Graichen was instrumental in setting up the think tank Agora Energiewende, taking on the roles of Executive Director and Managing Director from 2014 until his move to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. He has been a State Secretary at the ministry since 15 December 2021 and is responsible for energy and climate policy.
  • Amory B. Lovins
    Cofounder and Chairman Emeritus, Rocky Mountain Institute / Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Scholar, Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University
    For nearly five decades, Amory B. Lovins has been advising firms and governments about the nexus of energy, resources, environment, development, and security in more than 70 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 700 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, Foreign Policy and one of the 100 top global thinkers. He is a former Oxford don, an honorary US architect, and a Swedish engineering academician, and has received twelve honorary doctorates. His 31st book with a large RMI team, Reinventing Fire (2011, also in Japanese), roadmaps how to eliminate U.S. oil, coal, and nuclear power by 2050 and save $5 trillion, led by business for profit.
    In 2013–16 he co-led a similarly rigorous and surprising roadmapping of China’s energy transformation for the National Development and Reform Commission, helping to inform the 13th Five Year Plan. He then helped the Government of India launch the transformation to shared, connected, and electric mobility. In 2016, the President of Germany awarded him that nation’s highest civilian honor for helping inspire and guide its energy transition.
    Since 2020 he has been teaching half-time at Stanford on energy and integrative design—a way to make the energy efficiency resource severalfold larger, yet cheaper, by optimizing buildings, factories, and vehicles as whole systems.
  • Dörte Fouquet
    Lawyer/Partner, Becker Büttner Held
    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.
  • Peter Markussen
    Senior Director, Associated Activities, Energinet
    Peter Markussen is Senior Director at Energinet, the state owned Danish Transmission and System Operator. Peter focuses on international cooperation and sharing of Danish experience with integration of renewable energy to accelerate the global green transition. Peter Markussen has more than 20 years of experience with the energy sector in Northern Europe and has deep insights on electricity markets and energy system development. Before his employment at Energinet, he has hold different management positions at a Danish electricity generator. His educational background is a masters degree in political science.
  • Steinar Berge
    Head of Floating Offshore Wind, Equinor
    Steinar Berge is Head of Floating Offshore Wind at Equinor with a global responsibility for accelerating floating offshore wind. He has more than 15 years’ experience within the energy-industry holding positions within projects, supply chain and business development at Equinor. He was part of the Hywind Demo project team which installed the world’s first full scale floating offshore wind turbine off the Norwegian coast in 2009, and is now a director board member of Hywind Scotland Ltd which has been operating the world’s first floating offshore wind farm successfully for more than 5 years. Berge holds a Master in Project Management from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
  • Hiroko Kuniya
    Journalist
    From 1989 to 1993, Hiroko Kuniya was assigned as an anchor of “World News” on NHK BS. She hosted “Close-up Gendai”, a daily current affairs program on NHK-TV from 1993 to 2016. She is a Trustee of Tokyo University of the Arts, Project Professor at Keio University Graduate School, FAO National Goodwill Ambassador for Japan and worked as a journalist covering topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
    Awarded Broadcast Woman Prize in 1998, Kan KIKUCHI Award in 2002, Japan National Press Club Prize in 2011 and Galaxy Special Prize in 2016. She graduated from Brown University, US.
  • Jen Carson
    Head of Industry, Climate Group

    Jen Carson is Head of Industry at Climate Group leading the programme strategy and growth of our SteelZero and ConcreteZero initiatives. Jen brings her decade long experience of working in the sustainability sector to accelerating the decarbonisation of heavy industries.
    She joined the Climate Group in 2021 as Senior Manager for Industry, following her role as Associate at Delta-EE where she was based in Australia and led research on the country’s energy market. Prior to this, Jen held a variety of roles at Delta-EE, where she created the organisation’s first cross-technology research service and provided in depth market analysis on a range of areas.
    Jen started her career in a variety of consultancy and analysis roles at The Carbon Trust, Dunelm Energy and Kier Group. She holds a Masters in Carbon Management and a BSc in Geography from The University of Edinburgh, and is a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and Member of the Energy Institute (MEI).
  • Monica Richter
    Senior Manager, Low Carbon Futures WWF Australia / Project Director, Materials and Embodied Carbon Leaders’ Alliance (MECLA) / Advisor and Collaboration Partner, Business Renewables Centre-Australia
    Monica Richter is an economist and social ecologist with extensive experience in environmental sustainability with an interest in the role of business in accelerating the uptake of low and zero carbon solutions.  
