FP Virtual Climate Summit

For over fifty years, The Prince of Wales has used his unique position to champion action for a sustainable future. In the context of global challenges that include the climate crisis, deforestation, and ocean pollution, The Prince has promoted sustainability to ensure that the natural assets upon which we all depend among other things soil, water, forests, a stable climate and fish stocks endure for future generations. His Royal Highness believes that economic and social development will best succeed when it works in harmony, rather than in conflict, with Nature. Over the decades, The Prince of Wales has launched a number of sustainability initiatives aimed at delivering practical outcomes. In late 2019, His Royal Highness launched the Sustainable Markets Initiative. As well as addressing environmental challenges, The Prince promotes a more sustainable approach to planning and designing homes and communities in ways that enhance and add to the social, natural and built environment. His Royal Highness’s sustainability work is based on the principle that environmental challenges in our increasingly interconnected world are best met by adopting integrated and holistic approaches to sustainability. The Prince uses his position to help raise public awareness about sustainability challenges and solutions through his speeches, articles, books and films. He is also Patron of a wide range of organizations working for sustainability, offering support and encouragement for their work. The Prince of Wales convenes many different groups, from business leaders to Heads of State and from local community initiatives to scientific bodies, in order to find the best ways of making progress in meeting complex challenges.

The Hon Sheikh Hasina assumed the office of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 7 January 2019 for the fourth time and consecutive third term after her party Awami League-led grand alliance won 30 December 2018 Parliamentary elections. Earlier, she served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001, 2009 to 2013 and 2014-2018. Sheikh Hasina was the leader of the opposition in the Parliament from 1986 to 1988, 1991 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006. She has been the president of the Bangladesh Awami League, the current ruling party, since 1981 when she was first elected party chief while in exile. Sheikh Hasina is the eldest of the two surviving daughters of Bangladesh’s founding father and first President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was assassinated on 15 August 1975 along with 18 family members. She graduated from the University of Dhaka in 1973. A number of famous universities and organizations have conferred on Sheikh Hasina various degrees and awards in recognition to her outstanding contribution to peace-building, upholding democracy and socio-economic development. Prominent among those include the FAO’s SERES Medal, UNESCO Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize, UN’s Champion of the Earth Award and the Indira Gandhi Peace Award. Sheikh Hasina is a vivid writer and her write-ups were published in various national and international newspapers. She authored several books. Sheikh Hasina was born in Tungipara village of Gopalganj district on 28 September, 1947.

Katrín Jakobsdóttir is an Icelandic politician serving as the 28th and current prime minister of Iceland since 2017. She has been a member of the Althing for the Reykjavík North constituency since 2007. She became deputy chairperson of the Left-Green Movement in 2003 and has been their chairperson since 2013.

Born in Bogotá on August 1st, 1976. He received his Lawyer Degree from the Universidad Sergio Arboleda. He is an expert in economic affairs, with executive studies in Harvard, and a Masters in Public Policy and Public Management from Georgetown University and a Masters Degree in Economic Law from the American University. He has worked as a columnist and professor. He was Head of the Culture, Creativity, and Solidarity Division at the Inter-American Development Bank, where he worked on social innovation, entrepreneurship, youth, and creative economies. He acted as consultant to the IDB presidency and as senior advisor for Colombia. He is the author of several books: IndignAcción, ideas para el futuro de Colombia (“IndignAcción: ideas for the Colombia of the future”); Pecados Monetarios (“Monetary Sins”); Maquiavelo en Colombia (“Machiavelli in Colombia”); Efecto Naranja (“Orange Effect”); El Futuro Está en el Centro (“The Future Lies in the Center”) ; Arqueología de mi Padre (“Archeology of My Father”); and, coauthored with Felipe Buitrago the book Economía Naranaja (“Orange Economy”). The President is married to Ms. María Juliana Ruiz, and is the father of three children: Luciana, Matías, and Eloísa.

Toshimitsu Motegi was appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs on September 2019. Previously he was Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from December 2012 to September 2014, and Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy and Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization from August 2017 to September 2019.  

