Amjad Abdulla

Mr. Amjad Abdulla is the Head of Partnership at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Prior to his appointment at IRENA, he served as the Director General, Climate Change and multidisciplinary team leader at Ministry of Environment of the Maldives. He has also served in Climate, Renewable Energy and Environment portfolios at the Government of Maldives since1996 as well as other international organizations.

Mr. Abdulla has extensive experience in multilateral negotiations and has been the, Chief Negotiator for Small Islands (SIDS) from 2015-2018, Chair of Least Developed Countries(LDCs) from 2007-2008 and lead negotiator for the Maldives to the UNFCCC since 2001.

Mr. Abdulla has served at various Boards, Committees both locally and internationally, including: Bureau Member and Vice-Chair of Working Group III of IPCC AR6, Vice Chair WG II of IPCC for AR5, Member (Alt) of Green Climate Fund (GCF) board, , Member of Adaptation Committee), Member of CDM Executive Board, Member of the Adaptation Fund Board), Chair and Vice-Chair of SBSTA), a member of Enforcement Branch of Kyoto Compliance Committee under UNFCCC.

Mr. Abdulla is also the author and contributing author to several reports of high international and national significance including the reports of IPCC.

Amani Alfarra

Dr. Amani Alfarra is a water officer at FAO in the Land and Water Division. Dr. Alfarra has more than 20 years of substantive expertise in natural resources management, focused on river basin/ Transboundary River and coastal zone management. My specialized fields include water-based strategies and actions for climate change adaptation, including applying Nature-Based Solutions. During COP24, her NBS publication “NBS for agricultural water management and food security” was successfully launched and recognized by UNDESA. The publication focuses on enhancing the availability and quality of water for productive purposes and human consumption using NBS, an integrated approach for sustainable natural resources management with a focus on investments. NBS has become the third pillar of adaptation to climate change.
Dr. Alfarra has extensive experience in working with managerial and policy issues in the field of natural resources management at the country, regional and global levels.

Ben Backwell

Ben Backwell is a leading commentator and strategist in the renewable energy sector. Prior to joining GWEC, he was a Managing Director at FTI Consulting, one of the world’s largest advisory firms, advising companies in the clean energy sector on strategy, communications, and government affairs, including work on a number of major M&A transactions.

Previously, Ben worked as a journalist and analyst for 20 years, covering energy policy and markets around the world. He helped design the SolutionWind campaign for the European Wind Energy Association (now WindEurope) ahead of COP21 in 2015, before joining FTI Consulting. He has taken part in the work of a number of industry organizations, including the board of GWEC, the IRENA Business and Investor Group, the IEA’s Renewable Energy Industry Advisory Board, Solar Power Europe, and others.

Ben is the author of two books on the wind industry as well as a number of reports and white papers on power markets and policy frameworks. His book Wind Power, the struggle for control of a new global industry,” has been described as the “definitive” story of the global wind industry.

He holds an MSc in Political Science from the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of London and speaks Spanish and Portuguese as well as his native English.

About the Global Wind Energy Council

GWEC is a member-based organisation that represents the entire wind energy sector. The members of GWEC represent over 1,500 companies, organisations and institutions in more than 80 countries, including manufacturers, developers, component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, electricity providers, finance and insurance companies.

GWEC works at the highest international political level to create a better policy environment for wind power. GWEC and its members are active all over the world, educating local and national governments and international agencies about the benefits of wind power.
Learn more at www.gwec.net.

Melissa Backwell

Joseph Borg

Joseph Borg is presently the President of INSULEUR. He was born on the 3rd December 1960. Throughout the years Mr Borg has held several executive positions, including director with Francis X Borg Co. Ltd., and managing director of the same firm, the family-owned furniture manufacturing company. He also served as a Chairman of Gozo Channel Co. Ltd. and is presently a board member on the newly set up Gozo Regional Development Authority.

Joseph Borg has been actively involved within the Gozo Business Chamber since its inception. From October 2018 he became President of the same Chamber. He is also the Chairman of the Gozo Regional Committee which groups all stakeholders within the island of Gozo and represents the same Committee within the Malta Committee for Economic Social Development.

Mr Borg serves in a number of voluntary organisations in Gozo amongst others as director of the OASI Foundation. He is also a member of the Fondazione Centesimus Annus pro Pontifice.

