Head, Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Policy Program, Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy
As Principal Research Scientist at CSTEP, he has worked extensively with Indian and global entities in the modeling, analysis, technology, financing, training and policy aspects of developing a resource efficient and inclusive national energy policy for India. He works in the context of national policy represented by India’s voluntary commitment to reduce emissions intensity and the National Missions on Energy Efficiency, Solar and Wind Energy and Advanced Coal Technologies under the Prime Minister’s National Action Plan on Climate Change and the Planning Commission’s Low Carbon Inclusive Growth Study of the Government of India. He works closely with several industrial bodies, several committees supporting the formulation of India’s XII Plan, and has contributed with invited presentations and panel discussions at several conferences organized by Bureau of Energy Efficiency, national, international and multilateral institutions.
Dr. S.S. Krishnan received the MS and PhD in Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York in 1989 and 1992 respectively. He was a Scientist at The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA working on industrial manufacturing efficiency and automation. He is also a life member of the Computer Society of India, and is an elected Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, USA.
Dr. Muhammad Tasrif
Associate Professor of the Master Program in Development Studies, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)
Dr. Muhammad Tasrif completed a doctoral degree at ITB in Engineering Science with a dissertation on system dynamics modeling, Master of Engineering in the field of Industrial Engineering and Management at Asian Institute of Technology, and degree in Electrical Engineering at ITB.
Has written academic articles in several national and international journals such as the Journal of Energy Policy and the Journal of Development Studies. Also has presented at international conferences in the field of energy policy, system dynamics, and simulation and modeling. He is active in national committees such as the National Implementing Committee for Promotion of Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Greenhouse Gas Abatement and the Independent Monitoring Implementation of Tarif Dasar Listrik. Research interests include energy policy, modeling and simulation, and renewable energy.
Ms. Elaine Wang
Senior Program Officer, Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), USAID LEAD Program
Elaine Wang uses her background in subnational climate action planning, greenhouse gas accounting, and solid waste management to help ISC design and support programs that accelerate low emissions development in Asia. Her specialties developed over 10+ years of experience include the use of dialogue, public participation, and stakeholder engagement to ensure success of complex initiatives. She has supported subnational programs in China, India, and Bangladesh. Elaine also helped ISC develop the Climate Leadership Academy into a premiere peer-learning program for urban climate action. Elaine's work cross-fertilizes with her local service, where she reviews significant land development as a Governor-appointed member of her district Environmental Commission, co-chairs her town energy committee, and serves as a member of the New England Grassroots Environment Fund’s grantmaking committee. Elaine holds an MS in Natural Resource Policy with a concentration in transportation energy policy from the University of Vermont, and a BS in Conservation and Natural Resources from the University of California at Berkeley.
Ms. Rajeshwari Nambiar
Program Officer, Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), USAID LEAD Program
Rajeshwari Nambiar has experience in climate change, carbon markets, renewable energy, energy efficiency and the associated policies, and currently coordinates stakeholder involvement in developing green growth and sustainability training for companies based in Mumbai, India’s center of commerce on behalf of the ISC and the USAID Low Emissions Asia Development program. Prior to joining ISC, she was involved in the design, development, and implementation of India's first ever clean energy database, the Indian Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Database (IREEED), coordinating the involvement of high level officials from every state in India, under the aegis of the US Department of Energy. Rajeshwari previously worked for EcoSecurities India and Ernst & Young where she developed Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects related to wind power, biomass, and green buildings. She also has expertise in carbon footprinting and sustainability reporting. Rajeshwari Pradeep has a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Delhi University and a Master's degree in Environmental Studies from TERI University, New Delhi.
Dr. Khanh Nguyen
Country Coordinator – Vietnam, USAID LEAD Program
Khanh Nguyen has 15 years of experience in low emissions development strategies and implementation including in the conventional energy, renewable energy, commercial, industry, and transport sectors, and action planning at the municipal, provincial, and national levels. He has implemented a wide variety of projects, including energy auditing of industrial plants, evaluation of the energy efficiency of public lighting, analysis of wind energy potential, mapping of the coal sector, and supporting enforcement of the Vietnam Energy Efficiency Building Code. Khanh currently supports the Thanh Hoa Provincial Green Growth Task Force on behalf of the Institute for Sustainable Communities and the USAID Low Emissions Asia Development Program. Khanh’s work has given him deep experience managing stakeholders from all levels of government, the private sector, and international donors, and international partners. He has extensive work experience in Vietnam, and has also worked in Cambodia, China, Laos, and Thailand. Khanh holds a PhD in Computer Simulation for Energy Systems and a Master’s degree in Renewable Energies from the University of Oldenburg, Germany, and a Bachelor of energy planning from Hanoi University of Technology, Vietnam.