On January 20, 2021, John F. Kerry was sworn in as our nation’s first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and the first-ever Principal to sit on the National Security Council entirely dedicated to climate change. President Biden announced Kerry would have a seat at every table around the world as he combats the climate crisis to meet the existential threat that we face. In recent years, Kerry was the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s first ever Visiting Distinguished Statesman, following his four years as the 68th United States Secretary of State. As America’s top diplomat, he guided the Department’s strategy on nuclear nonproliferation, combating radical extremism, and the threat of climate change. His tenure was marked by the successful negotiation of the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement. From 1985 to 2013, he served as a U.S. Senator representing Massachusetts, and was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2009 to 2013. Secretary Kerry served in the U.S. Navy, completing two combat tours of duty in Vietnam for which he received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple Hearts. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his law degree from Boston College Law School. Secretary Kerry is the best-selling author of A Call to Service, This Moment on Earth with his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry, and his 2018 memoir, Every Day Is Extra, which The New York Times described as “a bittersweet reminder of what the country once demanded of its leaders.” Secretary Kerry was the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 2004.

Dr. Florika Fink-Hooijer is the Director-General of the Environment Department of the European Commission. Having occupied various senior management positions in the European Commission, she is recognized for her strong management and leadership skills and her in-depth experience in EU policy making & shaping. A lawyer by training, Florika brings a proven record of accomplishment in foreign external policy and security matters as well as in disaster risk reduction and justice and home affairs. Florika also has extensive experience in leading complex inter-institutional and intergovernmental negotiations. In her current role, she is responsible for implementing the European Green Deal objectives in particular the areas of Circular Economy, Biodiversity and Zero Pollution.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan was appointed as Minister of State (Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth) at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 8 January 2021. Previously Anne-Marie was the Secretary of State for International Development from February to September 2020. She was Minister of State for the Armed Forces from 17 December 2019 to 13 February 2020, and Minister for Defence Procurement from 27 July 2019 to 16 December 2019.

Keiichi Ono is Assistant Minister/Director-General and Ambassador for Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs from July 2020. Previously, he worked as Deputy Chief of Mission/Minister of the Embassy of Japan in Jakarta, Indonesia from October 2017 to June 2020.  Joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988.

Chris Murphy is a United States Senator from Connecticut. He serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the Appropriations Committee. Prior to the Senate, Murphy served for three terms in the U.S. House representing the state's fifth congressional district. In Congress, Murphy is acknowledged as a leading voice for stronger anti-gun violence measures, reforming our nation's mental health system, and implementing a smarter foreign policy.

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is fighting to reduce carbon pollution, protect our air and water, and position America as a leader in the clean energy economy. As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works and Finance Committees, he plays a key role in crafting policies to address climate change and strengthen environmental protections. Sen. Whitehouse is a leading voice for urgent action on climate change. For nearly nine years, he took to the Senate floor each week the Senate was in session to call on Congress to wake up to the threat of climate change. Whitehouse co-founded the Senate Climate Action Task Force to build support for action to address carbon pollution, and sits on Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis. He has introduced numerous pieces of climate legislation, including a bill to establish a fee on carbon—a strong market incentive to cut emissions while generating substantial revenue to be returned from polluters to the American people. In addition to EPW and Finance, Whitehouse is a member of the Budget and Judiciary Committees. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Whitehouse served as Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney and state Attorney General before being elected to the United States Senate in 2006.

Kathy Castor is Tampa Bay’s voice in the U.S. Congress. She was elected in 2006 and represents Florida’s 14th Congressional district, which includes Tampa and parts of Hillsborough County. She is the first woman to represent Hillsborough and Pinellas counties in the U.S. Congress. Castor focuses on issues vital to Tampa Bay area families and businesses, and is committed to building a stronger economy that works for everyone as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. She works on initiatives to create jobs, protect the environment and consumers, improve schools, ensure veterans receive the benefits and care they have earned, provide access to affordable health care and defend protections for people with preexisting health conditions. Providing better-paying jobs for Tampa Bay is Castor's number one priority. She has successfully fought to bring new, good-paying job opportunities to Tampa Bay’s small businesses and large economic engines alike, including Port Tampa Bay, University of South Florida, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa International Airport, MacDill Air Force Base and federally qualified community health centers. In 2020 alone, her office worked to deliver nearly $1.6 million to veterans, seniors, small businesses and families; almost $1.5 billion in federal grants to create jobs, invest in education and infrastructure, mitigate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and support the important work of local partners; and $2.7 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for Tampa businesses.

