[Speakers Profile] REvision2025: The Great Decarbonization Competition and Renewable Energy | Events

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Gauri Singh
Deputy Director-General, The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Gauri Singh is the Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency. She brings more than 30 years of experience in policy, advocacy and project implementation within the field of renewable energy and sustainable development from India and internationally.
Prior to joining IRENA, she worked within India’s federal government and at the apex level within provincial government. Federally, she was responsible for leading the development of the National Solar Mission of India policy in 2010, an early policy framework designed to drive solar power development across the country. At the Madhya Pradesh provincial Government, she steered rural development providing strategic planning and implementation guidance across the state for large initiatives. Her work involved poverty reduction and sustainable development within rural communities.
Previously, she was also Director of Country Support and Partnerships (CSP) at IRENA. She was responsible for regional and country level initiatives and for spearheading partnerships with regional energy and economic organizations.
Rebecca Williams
Deputy CEO, 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.
Xavier Daval
Board Director, Global Solar Council / Vice President, SER (Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables)

Xavier Daval is an expert in solar energy and a prominent leader in the renewable energy sector. He is the Vice President of SER (Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables, the French Renewable Energy Trade Association) and a Board Director of the Global Solar Council (GSC), actively shaping solar policy and industry developments worldwide.
Daval is also the Founder and CEO of KiloWattsol, France’s first independent Solar Technical Advisory firm, specializing in PV project development, manufacturing, and finance. Before this, he served as EMEA Director for a NYSE-listed electronics company.
Academically, he holds a Master’s in Electronics from the University of Lyon and teaches as an Associate Professor at Lyon-1 University and ENTPE Engineering School, as well as a Guest Lecturer at EM-Lyon Business School.
Recognized as a key voice in the solar industry, he frequently delivers keynote speeches, provides expert commentary in the media, and plays a vital role in advancing the global renewable energy transition.
Dimitri Pescia
Director Power System Transformation, Agora Energiewende

Dimitri Pescia is Director Power System Transformation at Agora Energiewende. He leads Agora’s work on the transition towards zero-emissions power systems across the different geographies in which Agora is active. Dimitri has been working for Agora Energiewende since December 2013.
Previously, he held positions at the French Department of Economic Affairs and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he contributed to strengthening French-German bilateral cooperation on energy, environmental, and industrial policies. His work has centered around research and policy proposals related to the transformation of energy systems in Germany, Europe, and Asia. Specifically, he focused on renewable energy integration in power systems, market design, and the formulation of long-term policy roadmaps toward achieving net-zero emissions.
As a native French speaker, Dimitri Pescia holds a Master of Science in Physics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and an International Diploma in Physics from Imperial College London.
Jun Kato
Manager, Promoting Partnership Division, Planning Department, City of Ishikari

Jun Kato graduated from the Otaru University of Commerce in March 1998 and joined the municipal office of Ishikari City in April 1999. After being seconded to Sapporo City and the Ishikari Bay New Port Management Association, he has been in his current position since April 2022. He was involved in the tourism, port promotion and business attraction departments, focusing on industry and city promotion. To attract business to the region, he is leading efforts to introduce renewable energy to data centres and commercial facilities. Member of the Hokkaido Digital Infrastructure Promotion Study Council and the planning committee for the Municipal DX Forum organised by Nikkei BP Government Technology.
Shoji Numata
CEO, Machiokoshi Energy

Founder of the Gyomu Super. He opened his first food supermarket in 1981 and launched the first Gyomu Super supermarket franchise store in 2000. Over the years, the business has expanded its operations to include a restaurant business and more than 20 food factories across Japan. The company has built one of the largest integrated production and distribution operations in the country and is currently expanding into the sixth industry and renewable energy sector. As of November 2024, the company operates 1,089 stores nationwide.
In 2012, he transferred the presidency to his eldest son Hirokazu and served as CEO until 2017.
In 2016, he launched the Machiokoshi Energy in the city of Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, with the aim of improving food and energy self-sufficiency, challenges currently facing Japan.
Keiko Omori
Director-General for Regional Decarbonization Policy, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan

Joined the Environment Agency (now Ministry of the Environment) in 1990. She has been involved in developing the Basic Environment Law, environmental taxes, environmental white papers, handling of the Minamata disease, promotion of the 3R policy and the operation of the environmental assessment system. After serving as director of the Kanto Regional Environment Office and as Director-General for Policy Coordination, she was appointed to her current position in July 2024. She is currently in charge of supporting measures to achieve regional decarbonization and solve regional challenges, including the selection of Decarbonization Leading Areas and their implementation. She holds a PhD in Economics from Kyoto University.
Toru Morotomi
Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Kyoto University

Toru Morotomi graduated from Doshisha University with a B.A. in Economics in 1993, and completed the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University in 1998. He has been associate professor at the Faculty of Economics in Yokohama National University, and at the Graduate School of Economics, the School of Government, and at the Graduate School of Economics in Kyoto University before assuming his current position in March 2010.
His major publications include "Theory and Practice of Environmental Taxes" (Yuhikaku, 2000), "Environment: Frontier of Thinking" (Iwanami Shoten, 2003) among others on tax and economy. He is co-author of "Road to Low Carbon Economy" (Iwanami Shinsho, 2010), "Decarbonizing Society and Policy Mix" (Nippon Hyoron Sha, 2010), "Japanese Electricity Market Liberalization and Renewable Energy" (Nippon Hyoron Sha, editor and author, 2015), "Renewable Energy and Regional Development" (Nippon Hyoron Sha, editor and author, 2015), "An Introductory Guide to to Renewable Energy and the Electric Power System” (Nippon Hyoron Sha, editor and author, 2019), among others.
He has served on numerous government and municipal committees, as ad-hoc member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy," member of the Ministry of the Environment's joint subcommittee of the Central Environment Council's “Experts Committee on Environmental Taxation," member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Environment Council," member of the Ministry of the Environment's "Experts Committee on Policy Design of Domestic Emissions Trading System," member of the Asahi Shimbun's "Book Review Committee," an ad-hoc member of the Ministry of the Environment's "Central Environment Council," and a member of the Cabinet Secretariat’s Carbon Pricing Expert Working Group.
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, a Specially Appointed Professor of Keio University Graduate School, FAO National Goodwill Ambassador for Japan and works 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.
Russell Cato
Managing Director, Siemens Energy / Managing Director, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy

With deep knowledge and expertise in change management, business improvement, project management and sales within a number of industries, such as Renewables, Oil and Gas, Fossil Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution and Mining, Russell was appointed as Japan Country Manager of Siemens Gamesa in November 2019, and Managing Director of Siemens Energy in January 2025.
In the business environment that organizations are constantly evolving, Russell has been successful as a senior executive by leading to embrace change and improvement under his strong leadership and achieving growth in the difficult environment for large complex multinationals. He has over 20 years of experience in fields such as Wind Power and Renewables, Power and Gas and Heavy Industries Machinery, mainly in the Australian and Japanese markets.
Masato Yamada
CEO, MHI Vestas Japan

After working in sales and business development of large-scale thermal power plants and wind turbines in Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (MHI), he moved to Denmark in 2014, assigned as a Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind (MVOW), when the company was jointly established by MHI and Vestas Wind Systems. He was overseeing the company strategy, Marketing and Communications, and public affairs for six years. He returned to Japan to serve as Vice President, Regional Manager of Asia Pacific in April 2020. In February 2021, he was appointed to the current position following the establishment of MHI Vestas Japan Co., Ltd., the sole distributor of Vestas. Since June 2020, he has served as Senior Vice President of the Japan Wind Power Association (JWPA).
Fumiyo Harada
Managing Executive Officer, Development Bank of Japan

Fumiyo Harada serves as Managing Executive Officer at the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ), and is primarily responsible for DBJ’s investment strategies for GX (Green Transformation), the Japanese government initiatives to balance both carbon neutrality and economic growth. She has been involved in the Japanese government policy making process for energy by sitting on several government committees as a specialist of infrastructure/energy finance, such as offshore wind power, hydrogen, CCUS and battery sectors. Prior to the current position, she worked as Managing Director of the department for Energy Finance as well as Head of Sustainability Management Office of DBJ. She also had been seconded to Infrastructure and Natural Resource Department (East Asia) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank as a Senior Investment Officer.
Tsutomu Yokoyama
Executive Officer, Senior General Manager of Green Business Group, NYK Line