    Recent career highlights include establishing the Materials and Embodied Carbon Leaders’ Alliance, with over 140 companies and organisations agreeing to collaborate to reduce the embodied carbon in the construction and infrastructure sectors to align with the Paris Agreement objectives and the principles of the circular economy. Other highlights include establishing the Business Renewable Centre Australia driving large scale renewable projects through Power Purchase Agreements, deep engagement in WWF’s Panda Labs innovation program, and supporting the Science Based Targets Initiative in Australia, getting companies to set ambitious long term greenhouse gas emission reduction targets aligned with a 1.5oC pathway.  She also chairs an alliance of think tanks and civil society organisations across Japan, Korea and Australia supporting the decarbonisation of the steel sector.
    Monica is a thought leader and has been invited to participate in many forums and conferences as both a speaker and a chair. Monica is a graduate of the Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia Program; Future Directors Institute program, a Board Member of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, Chair of the External Advisory Board of the Western Sydney University’s Urban Transformation Research Centre, Chair of the Mercury Centre collaborative enterprise catalyst, and board member of Pingala community power, and on the Women in Renewables list published by the Clean Energy Council.
  • Yu Yamamoto
    General Manager, Sustainability Promotion Department, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
    Yu Yamamoto joined Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. in 1994. After working on the purchase of development sites for office buildings, income-generating properties for REITs and fundraising in the corporate finance department, he was in charge of redevelopment projects, mainly in the Nihonbashi area since 2015. From October 2021, as General Manager of Sustainability Promotion Department, he has been promoting ESG throughout the company, in particular "Group Action Plan to Realize Decarbonized Society" formulated in November 2021. 
         
  • Sergio Shigeo Kato
    Co-Representative, Japan Climate Initiative (JCI)  
    As General Manager of the Sustainability Management Division, Kato drove Ricoh Company, Ltd. to become the first company in Japan to join RE100 in April 2018. While working to solve social issues related to climate change across companies and industries in Japan, he held roles as Co-Chair of the Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP), was Board Member of the World Environment Center (WEC) and Board Member of Global Compact Network Japan (GCNJ). Together with Takejiro Sueyoshi, he advocated for creating a network of non-state actors in Japan, and contributed to the establishment of Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) in July 2018. He serves as a co-representative of JCI since March 2023.
  • Fabby Tumiwa
    Executive Director, Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR)
    Fabby Tumiwa is an energy transition strategist and the Executive Director of Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR). IESR is an Indonesia think tank in energy policy and environment that advocates for the low carbon energy transition in Indonesia. Fabby has experienced more than 20 years in energy policy and regulation and is a renewable energy practitioner. He advises Indonesian government agencies, businesses, and NGOs, multilateral development organizations on electricity, renewable energy and energy efficiency, energy finance, and climate change policies. From 2006 to 2018, he was a member of the international climate change negotiation team of Indonesia, and the board member of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) from 2011 to 2015.
  • Sara Jane Ahmed
    Finance Advisor, Vulnerable 20 Group of Finance Ministers (V20) / Member of the Board of Directors, The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)
    Sara Jane Ahmed is the Founder of the Financial Futures Center (FFC) hosted in Aroha. She serves as a Finance Advisor to the Vulnerable Group of Twenty (V20) Ministers of Finance.
    She is also a member of the Task Force on Climate, Development and the IMF, the board of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and the advisory board of various institutions including the Global Renewables Congress and Climate Smart Ventures. She provides advisory support to governments and relevant partners on the energy transition and financial protection strategies. She was previously an energy finance analyst for IEEFA covering the Philippines market and an investment advisor for private equity groups specializing in originating and structuring energy opportunities. She received the 2021 Climate Breakthrough Project award. She holds an MS in Finance from the Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester, BA in Economics and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (L.H.D) from Knox College.
  • Kartikeya Singh
    Global Energy Futures Initiative Director, Climate Imperative Foundation
    Kartikeya Singh is Director, Global Energy Futures Initiative at the Climate Imperative Foundation where he manages the portfolio to support energy transition efforts around the world. To inform his strategies, he leverages his extensive experience being in or engaging with government, research institutions, intergovernmental organizations, civil society and industries in the sustainable development sector. He has travelled from the Arctic to the Antarctic, exploring the challenges of energy geopolitics in a changing climate.
    Kartikeya received his B.S. in ecology and sustainable development, his M.E.Sc. from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and his Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
  • Rebecca Williams
    Global Head of Offshore Wind, Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC)
    Rebecca Williams is a renewable energy, climate change and energy transition expert, and thought leader. Rebecca works for the Global Wind Energy Council, an international organisation representing the global wind industry to the world's leading political and economic institutions UN & UNFCCC, WEF, IMF, World Bank and more. Her role is to promote and facilitate the rapid acceleration of offshore wind globally, working with and advising governments and other key stakeholders in Asia-Pacific, MENA, Europe and Central Asia and the Americas. She works to create the right market, policy and regulatory frameworks for offshore wind to thrive, and leads all GWEC's offshore wind facing work, including the Global Offshore Wind Alliance. Prior to her role at GWEC, she worked for RenewableUK, and was responsible for achieving landmark policy and regulatory changes in the UK market, as well as contributing to the establishment of the UK's highly successful offshore wind sector. She has also held roles in major international NGOs, and the UK parliament. 