Congressman Garret Graves represents Louisiana’s Sixth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. For the 116th Congress, Garret is the Ranking Member for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation and is the Ranking Member for the new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.  He also serves on the House Natural Resources. Last Congress, Graves chaired the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment and was instrumental in the development, passage and enactment of a range of policy wins on rivers, levees, flood protection, coastal issues and Corps of Engineers reforms. He also brought about critical upgrades to federal disaster response and recovery programs, streamlining FEMA operations, creating faster recoveries and helping make communities across the nation more resilient to disaster. Garret is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he resides with his wife Carissa and their three children.

Dan Jørgensen was appointed Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities in June 2019 for the Danish Social Democratic Party. He previously served  as Denmark’s Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries from 2013 to 2015 and has been elected as a Member of the Danish Parliament since 2015. From 2004-2013, he served as a Member of the European Parliament, leading the Danish delegation of Social Democrats in the European Parliament.   Jørgensen is serving as Chairman of the International Energy Agency’s “Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions”. Furthermore, he is the author of several books in Danish and English, including “Beyond deniers and believers: toward a map of the politics of climate change« in Global Environmental Change” from 2015. Jørgensen holds a master’s degree in political science from Aarhus University and has lectured at several universities, including as an Adjunct Professor at Denmark’s Aalborg University.

Anna Shpitsberg serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Transformation at the U.S. Department of State. Ms. Shpitsberg is responsible for supporting a shift to a decarbonized economy that enables secure and resilient energy systems. Additionally, she leads U.S. representation at the International Renewable Energy Agency, and other bilateral and multilateral engagements on energy with U.S. allies and partners. In her prior role, Shpitsberg served as Director for Global Power and Renewables at IHS Markit. In this capacity she conducted research on emerging trends in the power sector; collaborated with teams covering power, clean energy technology, upstream energy, climate, economics, transport, and agriculture on possible outcomes for the energy transition; advised  executives on trends that may impact their business strategy; led corporate renewable research, including the outlook for the United States; consulted on bespoke renewable projects; and managed the buildout of power market analysis and research in Africa and the Middle East. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Ms. Shpitsberg established the U.S. Department of State’s Power Sector Program through which she partnered with and advised utilities, regulators, system operators, and energy ministries on power market reform, energy resource optimization and procurement, regional power market development, and renewable energy integration and financing. She also held positions at the U.S. Department of Energy, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and Morgan Stanley. Ms. Shpitsberg holds a BS from Binghamton University in Finance and an MEM in Environmental Economics and Policy from Duke University with a focus on power systems and the energy-water nexus.

Dr Fatih Birol has served as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency since September 2015. Under his leadership, the IEA has undertaken its first comprehensive modernization program since its creation in 1974. This effort focuses on three pillars: opening the doors of the IEA to include major emerging economies – such as Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa – which have joined the IEA Family, thus increasing its share of global energy demand from 38% to around 75%; making the IEA the global hub for clean energy transitions; and broadening the IEA’s security mandate to include electricity and natural gas as well as oil. Prior to his nomination as Executive Director, Dr Birol spent over 20 years at the IEA, rising through the ranks to the position of Chief Economist responsible for the flagship World Energy Outlook publication. Dr Birol has been named by Forbes Magazine among the most influential people on the world’s energy scene and was recognized by the Financial Times in 2017 as Energy Personality of the Year. He chairs the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Energy Advisory Board and serves on the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Sustainable Energy for All. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun, the Order of the Polar Star from the King of Sweden and the highest Presidential decorations from Austria, Germany and Italy. Before the IEA, Dr Birol worked at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna. He earned a BSc degree in power engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul and received an MSc and PhD in energy economics from the Technical University of Vienna. Dr Birol was awarded a Doctorate of Science honoris causa from Imperial College London in 2013. He was also made an honorary life member of Galatasaray Football Club in 2013.

Claudia Lopez started her mandate on the 1st of January 2020 for a four-year term. She became the city's first female and also the first lesbian Mayor in Bogota’s history. She has an emphatic focus on the environmental, social equity and anticorruption agendas. Lopez was a Senator of the Republic of Colombia between 2014 and 2018 and the vice-presidential candidate in the 2018 presidential election for the Green Alliance party. The public recognizes her tenacity and enormous capacity for collective action, which was reflected in the fight against corruption by leading a citizen consultancy, a participatory instrument, with historic results. Before entering her political career, Lopez was an accomplished researcher and scholar. Lopez is a finance and international relations graduate from Universidad Externado de Colombia, holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Urban Politics from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University.