Tsutomu Yokoyama is an Executive Officer and also Senior General Manager of the Green Business Group at NYK. He is responsible for the development of business-related decarbonization / lower emission activities, especially in the areas of offshore wind power generation, zero emission supply chains such as hydrogen and ammonia, CCS, as well as liquified CO₂transportation and LNG as marine fuel supply business.
Since 1993, he has accumulated over 30 years of experience in various divisions, including LNG carriers, automotive ocean transportation, port infrastructure development, IT, and more. From 2014 to 2018, he served in the London Office, overseeing the automotive transportation business. Since 2018, has has been in charge of the current jurisdiction at NYK.
Julia Metz
Director, Agora Industry

Julia Metz is Director of Agora Industry. She leads Agora’s work on the transition towards a climate-neutral industry across the different geographies in which Agora is active. Prior to this, she was Programme Lead at Agora Industry and Agora Energiewende and headed a team on Climate and Industrial Policy.
Before joining Agora, Julia worked on energy and climate policy at the Climate Neutrality Foundation (Stiftung Klimaneutralität), the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), and the German Bundestag. From 2008 to 2014, she conducted research on European policy-making at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB). Julia Metz studied political science and economics in Heidelberg and Stockholm and completed her PhD on European politics at the Otto Suhr Institute of Freie Universität Berlin.
Sameen Khan
Senior Manager, Steel, Climate Group

Sameen Khan is Senior Manager, Steel at Climate Group leading the global SteelZero initiative that brings together leading organizations sending a clear market signal to speed up the transition to a net zero steel industry. In this role, she supports global steel buying businesses to make net zero steel procurement decisions through an ambitious SteelZero commitment, contributes to the development net zero steel standards, and is involved in working groups and forums with a global network of international and multi-lateral organizations, think tanks, NGOs and governments working collectively towards decarbonising the steel industry.
Previously, Sameen managed multi-million funding schemes to support the roll-out of energy efficiency and heat decarbonization projects across the UK public sector buildings.
Hitoshi Dohnomae
General Manager, Environmental Planning Division, Nippon Steel

Hitoshi Dohnomae has been General Manager, Environmental Planning Division of Nippon Steel and Chair of International Environmental Strategic Committee of Japan Iron and Steel Federation since 2019. He joined Nippon Steel and was assigned to a researcher in Advanced Technology Research Laboratories in 1988. He was Head of the Environment Research Laboratory in 2015. Since 2019, he has been in charge of global environmental affairs at Nippon Steel. He received a master's degree in chemistry from the Faculty of Science, Kyoto University in 1988, Doctor of Science from Kyoto University in 1993, and Professional Engineer, Japan (Applied Science) in 2013.
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. Currently he serves on the board of Persson Invest, a company building wind and solar plants and a retailer of cars, trucks and busses; increasingly electric. He is also the Chairman of the Swedish Delegation for a Circular Economy.
He has served as Director General of the National Swedish Energy Agency, Board of Director of the power company Vattenfall, and as member of the Swedish Climate Policy Council.
Other key positions he has held include board of the Swedish and European environmental citizens organizations, government committees and commissions on energy and environmental policy in Sweden, as well as member task forces under China International Council for Cooperation on Environment and Development.
He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Swedish Society of Energy Economists.
Teruyuki Ohno
Executive Director, Renewable Energy Institute

Teruyuki 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 national and local governments' committees. 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 is also a Board Member of WWF Japan. 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

Mika 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.
Yuko Nishida
Senior Manager, Climate Change

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.
Kae Takase
Senior Manager, Climate Change

Kae Takase joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2023. Previously she was Associate Director at CDP Worldwide-Japan, where she was responsible for helping Japanese companies and investors to set science-based targets (SBT), procure renewable electricity (RE100), and disclose TCFD-aligned sustainability information. She worked as a modelling analyst at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth, and Center for Low Carbon Society Strategy under the Japan Science and Technology Agency, built and ran Integrated Assessment Model for Climate Change, Computable General Equilibrium Model, Econometric Model, Energy System Model, bottom-up model for the energy system. She also initiated and conducted pilot projects for 'Pay as You Save' scheme for solar power and other energy efficiency improvement measures in several municipalities. She graduated from Keio University (B.A., M.A.) and the University of Tokyo (PhD). She has also spent a year in Yongin University in South Korea to devote herself to taekwondo and take a break from research.

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Speakers Profile REvision2025 The Great Decarbonization Competition and Renewable Energy

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