Ms. Paola Bernazzani
Senior Manager, ICF International, USAID LEAD Program
Paola Bernazzani is a conservation biologist and ecologist with over twenty years’ experience working on a broad range of biodiversity issues, domestically and internationally. Paola is currently focused on the role of science in conservation planning. She has published articles on participant perspectives of Habitat Conservation Plans and the role of climate change in Endangered Species Act planning, and she teaches practitioners a course on the Endangered Species Act at the University of California, Davis Extension Program. Paola has an MS in Environmental Science from the University of California, Berkeley and a BA in Environmental Studies and Anthropology from Yale University.
Dr. Jonathan (Jon) Hecht
Senior Technical Specialist, ICF International, USAID LEAD Program
Jon Hecht is an environmental economist with more than 13 years of professional experience in economic and policy analysis, research, and education. Jon’s primary areas of expertise are in environmental economics, decision analysis, regulatory economics, and cost-benefit analysis. One particular area of his expertise is in estimating the monetary value of “non-market” benefits, such as improvements in environmental quality, public health, safety, and security. Jon has a PhD in Environmental Economics and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management, both from Duke University. Jon also has a BA in interdisciplinary studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Pablo Benitez
Senior Economist, World Bank
Pablo Benitez is Senior Economist with the World Bank, with more than 14 years of experience in climate change economics and policy. He leads the capacity building program on Low Emissions Development and Climate Finance of the World Bank Institute. He joined the Bank from Marbek Resource Consultants in Canada where he served as Chief Economist and advised government, utilities and private sector clients on energy and climate change mitigation strategies. Previously, he worked for the Ministry of Environment of British Columbia and contributed to its Climate Action Plan, which includes the first carbon tax established in North America. Pablo holds a PhD degree from Wageningen University, The Netherlands, and was one of the lead authors of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, work that received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
Mr. Xiaochen Zhang
Climate Finance and Energy Specialist, World Bank
Xiaochen has been intensively engaged in the areas such as planning and financing for Low Emissions Development, international climate mechanisms and policies (UN climate negotiations, Clean Development Mechanism, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions, and LEDS), sustainable energy, corporate social responsibility, crowdfunding, academic and executive training in the past 10 years. He is pursuing his PhD in Planning, Governance and Globalization at Virginia Tech. He has a master degree in International Relations from Communication University of China, a master degree in Global Studies from Leipzig University.
Ms. Marian Van Pelt
Vice President, ICF International, USAID LEAD Program
Marian Van Pelt is ICF International’s Lead Coordinator for the development of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) and Sinks. Since 1999, Ms. Van Pelt has been the nominated by the United States to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change roster of experts. She has led the development of GHG emission guidance materials and tools for the United States, the State of California, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Government of Australia. Ms. Van Pelt is supporting sustainability-related projects for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Bureau of Land Management, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Prashant Bachu
Manager – Urban Transport, EMBARQ India (World Resources Institute's program for sustainable urban transport and urban development)
Prashanth has over 10 years of experience in sustainable urban transport planning. He is currently based in Hyderabad and supports EMBARQ India’s initiatives on sustainable transport, focusing on improving the performance of bus operations and offering technical support to the transport team. He was earlier stationed at Indore where he lead the project management, demand assessment, financial planning, public outreach and other support to Atal Indore City Transport Services Ltd. (AICTSL) for the launch of the city’s Bus Rapid Transit project – iBus. Prashanth has completed Master’s coursework in Transport Planning at Louisiana State University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Osmania University in Hyderabad.
Mr. Ashwin Prabhu
Manager – Urban Transport, EMBARQ India (World Resources Institute's program for sustainable urban transport and urban development)
Ashwin is based in Bangalore, where his primary responsibility is working with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to improve the quality of public bus services in the city. He also provides technical assistance for several other sustainable transport projects across India including City Bus Services, Bus Rapid Transit and Cycling. Ashwin has been formally trained as an economist and an urban development planner. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Columbia University and a Master’s degree in Urban Economic Development from University College London.
Dr. Geoffrey Blate
Asia Regional Forest Advisor, US Forest Service – Office of International Programs
Dr. Blate is a tropical forest ecologist with interests in biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management, and the role of forests in mitigating and adapting to climate change. As Asia Regional Forest Advisor for the USFS-IP, he provides technical and strategic support to USAID on forest related issues with a focus on the Mission’s regional climate change mitigation programs. Before joining USFS-IP, he worked as a climate change coordinator and regional advisor on landscape conservation for WWF’s Greater Mekong Program for 5 years. Prior to that he served in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Global Change Research as an AAAS Science-Policy Fellow, where he explored climate change adaptation options for federally managed lands including national forests. After completing his Master’s in Environmental Studies from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, he managed a forest management training program in the Brazilian Amazon. Subsequently, he completed a PhD – at the University of Florida – on trade-offs of forest management in the Bolivian Amazon.