Born on October 29, 1965 in Buenos Aires. Bachelor in Economics (University of Buenos Aires) and Master in Business Administration (University of Harvard). In 1993, he founded "Fundación Grupo Sophia," an NGO composed by young leaders committed to public service. Together with Mauricio Macri he founded the political party "Compromiso para el Cambio" (Commitment to Change) in 2003, renamed "Propuesta Republicana" (PRO, Republican Proposal) in 2005. He led Mauricio Macri's political campaigns in 2005, 2007 and 2011. He served as Chief of Cabinet of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires from 2007 to 2015. Currently re-elected Mayor of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires for the term 2019-2023. As mayor, Horacio’s goal is to make Buenos Aires a global city that fosters and attracts talent and innovation, as well as a great place to live, to visit, to study and do business.

Giuseppe Sala was born in Milan in 1958. He has held various positions of responsibility in both the private and public sector, gaining important professional managerial experience through leading roles in major companies, such as Pirelli and Telecom Italia. In 2009-10 he served as City Manager of the Municipality of Milan. He was then appointed CEO of the company managing the Universal Exposition, Expo Milano 2015. In 2013, he was also appointed Government Commissioner for the Expo. His love for Milan and his willingness to make it a fairer, more international and more attractive place led him to commit himself to politics. He was elected Mayor of Milan in June 2016. He is the Chair of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact - the first international commitment by Mayors to develop sustainable food systems to grant healthy and accessible food to all, protect biodiversity and reduce food waste – now signed by over 210 Mayors worldwide. Giuseppe Sala holds a Degree in Economics and Business Administration from Bocconi University. He is the author of the books Milano sull’acqua. Ieri, oggi, domani [Milan on the Water. Past, Present, Future] (2014) and Milano e il Secolo delle Città [Milan and the Century of Cities] (2017).

Ravi Agrawal is the editor in chief of Foreign Policy. Before joining FP, Agrawal worked at CNN for more than a decade, including his most recent position as the network’s New Delhi bureau chief and correspondent. Previously, he served as a senior producer in CNN’s New York and London bureaus, receiving a Peabody Award and three Emmy nominations for his work. Agrawal is the author of India Connected: How the Smartphone Is Transforming the World’s Largest Democracy. He is a graduate of Harvard University.

Sverre Alvik is Program Director for the Energy Transition Research Program in DNV GL and Project Director for DNV GL’s Energy Transition Outlook. He has a Master’s degree in Naval Architecture from NTNU in Norway from 1997 and more than 20 years’ experience from working in DNV GL. His main experience is with the Energy and the Maritime industry, where he has worked with strategy and politics, marketing and sales, project management and research & innovation, and where he also has written a number of papers and presentations. The last six years he has been heading up DNV GL’s global research work on the energy transition.

Helima is a Managing Director and the Head of Global Commodity Strategy and Middle East and North Africa Research at RBC Capital Markets. She specializes in geopolitics and energy, leading a team of commodity strategists that cover energy, metals and cross-commodity investor activity. Helima is a member of the National Petroleum Council, a select group of individuals who advise, inform and make recommendations to the Secretary of Energy with respect to any matter relating to oil and natural gas. She also is a CNBC contributor, a member of the channel’s exclusive family of experts, is on the Board of Directors for the Atlantic Council, is a member of the Trilateral Commission, and is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Helima joined RBC Capital Markets from Barclays, where she was a Managing Director and Head of North American Commodities Research. Prior to that, she worked in Lehman’s Business Intelligence group, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Central Intelligence Agency, where she focused on geopolitics and commodities. Helima has received many industry accolades throughout her career and received her PhD in economic history from Princeton in 2001.

Maria Korsnick is NEI’s president and chief executive officer. Drawing on her engineering background, hands-on experience in reactor operations and a deep knowledge of energy policy and regulatory issues, Korsnick aims to increase understanding of nuclear energy’s economic and environmental benefits among policymakers and the public. Before joining NEI, she was senior vice president of Northeast Operations for Exelon Corp., responsible for overseeing operation of the Calvert Cliffs 1 and 2, R.E. Ginna, and Nine Mile Point 1 and 2 nuclear power plants. Before Exelon, Korsnick served as chief nuclear officer (CNO) and acting chief executive officer at Constellation Energy Nuclear Group. She began her career at Constellation in 1986 and held positions of increasing responsibility, including engineer, operator, manager, site vice president, corporate vice president and CNO. Korsnick holds a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Maryland and has held a senior reactor operator license.