Nidaa Botmi

Nidaa Botmi joined the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) in February 2020 to coordinate the REGIN Project, a European Project funded by the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, that involved 6 CPMR member regions (Azores, Campania, Catalonia, Murcia, Puglia and Skåne). She joined the CPMR Islands Commission in March 2022 as Project Officer, focusing on project follow-up and partnerships.

Kate Brown

Kate Brown is the Executive Director of the Global Island Partnership, a platform that enables island leaders and their supporters to take action to build resilient and sustainable island communities. Kate is a passionate advocate for islands. She is a valued and trusted international partnership and collaboration leader, with a unique ability to connect dots for issues and people. Kate has extensive experience in all island regions globally, and brings an extensive network of island leaders, blue sky thinkers and people dedicated to supporting islands.

Kate has experience working inside government, non-profits and intergovernmentally as well as a keen sense of the most important elements of the international policy setting space relevant to islands as well as what is needed for implementation to happen. A strategic thinker who is able to present clear ideas and set up the right conditions for collaboration to thrive. Kate is originally from New Zealand.

Maria Theresa C. Capellan

The rush to clean energy began in the Philippines in 2006 with the help of a woman who used solar energy to light 10,000 homes in the remote areas of the country.
Like many, she didn’t start out in the career she would later be famous for.
She completed her degree in Behavioral Sciences at a Catholic –run Maryknoll College, then completed her Master in International Development at Harvard University.
In 1990, she became the youngest and first woman to serve as Assistant Secretary in the Philippine Department of Agriculture for six (6) years. She became Undersecretary in 2002, a post she held for four years!
She migrated from agriculture to energy when she was appointed as Chief of Party for the rural electrification program of the USAID-funded AMORE. After lighting 10,000 homes in Southern Philippines, she joined SunEdison USA in 2010 as Country Advisor for the Philippines.

Gianni Chianetta

Gianni Chianetta is Founder & Director at Greening the Islands, CEO at The Green Consulting Group, Chairman Global Solar Council, Vice President and Head of International Affairs of Italia Solare, member of the Strategy Committee of Solar Power Europe and of the Steering Committee at Irena Coalition for Action.
He has been working the area of energy since 2003. He has been, Head of Comms & External Affairs at BP Italy, Managing Director at BP Solar Italy, founder and chairman of the first Italian Solar PV Industry Association for three consecutive terms when he negotiated the five Photovoltaic Energy Incentive Decrees (feed in-tariff) with the Italian Government, that has brought the installed capacity from about 35 MWp to more than 20 GWp.
He took part in the EU PV Legal Project to identify the gaps of the legislation in the EU countries for the development of solar PV. He has also chaired the National Committee for Solar Energy of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and founded the Global Network of National PV Associations in 2007, which has been the basis for the Global Solar Council.
He has a degree in Mechanical & Management Engineering and masters/seminars at: Middlesex University (London); Kellogg School of Management (Chicago); SDA Bocconi Milano (Milan); Istituto de Empresa (Madrid).

Jan Cornille

Jan Cornillie is an environmental economist, trained in London and Oxford. After two years at OXERA, he pursued a career in government, serving as chief of cabinet for various Belgian
ministers of Transport, Energy and Economy. Jan is a research associate at the School for Transnational Governance at the European University Institute, specialising in climate policy, energy markets and sustainable finance. Jan currently heads the Strategy & Policy team at 3E, a Brussels-based renewable energy technology company, helping customers to align their actions with 10-year developments in renewable energy. He leads the Clean energy for EU island secretariat, for which 3E is consortium leader, since 2021.

Enrique Rodriguez De Azero

Hugo de Jong

Hugo is a sustainable tourism professional with an MSc degree in Leisure, Tourism & Environment, and joined Green Destinations as Certification Manager in its founding year 2014. Prior, as project manager for the European Centre for Eco and Agro Tourism (ECEAT), he worked in the frame of EU-funded projects on the development of the Travelife certification scheme for Tour Operators; Sustainability Standards for activity providers and the establishment of the European Ecotourism Labelling Standard (EETLS).
Within Green Destinations, Hugo leads the Award & Certification Program; including recognition and accreditation procedures by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC); auditor training and recruitment.
Furthermore, Hugo executed several certification-related Destination Assessment missions, a.o. in the Dutch Caribbean (Bonaire, Saba, St Eustatius, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs); the Indonesian destinations of Toraja (Sulawesi) and Kelimutu (Flores).