Mr. Xander van Tilburg
Coordinator low-carbon development, ECN Policy Studies, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN)
Xander van Tilburg is working with ECN as senior expert on low-carbon development, with over 15 years of experience working in energy, climate, and finance. He has been involved as lead author in collaborative efforts on green growth (e.g. Green Economy Report, GGBP), and he has hands-on experience supporting a wide variety of countries with developing NAMAs and advising on energy and development policies. Before focusing on low-carbon development, Xander was advisor to the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, where he lead a team assessing annual Dutch feed-in premium levels for renewable energy. He has a MSc. in Econometrics and a degree in Political Science.
Mr. Lachlan Cameron
Adviser, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN)
Lachlan Cameron joined ECN in 2010 where he is a researcher and adviser specialising in international energy and climate policy; domestic policy incentives for low carbon technologies; emerging UNFCCC concepts, such as low-emission development strategies (LEDS) and nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs); development impact assessments; and quantitative mitigation analysis. He is currently designing NAMAs for support in Indonesia and Thailand in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Lachlan has also provided advice to the governments of Ghana, Kenya, Kuwait and Pakistan on climate, energy and development issues. He has a background in engineering, business development and project management, with over seven years spent in the automotive and marine energy industries. He holds a MSc. in Sustainable Energy Systems and degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics.
Mr. Philipp Munzinger
Climate Change Policy Advisor, GIZ
Philipp Munzinger is working with GIZ as climate change policy advisor in Indonesia. Since more than five years he has supported the Indonesian government in establishing the Indonesian climate mitigation policy framework, including guidelines for the implementation of the National Action Plan for GHG emission reduction (RAN-GRK). He carries in-depth expertise in climate mitigation policy, such as NAMA development (especially in the energy sector), the design of MRV systems or the development of urban climate strategies. At the moment he manages projects on NAMA development in the Indonesian Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (RAC) sector as well as strategies for low-carbon technology transfer. He has BSc. in Environmental Economics and Business Management and a MSc. in Environmental Sciences.
Dr. Dukgyu, Han
Manager, Korea Industrial Complex Corp., Gyeonggi Eco-Industrial Park Development Division
Dr. Dukgyu, Han has been working as an environmental engineer in KICOX for 8 years. He has mainly worked on reuse, recycle of waste (heat, water, by-products, etc.) from industrial complex. He received his Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and a Master degree in Chemical Engineering from Hanyang University.
Dr. Uwe Weber
Team Leader, SWITCH-Asia Network Facility
Uwe leads the team implementing the EU financed SWITCH-Asia Network Facility at the Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production. He received his Doctorate in Physical Geography from RWTH Aachen University, for his studies on the impact of urbanisation on the hydrological cycle. His professional career lies in the areas of environmental management, energy efficiency and renewable energy promotion, standardisation, trade related assistance and environmental policy advice. His experiences range from capacity building and training, audits and certification and related business development for the TÜV Rheinland Group and prominently management of donor financed bi- and multilateral technical and financial cooperation programmes. His regional experience covers Germany, Europe and mainly the South- and South-East Asian region – where he has worked and lived for more the 16 years in Japan, Singapore, Philippines and China.
Dr. Jeremy Broadhead
Jeremy Broadhead is an international forestry expert and senior consultant at Climate Focus. He has eighteen years of experience working in Lao PDR, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand, Kenya and Botswana as well as on Asia-Pacific and global issues. His experience ranges from project preparation and management to forestry policy analysis and linking climate change objectives to forest management. Prior to joining Climate Focus Jeremy worked as a forestry officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. He spent the first part of his career working in forestry in Central Kalimantan and subsequently joined the World Agroforestry Center in Kenya as a research associate. He has also worked with FAO in Rome and the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in Southeast Asia. Jeremy is currently based in Bangkok, Thailand where he is the lead REDD+ policy expert for the USAID funded program on Lowering Emissions in Asia's Forests (LEAF). Jeremy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Ecological Science from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Agroforestry from the University of Nottingham, UK.
Mr. John Costenbader
John Costenbader is a Senior Consultant on Forestry and Carbon Markets at Climate Focus, his work includes forestry carbon standards, REDD+ jurisdictional and nested initiatives, and climate-smart agriculture. John formerly worked as Legal Officer on REDD+ and adaptation legal frameworks with the Environmental Law Centre of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Bonn, Germany. Prior to that, he conducted government program evaluation research in Africa and Latin America, and served as a forestry volunteer with the Peace Corps in Mali. John holds a BA in Philosophy from Colby College in Maine, an MPA in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a JD from The George Washington University Law School.
Dr. David J. Ganz
David’s background in forest science, policy and community development has provided him with a unique mixture of social, ecological and economic perspectives which he brings to the leadership role of the LEAF program. David has over 23 years’ experience on large-scale natural resource management and biomass energy projects. He has worked for The Nature Conservancy, FAO, and the Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) managing a variety of projects in Southwestern China and Southeast Asia. As a manager, scientist and convener, David has worked to integrate forest carbon opportunities into sustainable livelihoods, climate change adaptation, renewable energy and community forestry development activities. He has published more than 40 technical papers in fields such as forest carbon science and management, fire science, ecosystem services, forest health, silviculture and community forestry.