Elise Labott is a Foreign Policy columnist and a leading journalist covering foreign US foreign policy and international issues. Before joining FP she was CNN’s Global Affairs Correspondent. She has reported from more than 80 countries, covered and traveled the world with seven secretaries of state and has interviewed many world leaders and newsmakers. Elise is the founder of Twopoint.0 Media, a digital media platform that aims to engage, inform and inspire youth to solve today’s most pressing global challenges, and an adjunct professor at American University's School of International Service. Prior to joining American University, she was a Practitioner in Residence at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Elise is a guest host at Sirius XM radio and provides commentary to a variety of media outlets.

Maggie Lake is a veteran journalist with over two decades of experience covering business, technology, politics and international affairs. She started her career at Reuters, where she worked in both the New York and London bureaus covering economics and global finance. In 2001, she joined CNN International where she served as a correspondent and anchor for the network’s flagship business shows. Over the course of her career, she has interviewed the world’s top CEOs, celebrities and politicians and has been a consistent champion of economic inclusion and sustainable development. Maggie has served as a weekly contributor for NPR and moderated events for the United Nations, World Bank, Council on Foreign Relations and Global Citizen. She now runs a communications consultancy Maggie Lake Media and is a founding board member of the newly created Rutgers University Center for Women in Business.

Amelia Lester is the executive editor at Foreign Policy. She has worked as a journalist on three continents, most recently reporting in Japan for publications including the Economist, the New York Times, and the New York Review of Books. Previously, she was editor in chief of the weekend magazine of the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age newspapers and, before that, managing editor and an executive editor of the New Yorker. Amelia lives in Washington, D.C., and is a graduate of Harvard University.

Dr. Melissa C. Lott is a Senior Research Scholar and the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy. She has worked as an engineer and advisor for more than 15 years in the United States, Europe, and Asia. While her work has spanned the entire energy system, Dr. Lott is internationally recognized for her work in the electricity and transportation sectors. For her research and contributions to global energy sector dialogues, Dr. Lott has been featured as a Solar 100 Thought Leader, an IEEE Women in Power, and a Forbes 30 under 30 in Energy. She has authored more than 350 scientific articles, columns, op-eds, journal publications, and reports. Dr. Lott was previously a founding author on Scientific American’s Plugged In. An active public speaker, she has been featured in interviews with international news organizations including the BBC World Service, ABC News PM in Australia, and Scientific American magazine’s French edition. Previously, Dr. Lott served as the Assistant Vice President of the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre, where she led the development of the flagship APEC Energy Demand and Supply Outlook. Dr. Lott has also held roles at the International Energy Agency, where she served as the primary author of the IEA’s technology roadmap on energy storage. In 2011, Dr. Lott was selected as a U.S. Presidential Management Fellow. She went on to work as the Lead of Energy Modeling and Simulation for the Program Analysis and Evaluation Office at the U.S. Department of Energy. Dr. Lott has also served as an advisory board member for Alstom and GE and contributed as an expert advisor for government organizations including the London Sustainable Development Commission under Mayor Boris Johnson. Throughout, Dr. Lott had worked as a Principal Engineer at YarCom Inc., providing her clients with a practical engineering understanding of the relationships between our energy sources, our energy uses, and the impacts of our choices on the environment.

Amy Mackinnon is a staff writer for Foreign Policy magazine. Originally from Scotland, she has reported from across Eastern Europe and was based in Moscow and Tbilisi Georgia as a senior editor for the crisis-reporting site Coda Story. Mackinnon was a 2018 recipient of the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia award for her reporting from St. Petersburg on the Reveal podcast “Russia’s New Scapegoats.” She is a regular commentator for BBC World Service radio and television and her work has been published and broadcast by Coda Story, BBC Radio Scotland, Slate, Vice and CNN among others. She speaks Russian and has a master's in journalism from the Newmark School of Journalism at CUNY and a joint master's in Russian, Central and East European Studies from the University of Glasgow and Corvinus University in Budapest.

Brian Menell is a British / South African businessman with more than 25 years’ experience of investing in and developing natural resources projects across Africa, North America and South America. He is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of TechMet, a private company building world class projects that produce, process and re-cycle technology metals critical to electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and energy storage. One of TechMet’s largest shareholders is the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC – the US Government’s development finance institution). Brian Menell is also the Chairman of Brazilian Nickel, a private UK company developing nickel and cobalt production in Brazil, a Director of Li-Cycle, the biggest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America and a Director of US Vanadium. TechMet’s core investments include: Brazilian Nickel PLC – Nickel and cobalt in Brazil; Li-Cycle – Lithium-ion battery recycling in Canada and the US; US Vanadium – Vanadium specialty chemicals production in Arkansas; Tinco – he largest tin and tungsten mines in Rwanda.

