Expert Advisors

Roshni is the Lead Freshwater Scientist at The Nature Conservancy Centre India and has over 15 years of experience working on biodiversity, conservation and applied science in freshwater and associated ecosystems within India and other regions in Asia and Europe. She has a joint PhD in River Science from the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany and University of Trento, Italy through the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Program.

Born in Cusco, Perú. Biologist graduated at University of San Antonio Abad del Cusco – UNSAAC. Since 1989 he is an assistant of Dr. Jon Fjeldsa, of Copenhagen Zoological Museum and Natural History of the Univ. of Copenhagen. Working and implementing conservation projects at Nacional and International level. Member of field expeditions with Smithsonian Institute (1997-2000), National Geographic (2000) and others. Honorary Researcher of the Univ. of Plymouth – UK, Associated Researcher of Museo de Historia Natural de la UNMSM, Lima – Perú.

Since 2000 is the president of Asociacion Ecosistemas Andinos – ECOAN, since 2018 is president of Acción Andina and Co-founder of Global Forest Generation, Member of the Steering Commitee of AZE. Grantee of many international donnors and recipient of many local, national and international recognitions as a conservation leader. On 2022 is recognized by United Nations (UN) as Champion of the Earth, on the category of Inspiration and Action. He is a laureate of the 2023 Rolex Initiative Awards, as part of the Perpetual Planet Initiative.

Silvana Baldovino is a Peruvian environmental lawyer with more than 20 years of experience. She has led important processes related to the establishment of national protected areas in the Peruvian Amazon, land securing for Indigenous Peoples in the Peruvian Amazon, and international and national campaigns for environmental defenders. She is director of the Biodiversity and Indigenous Peoples Program in the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law. In this role, she has led a multiactor strategy that has allowed to secure over 3 million hectares of indigenous territories in the Peruvian Amazon.

Silvana has also led the legal strategies that have allowed the creation of more than 10 national and regional protected areas. Currently, Silvana is focused on strengthening the legal framework for the protection of isolated indigenous peoples and environmental defenders, as well as providing legal advisory to indigenous organizations and the Peruvian environmental agencies. In 2023, she was awarded as Top Manager, within the APEC Business Efficiency and Success Target (BEST) Award.

Gabbi Barker is a Senior Associate at Sand River, a venture firm backing companies that protect, restore, and value nature.Raised in South Africa, Gabbi spent her childhood on adventures across Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia — where she forged the connection to the natural world that now shapes her career. She holds a Master’s in Climate Change, Management and Finance from Imperial College London, and previously worked at a leading sustainability consultancy, specialising in climate risk quantification and scenario analysis for corporates.

At Sand River, she sources and evaluates nature-positive startups and works alongside portfolio companies to accelerate their impact and growth. She believes finance is a powerful lever in the shift to a regenerative economy — and has built her career around it.

Professor Lee Baumgartner is Executive Director of the Gulbali Institute (Charles Sturt University) and a Professor of Fisheries and River Management, with over 25 years of experience advancing sustainable rivers, fisheries, and oceans across Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Oceania/Australia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. He currently oversees more than $90 million in research and development programs spanning agriculture, water, and the environment, delivering solutions that balance human needs with ecosystem health.

A globally recognized leader, he advises governments, NGOs, philanthropies, and international think tanks, including parliamentary inquiries and prime ministerial panels, and works with communities worldwide to translate science into action. A passionate advocate for healthy rivers, wetlands and oceans, with particularly experience in the Mekong, Limpopo and Murray-Darling Basins, he communicates widely through media, public lectures, keynotes, and capacity-building initiatives, championing the principle that “a healthy river is an economic and environmental engine”.

Quinn Manson Buchwald (Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana & Manitoba Métis Federation) is Director of the Indigenous and Traditional Peoples Program at Conservation International, where he focuses on partnerships, policy, and engagement with Indigenous Peoples. He has worked with the National Congress of American Indians, the German International Development Agency (GIZ), and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.

Quinn holds degrees in International Relations from American University and the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He is a committed advocate for Indigenous rights in conservation.

Daniele Cesano is the Founder and CEO of LandPrint, a NatureTech company enabling organizations to translate environmental data into decision-ready financial intelligence. With over 20 years of experience in sustainable land use, regenerative agriculture, and natural resource management, he has led and advised international initiatives focused on climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable development.

His work centers on bridging science, technology, and finance to address nature-related risks, supporting organizations in aligning with global frameworks such as TNFD, ISSB, and EU CSRD. Through LandPrint, he leads the development of a digital MRV platform that integrates satellite, field, and supply chain data to support risk assessment, strategic planning, and the structuring of nature-positive financial mechanisms. Daniele holds a PhD in Water and Natural Resources Engineering and has received international recognition, including awards from the United Nations and leading global institutions for innovation in climate and sustainability.

Andrea Crosta is the founder of Earth League International (ELI), an NGO that investigates environmental organized crime. He is also the creator of WildLeaks, the world’s first whistleblower platform dedicated to environmental crime.