  • Nathalie Oosterlinck
    Executive Officer, Head of Global Offshore Wind, Renewable Energy & Overseas Power Development Division JERA Co., Inc.
    Nathalie Oosterlinck has more than 20 years of experience in business development and general management in the renewable energy field, and has been involved in the offshore wind business since 2012. As Global Head of JERA's offshore wind power business, she is responsible for leading the development of strategies and projects for JERA's offshore wind business in Japan and overseas. She is contributing to develop offshore wind power in parallel with renewable projects associated with new technology such as hydrogen and ammonia to ensure growth of the renewable energy business in JERA. While JERA is now focusing to accumulate knowledge through involvement in offshore wind projects in different phases, her responsibility is to also find optimal partner to operate high-quality projects in Japan and around the world.
  • Henriette Holm
    Country Manager, Ørsted Japan K.K.
    Henriette Holm joined Ørsted in 1996 after working for an engineering-related consulting firm in the Philippines. During her years in Ørsted, she has been responsible for market development in Scandinavia, the UK OFTO transactions (UK Government regulated sale of offshore wind transmission assets when built by Ørsted to independent transmission owners) and other M&A transactions, asset management of Hornsea 1 and 2, the world’s largest offshore wind farms, as Commercial Director during the construction phase and for assets in Taiwan and the US. In 2020, she was appointed Head of UK Project Development and Programmes initially as Senior Director and from 2022 as Vice President, leading a pipeline of offshore wind development projects including Hornsea 3 and 4 and Ørsted’s first floating project Stromar. From January 2023, she serves as Country Manager of Ørsted Japan, responsible for the company's business in Japan, where offshore wind is gaining momentum. 
  • Hiroo Inoue
    Director-General, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
    As Director-General for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department since July 2022, Hiroo Inoue oversees the agency's mission on the policymaking for renewable energy, hydrogen strategy, fuel-cell promotion, battery innovation, micro-grid management and energy efficiency. He has extensive experience working in various departments related to environmental issues since joining the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 1994. From 2012 to 2015,  he was appointed Director for Nuclear Energy in the Cabinet Office. From 2015 to 2017, he served as Director of Industrial Revitalization Division in METI. After that until 2020, he was Chief for both the Japan Machinery Center for Trade and Investment Brussels Office and JETRO Brussels. After returning to Japan, he was appointed Director for Policy Planning and Coordination Division, Minister's Secretariat in METI and was engaged in this role until 2022.
  • Jin Kato
    President, Japan Wind Power Association (JWPA)
    Jin Kato joined Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Ltd. (MHI) in April 1977 and forged a career centered on Power Systems. In 2006 he became General Manager, Power Systems, in the Administration Department of Power Systems Headquarters, moving in 2008 to the position of General Manager in the Sustainability Energy & Environment Strategic Planning Department. After a period in 2011 as Deputy Head of Power Systems, in 2013 he was appointed Deputy Head of Power Systems, Senior General Manager, Wind Turbine Business Division. In 2014 he becameco-CEOat MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S,thenin 2017 Vice Chairman of MHI Insurance Services, Ltd., and later in the same year he was appointed Vice Chairman of Japan Wind Development Co, Ltd.
  • Tomas Kåberger
    Chair of Executive Board, Renewable Energy Institute
    Tomas Kåberger has been the Chair of Executive Board of Renewable Energy Institute since its foundation in 2011. 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 affiliate Professor of Industrial Energy Policy at Chalmers University of Technology.
    Industrially, he has had leading roles in companies providing fuels and technology in the bio-energy industry, another company developing sustainable energy solutions for the automotive industry, and a company operating wind power plants. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Vattenfall, and as Industrial Growth Executive of the European company InnEnergy.
    Politically, he has served on board of Swedish and European Environmental Citizen’s organizations, several Swedish Government Committees developing energy and environmental legislation, and China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development as a member of a task force on Low-Carbon Industrialization Strategies. From 2008 until 2011 he was Director General of the National Swedish Energy Agency. He was also a member of the Swedish Climate Policy Council between 2018 and 2021.