Reena is a television journalist who has worked as a White House correspondent, foreign reporter, and news anchor for ABC, CBS, and Fox News. She is the founder of Good Trouble Productions, a media company focused on creating content with purpose. She is co-host of the parenting podcast "Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting." She also launched a show on YouTube, "The Rebound with Reena Ninan," interviews with people who have come out of their hardest moments. Reena began her reporting career in Baghdad in 2005 after her hotel was car bombed by militants and has since reported around the world from India to Jerusalem, Libya to Lebanon.

Abhilasha is the Founder and CEO of Blue Sky Analytics, a Climate-Tech start-up using satellite data and AI to build environmental monitoring and climate-risk assessment products. She is a Fulbright scholar, Yale and IIT alum with over 8 years of work experience in private equity, big data analytics, product development and environmental policy. She began her career as a Research Associate at J-PAL, working on air pollution regulation with the Ministry of Environment, India. After her Masters in Environmental Management from Yale, she went on to work on building flexible solar cells in Dublin, kickstarting a solar products and asset financing startup at PEG Africa and clean energy investing as an Associate at GoldenSet Capital. Upon her return to India, Abhilasha founded Blue Sky Analytics in 2018 as she believes that “data has the capacity to change an entire ecosystem". She deems Blue Sky as a focal point of enabling global climate action with high quality, accessible environmental data.

Cynthia Quarterman is a distinguished fellow with the Global Energy Center at the Atlantic Council. Quarterman served as the administrator of the US Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, from 2009 until 2014. She has been a key policymaker in energy development, safety, and transportation since the Clinton administration. Throughout her expert handling of complicated issues, including deep-water oil and gas exploration and production, royalty collection, liquefied national gas facilities, and the truck, rail, and pipeline transportation of the nation’s new energy bounty, Quarterman has been a steadfast advocate for responsible energy development and prudent regulations. Quarterman served as the head of PHMSA during the Obama administration and as director of the former Minerals Management Service during the Clinton administration. She has also served in numerous other capacities within the Department of the Interior and was a member of the Obama administration transition team at the Department of Energy. In addition to extensive experience within the federal government, Quarterman was also previously a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe and Johnson LLP, where her practice focused on issues related to transportation and energy.

Janet Ranganathan is the Vice President for Research, Data, and Innovation at the World Resources Institute (WRI). She leads WRI’s efforts to harness the data revolution, combining open data, information technologies, artificial intelligence, and human networks to drive more transparent and accountable management of the planet’s resources. Janet established WRI’s Data Lab and helps ensure WRI’s family of “data watches” provide trusted, actionable information. Janet plays a support role for WRI Brazil and WRI’s private sector sustainable finance work. During her tenure, Janet has held diverse positions across WRI’s programs and helped roll out numerous multi-stakeholder initiatives, including Resource Watch, Partnership for Resilience & Preparedness, Better Buying Lab, and Creating a Sustainable Food Future. Janet also founded the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative, an international multi-stakeholder partnership convened by WRI and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to develop international greenhouse gas accounting and reporting standards. She was the lead author of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, which has become the accounting and reporting standard for businesses around the globe. Janet has written extensively on a broad range of sustainable development topics, including planetary health monitoring, food sustainability, plant-forward diets, business and markets, environmental performance measurement, environmental accounting, climate change, greenhouse gas measurement and reporting, ecosystem services, forests, and global environmental governance. Janet is Vice-Chair of the Ceres Board of Directors and a member of WRI Europe and WRI Brazil’s boards. She is a member of Mars’s Science Advisory Committee. She serves on the advisory boards of WRI Africa, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Centre, SAI (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative), and the U.K. Research and Innovation and Natural Environment Research Council Digital Environment Expert Network. Janet grew up in Cornwall, England. She is married to Kumar and has two daughters, Angela and Serena.

