Japan Renewable Energy Foundation Symposium German Energiewende How Germany Leads The Global Renewable Energy Expansion Speakers

Japan Renewable Energy Foundation Symposium
German Energiewende
How Germany Leads The Global Renewable Energy Expansion Speakers

Kimio Yamaka

President, Institute of Energy Strategy

Mr. Yamaka joined the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) after graduating from the Faculty of Economics, the University of Tokyo in 1980. In the DBJ, he became the division chief (in charge of electric power) in the Environment & Energy Department in 1999, and the deputy head of the Environment & Energy Department in 2004. He worked for the Japan Foundation for Regional Vitalization from 2005 as head of the Development Department and Research Department, and deputy director general of the Research Department. He has been the senior advisor of the DBJ and the president of the Institute of Energy Strategy since 2009.
He served as a member of the Global Environment Subcommittee in the Planning Committee of the Council of Food, Agriculture and Rural Area Policies and the Yamagata Prefectural General Policy Council, and served as the general energy advisor for Yamagata Prefecture. His publications include “The Truth of Renewable Energy” (Energy Forum, 2013) and “Obama’s Green New Deal” (Nikkei Publishing Inc., 2009). He regularly writes a column for Nikkei Business Online. He currently teaches at Tohoku University of Community Service and Science and Kyoto University as a project professor.
Klaus von Sengbusch

Head of the Department of Energy Economics, 50Hertz Transmission GmbH

Dr. von Sengbusch studied electrical engineering from 1992 to 1997 at Aachen University. In 2001 he received his PhD in the field of automated network expansion planning at the Institute of Power Systems and Power Economics in Aachen. From 2003 to 2006 he was head of software development at FGH e.V. He then worked at ABB until September 2011 in various positions, most recently as head of business development Smart Grid. Since October 2011 he has been heading the department of energy economics at 50Hertz.
Hiroshi Takahashi

Research Fellow
Fujitsu Research Institute

Dr. Takahashi specializes in energy policy with focus on power market liberalization, grid unbundling, renewable energy and smart grid. He has been actively participating in policy formation 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. His former career includes a product planner at Sony Corporation, Deputy Director at IT Policy Office of Cabinet Secretariat, and Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo. He is the author of “Market Liberalization of Electric Utilities” published by Nihon Keizai Shinbun Shuppan-sha.
Tomas Kåberger

Chair of Executive Board, Japan Renewable Energy Foundation
Professor, Chalmers University, Sweden

Currently he spends a quarter of his time in Japan as Executive Board Chairman of the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation. Academically, Tomas Kåberger 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.
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 if Industrifonden, an industrial investment foundation. Politically, he has served on board of Swedish and European Environmental Citizen’s organizations, several Swedish Government Commit tees 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.
Takejiro Sueyoshi

Vice-Chair of Executive Board, Japan Renewable Energy Foundation

Takejiro Sueyoshi was born on January 3, 1945 in Kagoshima, Japan.
After graduating from Tokyo University, he joined the Mitsubishi Bank (the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ) 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. He is a Trustee member of Carbon Disclosure Project. He was a member of the Council for Japan’s Prime Minister on Climate Change Policy.
His publications includes “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).
Mika Ohbayashi

Director, Japan Renewable Energy Foundation

Ms.Ohbayashi is a founding member and Director at Japan Renewable Energy Foundation since August 2011. Before joining the foundation, Ms. Ohbayashi worked for International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as Policy and Project Regional Manager for Asia Oceania, which HQ is based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from April 2010 to Aug 2011. She served as Deputy Director at Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies for 8 years since its establishment in 2000. She also worked for UKFCO at the British Embassy to Japan, as Advisor for Climate Change Projects and Policies before joining IRENA. She started her carrier in the energy field by joining Citizens' Nuclear Information Center in 1992, after some years work experience. She coordinates many scientific study projects, takes leadership to team up various networks including national parliamentarians and local authorities, domestically and internationally to improve sustainable energy society.