Edita Dranseikaite

Edita Dranseikaite joined the European Commission in 2005 and is currently responsible for coordination of the Clean Energy for the EU Islands Initiative in the Directorate General for Energy. Before that, she worked as programme manager in the Directorate General for Regional Policy and Urban Development and a policy officer in the international team of Directorate General for Environment.

Before joining the Commission, Edita Dranseikaite worked as chief adviser in the Government Chancellery of Lithuania, and was a team member of the Chief Negotiator for Lithuania’s Accession to the EU. She also was teaching European integration and politics at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University. She holds a Master of European Studies degree from the Vilnius University, Lithuania.

Andrea Galliani

Andrea Galliani earned a degree in mechanical engineering, course of study in energy, at Politecnico university of Milan.
Since 2002 he works with the Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy Networks and Environment (ARERA); in the period May 2010 – February 2018 he has been Head of the Sustainable Energy, Efficiency and Renewable Sources Unit of the ARERA Wholesale Energy Markets and Environmental Sustainability Directorate. Since March 2018 he is Deputy Director in the same Directorate. He’s involved in the innovation of regulation to allow integration of renewable sources and distributed generation in the electricity system in Italy. He also teaches exergetic analysis, State energy balances and fundamentals of electricity regulation in the “General Energetics” course at Politecnico university of Milan.

Raúl García Brink

I graduated in Philosophy and Arts in the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and currently work as Technical Coordinator for Economic Development, Energy Sovereignty, Climate and Knowledge at the Cabildo de Gran Canaria.
Identifying the best methodologies and innovative solutions to challenges in both the publicand private sectors are activities that drive and inspire me. Exploration, research and and
motivation are key elements in my professional activity. I believe that developing new perspectives and trying new techniques help companies and institutions to evolve and grow.
I collaborate with my colleagues, seeking to develop projects that contribute to advance new innovative projects that contribute to advancing new models of development, inclusive economic growth and its and its relationship with climate, sustainability, environment, and respect for diversity.

Franceau Aubret Grandcourt

46 years old and married. 22 years active in politics.
Former educator un Science et secondary level.
Elected member of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly since 2002.
2006-2012 _ Commissionner for Environment.
Since March 2022-Commissionner fort Environment.

Michele Governatori

Michele Governatori is a contracted professor of applied economics, a consultant and a popularizer in the field of Energy and Environment.
He leads the power&gas program of ECCO Think Tank and he coordinates the scientific committee of the Worldwide Carbon Price initiative.
After his degree with honors in Economics at Bocconi University in 1996 in Milano, he completed the Master in Management of the Energy and Environment Industry of Eni Corporate University.
Since then, he has been working for Eni, Edison, the Italian state-owned Single Buyer of electricity and Axpo as Director of Public Affairs for Italy until 2020.
He served as elected president of the Italian Energy Traders and Wholesalers Association (AIGET) (2013-2017) and of European Energy Retailers (2018-2020), a network of European associations of non-incumbent energy operators.
Since 2009 he is author of Derrick Energia, a blog and radio broadcast on Energy and Environment for all-news Radio Radicale.

George Kremlis

Georges Kremlis started his career in the European Commission on 1.1.1981, as a Member of the Legal Service.

He is currently Honorary Director and Active Senior in the Directorate-General for the Environment. He has joined DG ENV in 1995 and has served since then as the Head of the Legal, the Governance and the Cohesion Units.
Before joining the Commission, but also during parts of his career he has exercised several high-level functions in Greece.

He is visiting Professor in a number of European Universities and is the author of a very large number of various publications, in English, French and Greek, and in particular of a four volumes Commentary, Article by Article, of the EU and EC Treaties, under the Nice Treaty(in Greek).”

Francesco Luise

Francesco is the Technical Coordinator of the GTI Observatory since 2020, and he is also currently cooperating with the Global Solar Council. Drawing on extensive research, project, and editorial experience in the areas of socio-economic development, inequalities, and energy poverty, he has moved towards the international energy sector maintaining a focus on sustainability and inclusion.

Midori Makino

Midori Makino is the focal point for the Caribbean and Lead Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist for the Water Global Practice in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region at the World Bank. She has over 20 years of experience, working across water and infrastructure sectors in multiple regions including Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where she has managed investment operations and analytical work in a number of countries. Prior to taking on the current assignment, Midori was Manager for Sustainable Development in the Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank. Over the years, she has led and coordinated multiple global and regional initiatives in the World Bank’s water sector, including the knowledge management of the Financial Innovation Team, Rural and Small Town Water and Sanitation thematic group, and Regional Analytics working group. She holds an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Master of Science in Economics from Stockholm School of Economics.