Michael Rubio is General Manager, ESG and Sustainability at Chevron. Michael works closely with Chevron’s senior leadership to develop the company’s strategy on ESG issues and sustainability. He leads Chevron’s outreach to shareholders and key stakeholders on these issues. Michael joined Chevron in 2013 as the Manager for State Government Affairs in California, Oregon, and Washington. Prior to joining Chevron, Michael served in the California State Senate and emerged as a leader on issues related to the California Environmental Quality Act.

Susan Sadigova is Foreign Policy’s Vice President of Strategic Development. She is responsible for developing long-term institutional partnerships with public and private sectors through FP Magazine, www.foreignpolicy.com, FP Analytics, and FP events. She is also in charge of developing custom programs tailored to specific client challenges. Susan has more than 10 years of business development and international government relations experience with US federal agencies, foreign governments and the private sector. Prior to joining FP, she ran an American non-profit with 55+ member companies focused on Eurasia-US relationships, assisting with market entry, partner identification, financing and investment, contracts and proposals. Prior to that, she spent two years with British Embassy in Baku as a Manager for Government Relations on behalf of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Susan also has extensive event management and public speaking experience. She is fluent in English, Russian, Turkish and Azerbaijani. Susan holds a Master’s degree in International Public Policy from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University.

Andrew Sollinger is Foreign Policy’s Publisher. He joined FP in March 2018 to oversee all revenue generating efforts through subscriptions, sponsorships, advertising, events, podcasts and new ventures. Most recently at Business Insider as EVP – Subscriptions, Andrew previously ran the business side of Politico’s Capital New York acquisition (now Politico New York), was Managing Director – Americas at the Financial Times, and helped build and sell the digital startup Money Media to FT. He started his media career as a journalist at Institutional Investor, and was based in New York, London and Hong Kong. He has extensive experience in management, product development, digital and subscription sales, research, and in setting strategy.

As the Senior VP of Public Affairs, Ms. Tan is responsible for setting and executing Public Relations and Government Relations strategies for Huawei USA. From 2014 to January 2019, Ms. Tan served as the President of Global Media and Communications for Huawei, setting and executing media and communications strategy for the entire company. She was instrumental in promoting Huawei’s thought leadership, corporate values, key products and solutions, and making Huawei one of the top 100 brands in the world. Prior to this role, Ms. Tan was responsible for corporate branding, where she led the initiative to transform Huawei into a global brand. She also managed Huawei’s integrated marketing communications in the United States. Before joining Huawei, Ms. Tan worked at Verizon, where she was responsible for consumer strategy and digital marketing, and at TXU Energy, where she led customer acquisition efforts in the newly deregulated energy markets. Ms. Tan studied Biology at Tsinghua University in Beijing and holds a Master’s Degree in Neuroscience from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where was a PhD candidate. She holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Topher White is Founder and CEO of Rainforest Connection. Topher has experience building systems for large and small startups as well as international science projects, including four years working on nuclear fusion at ITER, in France. He has received multiple accolades for his work, including being named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, a Draper-Richards-Kaplan Fellow and an “Engineering Hero” by the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Topher’s background is primarily in Physics, software development and Communication, having received a degree in Physics at Kenyon College and going on to work for years at SLAC Natl Accelerator Lab (High Energy Physics) and the ITER Organization (Nuclear Fusion) in France. Along the way, he also served as CTO for two startups in San Francisco, where he obtained industry-level experience in software development — the foundation of the Rainforest Connection platform.

Fiona has over 20 years’ experience in multinational oil and gas and resources companies, ranging from frontline operational management to corporate strategic development across a variety of countries and businesses. Born in Liverpool, UK, she holds a degree and PhD in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh. She joined BHP in 2010 as Senior Manager, Environment and was successfully appointed to the role of Vice President, Environment and Climate Change in February 2013. In April 2016, she was appointed to a new role as Vice President, Sustainability and Climate Change. She now leads the design and implementation of BHP’s climate change strategy. She began her career with oil and gas major BP in Aberdeen, UK. She worked for several years in various operational roles in upstream exploration and downstream refining businesses, before taking a corporate environment and climate change policy role at BP's headquarters in London. Fiona also holds several Board positions, including as a Director of IETA, which aims to build international policy and market frameworks for reducing greenhouse gases at lowest cost, represented BHP at the International Council of Mining and Metals and is Deputy Chair of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. In December 2015, she was appointed to the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, reporting to the G20. The Task Force released its recommendations in June 2017 (www.fsb-tcfd.org) which serve as a template for how financial and non-financial companies should disclose climate-related information to ensure financial risk can be better measured and managed.