  • Takejiro Sueyoshi
    Vice-Chair of Executive Board, Renewable Energy Institute
    After graduating from University of Tokyo, Takejiro Sueyoshi joined the Mitsubishi Bank (MUFG Bank, Ltd.) in 1967 and worked for the bank until 1998. 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 in the Asia Pacific Region, he is giving many educational speeches about environmental problems and CSR/SRI in various government councils, seminars, universities and TV programs. Former member of the Council for Japan’s Prime Minister on Climate Change Policy, a Trustee member of Carbon Disclosure Project and Chairperson of WWF Japan since September 2018.
    His publications include “Ondanka Kogi (A lecture on Global Warming)” (Toyo Keizai), “Yugai Rensa (Chain of Harmfulness)” (Gentousha), “Green New Deal” (Editor,Kankyou Shinbun), “Saishin CSR Jijyo( The Newest Book on CSR)”(Hokuseido).
  • Teruyuki Ohno
    Executive Director, Renewable Energy Institute
    2Teruyuki Ohno joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2013. He has actively participated in the policy formation of Japan’s climate change measures as a member of the subcommittee of carbon pricing and others led by the Ministry of the Environment Japan. Before joining the Institute, he was Director General of the Bureau of Environment, Tokyo Metropolitan Government for three years, covering a broad range of environmental issues including energy, climate change, waste management, pollution control, natural environment, and sustainable development. His notable achievements include the “No Dirty Diesel Vehicle Strategy in Tokyo” which reduced the air pollution and PM emissions, and implementation of Japan’s first Cap-and-Trade Program in Tokyo in 2008, involving the industries and successfully building a grand consensus. His active leadership in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency led to the formation of the foundation of Tokyo’s energy policy. He also serves as part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo, Adviser for ICLEI Japan, Board Member of WWF Japan and Counselor to the Governor on Zero Emission Tokyo and Environmental Policy. He received the Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award from the California Air Resources Board in 2014. His publications include "Energy Strategies of Municipality Governments" (Iwanami, 2013, Japanese) among others.
  • Mika Ohbayashi
    Director, Renewable Energy Institute
    2Mika Ohbayashi is Director at Renewable Energy Institute since its foundation in August 2011. Before joining the Institute, from 2010 to 2011, she worked in Abu Dhabi for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as Policy and Project Regional Manager for Asia Oceania. Prior to that, she worked at the British Embassy to Japan as Climate Change Project Advisor from 2008 to 2009, and served as Director at the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies from 2000 to 2008. She started her career in the energy field by joining the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center in 1992. In 2017, she was awarded the ISES Global Leadership Award in Advancing Solar Energy Policy - in honour of Hermann Scheer by the International Solar Energy Society.
  • Masaya Ishida
    Senior Manager (Business Alliance), Renewable Energy Institute
    Masaya Ishida joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2017 to lead research on renewable energy deployment for business activities. He is responsible for organizing the Renewable Energy Users Network (RE-Users), a network of corporate energy users to accelerate renewable energy procurement, and the RE-Users Regional Alliance, a joint initiative with CDP-Worldwide Japan aiming to disseminate renewable energy development and procurement practices across local regions in Japan. He is a member of Technical Advisory Group at RE100 from September 2021.
    Prior to joining the Institute, he was Executive Producer at “Smart Japan,” a leading online media in Japan focusing on renewable energy deployment and electric power market reformation. He has held senior positions at several technology information media and internet businesses, including “EE Times Japan” and “Nikkei Computer.” He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Information Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology.
  •  Yuko Nishida
    Senior Manager (Climate Change), Renewable Energy Institute
    Yuko Nishida joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2017. She specializes in policy making of sustainable development in cities, sustainable architecture and urban planning. Before joining the Institute, she worked for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on climate policies and international environmental cooperation projects. She has collaborated with C40 cities, the global network of mega-cities committed to addressing climate change, and was responsible for compiling the publication of “Urban Efficiency,” a series of case studies on energy-saving measures for urban constructions. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Waseda University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
    At Renewable Energy Institute, she is responsible for medium to long-term strategy development and provides support for energy transition projects in the building sector as well as climate change measures for non-state actors such as local governments and the business sector.
  • Yuri Okubo
    Senior Researcher, Renewable Energy Institute
    Yuri Okubo joined the Institute in 2015 as Climate Change Policy Advisor to develop and implement the Institute’s strategy to promote renewable energy from the climate change policy perspectives. She started her career working for a NGO (CASA) in Japan and became a research assistant at the Department of Political Science of the University of Zurich where she was engaged in research projects on climate and sustainable development which were funded by the European Parliament, the German Federal Environment Agency and UK organizations. She joined the Foundation myclimate to set up its Japanese affiliation and support the global network. She obtained a master’s degree in International Relations at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies.
    At Renewable Energy Institute, she specializes on climate change policies in general and her research focuses on global and domestic coal power business policies and trends. She also takes the lead for joint studies with international organizations.。

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