Shawn Meyer-Steele

Shawn has been Managing Director of H2OPROFESSIONALS since 2013 where he supports those responsible for water treatment and energy infrastructure and services with an emphasis on water re-use, sustainable water development and renewable energy. H2OProfessionals supports its clients with the experience of hundreds of successful projects by working with a global team of proven industry experts in finance, market analysis, business development, go to market strategies, and operations. He is an established water treatment industry expert with hundreds of successful projects completed in over 60 countries.

Shawn is an advisor, board member and investor in a number of disruptive sustainable energy and water treatment companies and is an external advisor to Texas A&M’s sustainable urban water security initiative.

Shawn is also the President of the Board of Caribbean Desalination A and a board member of the International Desalination Association.

Luigi Migliorini

Padua University in Padova (Italy).
Bachelor Degree with High Honors, 110/110 cum laude in Economics Sciences.
Final dissertation on ‘China Economic Development from 1978 to 1996’.

After working more than 20 years as Ceo/Senior Manager in international companies in the energy industry (batteries at www.fiamm.com and energy cables at www.prysmiangroup.com) since 2018 I decided to start a new phase of personal engagement for a more sustainable and circular economy starting the following companies:
– Seed Forces, Verona, Italy (www.seedforces.com): promoting activities for the Sustainability and Circularity in the Energy through hybrid systems, energy renewable solutions and new batteries technology
and
-Enphos, Vicenza, Italy (www.enphos.com): as an ‘inspiration and aspiration’ towards a Green Hydrogen Society looking for the ‘ultimate’ clean and perpetual battery solution (the ‘super-clean-battery’).

Sai Navoti

Mr. Navoti is the Chief, SIDS Unit, UNDESA. The Unit monitors and report on the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and the SDG in SIDS, facilitate and service inter-governmental negotiations. Sai served as Lead Negotiator for the G77 & China (2013) and Lead Climate Negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in 2012. He was also the Senior Legal Advisor with the International Seabed Authority. Sai served Fiji as a Military Officer, State Solicitor and a Diplomat; he held various international appointments including President of the Assembly (12th Session) of the ISA, Vice President (1st & 2nd) Review Conference of the UN Fish-stock Agreement and Rapporteur of the UNCITRAL’s Working Group on International Arbitration. Represented Fiji in international negotiations; drafted the national report and presented Fiji’s first UPR – Human Rights Council, 2010. Sai holds a BA(Politic), LLB and MSc degrees and 2 post graduate diplomas.

Dionysis Papachristou

Dr. Dionysis Papachristou was born in Tzouba Soudan (17.12.1971) and originated from village Voutsara (Ioannina). He received Diplοma in Electrical & Computer Engineering on 1995, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering on 2000, both from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece. He is working in Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) of Greece as Scientific Expert, since 2001. He has been Coordinator of Competitive procedures (Auctions) Design & Implementation Unit and Coordinator of the new IT RES Platform which simplify the license procedure, increase the penetration of RES in the energy transition trajectory. Currently he is the Director of Press & Public Relations Office and represent RAE at several working groups. His research and scientific interests are in the fields of Power Systems, Circular economy, Renewable Energy Sources, energy transition Digital transformation, Energy Policy and strategy.

Alessandro Pellicanò

Alessandro held a master’s degree cum Laude in Management Engineering from Naples University “Federico II” in Italy and a Course of specialization in energy finance, commodity trading and renewables from Politecnico di Milano.

After several work experiences in energy companies in Italy and Switzerland, Alessandro joined Enel in 2009, covering several roles within the Global Trading and Enel X Business Lines.

For 6 years he took the role of Power and Commodity Trader, Originator & Structurer of financial and physical products (cross-border rights, virtual power plants – VPP, virtual hydro plants (pump/inflow) – VHP, power purchase agreements – PPA on wind projects, options, tollings, profiles off standard, swing gas contracts) in European liquid markets (France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Swiss, Austria Czech Republic).

Alessandro spent 2 years (2016-2017) in Colombia to manage all the activities related to the adoption of Derivex, the local financial energy platform and other 2 years (2018-2019) supporting different LatAm countries (Chile, Peru, Mexico, Panama and Guatemala) in scouting and implementing new business activities related to the energy markets.

Alessandro then joined the new Division of the Group, Enel X, within the Global Business Development Unit and then getting leadership of Global Marketing and Sales Excellence Unit overseeing Enel X offering to Public Administration customers worldwide.

Gonzalo Piernavieja

Degree in Physics by the Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich (1993) (conversion of solar energy, physico-chemistry) and Post-graduate course on Energy and Environmental Management by the Technical University of Berlin, Germany (1994). His Diploma Thesis in Munich dealt with an experimental 1 kWp PV plant with solar-tracking, one of the first grid connected systems of Germany, installed 30 years ago. During his stay in Germany, Gonzalo Piernavieja worked at SIEMENS and at the Munich energy services company “Stadtwerke München”. From 1996 he is contracted by the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC). From January 2018 to September 2019 he was Vice-Minister of Energy at the Government of the Canary Islands. He is currently ITC’s R&I Director (CTO), and coordinates 9 technological departments with more than 170 persons.

Maxime Prodromidès

Living in the island of Porquerolles were his family is established for one century.
Writer, scrip writer, art historian, winemaker.
President of the economic council of the national park of Port-Cros (2013-2019), cofounder and president of Smilo since 2017.

Ahmed Salih

I am currently working as Minister of State for Tourism at the Ministry of Tourism. I joined MOT in 1985 as a trainee and have been involved with the development of Maldivian tourism from an unknown destination to an internationally recognized brand and it is one of the most sought destinations today. Several factors contribute to the great success of the Maldivian tourism industry and the most prominent being the unique model adopted for tourism development in the country which is the “one island, one resort” concept, and the philosophies followed in expanding the tourism industry which is grounded on the principles of sustainable tourism development.
I completed 2 terms (5 years) as Permanent Secretary of MoT and was responsible for the delivery of quality services to the public and industry. Today he is involved in the formulation of strategic directives and various policies to expand the industry in a sustainable manner.

Julia Souder

Julia has over 22 years of experience in the energy and environmental sectors. She has been a longtime advocate of clean energy technology, working extensively to support environmentally friendly technologies and equitable policies. Previously she held senior positions at the LDES Association of California, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Clean Line Energy Partners, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and as an entrepreneur at JAS Energies LLC.

Akuila Tawake

Akuila Tawake holds the position of Deputy Director – Georesources and Energy Programme at the Pacific Community (SPC), leading SPC’s effort in supporting the Pacific Island Countries and Territories with their energy transition. A Geologist by training with a total of more than 26 years of professional experience largely in the mining and energy sectors. Akuila has worked in many Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and held a number of middle-management positions at SPC in the last 11 years. Prior to joining SPC, he held the positions of Senior Adviser – Aggregates Geology at the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) for more than 7 years. Earlier in his career, Akuila had worked in 3 exploration / mining projects in Fiji. He graduated with a MSc in Geology from the University of Wollongong, Australia in 2002.

Vanessa Toré

Vanessa Toré (52) from Curaçao, an island country in the Southern Caribbean. She is the Director of Foreign Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Economic Development of Curaçao. Next to her core activities in the fields of International Trade, Investment promotion and international cooperation she is also active in the field of Sustainable Development:

• Chair Integrated Water Resources Management Committee in Curaçao
• Member Steering Committee of Global Water Partnership – Caribbean
• Member Blue Ribbon Committee development and implementation of the ocean policy
• SDG committee for Prosperity
• Steering Committee of the Local2030 Island Network, a network of islands dealing with the localization of the SDGs
• Member of the Collaborative Action on Plastic Pollution.

Trevor Thompson

Trevor Thompson was the Acting Chief Agriculture Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry. He is a member of Grenada National Climate Change Committee (NCCC) and Chair of the Adaptation Sub-Committee the Chair of the GEF-SGP National Steering Committee and former Chair of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C). He is the Nation Focal point for the UNCCD, and is the Chair of the World Bank DVRP PPCR Project, Technical Working Group. He has also represented Grenada as a Climate Change Negotiator at the COP meeting. He has a wealth of experience in agriculture, particularly in the areas of land, water and irrigation. Through his work with the Ministry of Agriculture was actively involved in the development and preparation of a National Water Policy for Grenada in 2008and the Review of the National Water Policy and Integrated Water Resources Plan for Grenada in 2019-2022.