For over 15 years, he has been at the forefront of using professional intelligence to combat environmental organized crime. These efforts have targeted deforestation in the Amazon, illegal fishing in the Americas, along with the trafficking of wildlife products. He is widely recognized as an expert on Environmental Crime Convergence, researching how environmental crime intersects with other serious crimes—such as money laundering, human trafficking, and drug trafficking.

George Cusworth is an interdisciplinary social scientist working on sustainable and just food system transitions. He studies the way different cultural, scientific, and ideological forces interact in food system governance, with a particular focus on proteins, livestock agriculture, and alternative approaches to farm management.

Adriana Dinu is an expert with 39 years of experience world-wide working at the interface of biodiversity conservation, climate change and sustainable development. She held senior management positions in United Nations Development Program at the global level as Deputy Director for the Bureau for Policy and Program and Director of Environment, supervising a portfolio of USD 6 billion in grant financing operational in 142 countries.

Prior to joining UNDP she worked with the World Bank as biodiversity expert, Fauna and Flora International in Central America and Southern Africa and IUCN in Eastern Europe, designing and implementing biodiversity conservation projects.

Dr. Naomi Doak has worked in international biodiversity conservation, specializing in efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and protected area management, for over 20 years. She has held positions with IUCN, TRAFFIC and The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

At The Royal Foundation Naomi was key to the development and coordination of United for Wildlife and led the establishment of the Transport and Financial Taskforces, two of the largest private sector led initiatives focused on combatting illegal wildlife trade along with the development of the Earthshot Prize. She is currently the Regional Coordinator for Counter Wildlife Trafficking for WCS, for the Greater Mekong and South Asia.

Georgina Domberger is a senior NGO leader, grant-maker and fundraiser, with more than two decades’ experience working across the global south. She brings deep expertise in identifying locally-led conservation initiatives with the potential to scale. She was formerly Director of the Whitley Fund for Nature, which pioneered the high-profile Whitley Award for effective but often unsung local conservation leaders in Africa, Asia and South America.

Beyond the Whitley Award, she has successfully nominated many leaders for prestigious international recognition, including the Goldman Prize and Indianapolis Prize, enhancing potential for model replication. Georgina is currently a board member of Maliasili, a US-based NGO accelerating high-potential local organisations across Africa. Its portfolio impacts 40M hectares and at least one million people, with plans to invest a further $73M in partners by 2030. She is also a fractional consultant, advising NGOs on strategy, partnerships and impact. She has a particular interest in trust-based philanthropy to foster a more equitable and effective nonprofit sector.

Joanna Elliott recently moved on from her role as Global Conservation Director at Fauna & Flora and now works as a freelance consultant. She sits on the UK Darwin Expert Committee (DEC) and the Earthshot Prize Expert Panel. She holds an Economics degree from Cambridge University and an MBA from the London Business School and spent the early part of her career in corporate finance and as a Consultant with Boston Consulting Group.

She specialises in connecting business and nature conservation. She has advised governments, multi and bi-lateral agencies, NGOs and commercial enterprises on various aspects of environmental policy, protected area management, community-based natural resource management and climate-nature linkages, and for the past 12 years led a global programme of conservation work with partners across 40 countries for Fauna & Flora.

Dr Abigail Entwistle is currently Senior Conservation Director at Fauna & Flora, jointly leading the organisation’s Conservation Programme. She holds a degree in Zoology from Oxford University, and her PhD research focused on bat ecology and conservation. Over the last 25 years she has worked in conservation and community livelihood development from field site to head office, spanning four continents.

She has a particular interest in community-led conservation and in conservation impact assessment, including approaches to this that are inclusive and capture bottom-up, partner and project driven impacts.

Farwiza Farhan is a forest conservationist working to protect, conserve, and restore the Leuser ecosystem in Sumatra, Indonesia. Leuser is the last place on Earth where rhinos, tigers, elephants, and orangutans still roam together in the wild. Farhan firmly believes that conservation should not be an exclusive club, but rather a network of stakeholders—from Indigenous communities to ecologists, lawyers and policymakers, international nonprofits and private sectors—sharing this planet together.

Farhan is the chairperson of Forest, Nature and Environment Aceh Foundation (Yayasan HAkA), a grassroots organization based in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. She focuses primarily on policy and advocacy, working to increase meaningful access and deepen the involvement of women and local communities in policy matters pertaining to their environment and livelihood.

Maria Fedorova a senior social impact and education professional with 15+ years of global experience in the education and cultural sectors. Her work focuses on building strategic multi-stakeholder partnerships and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in higher education.

Key institutional sustainability projects and high-profile partnerships she led: SDG Tent @World Economic Forum, IUCN World Conservation Congress, ChangeNOW, United Nations Academic Impact and COP26.

Adriana Ford is the Centre Manager of the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society. She has two decades of interdisciplinary environmental research experience, particularly on how people value and interact with nature and landscapes. Most recently this has been in the context of wildfires, but previously has included wetlands, coastal communities and invasive species.

Adriana is an advocate for drawing together art and science, and in bringing to the fore diverse experiences and knowledges. For five years she has also served on the evaluation committee for Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership supporting excellent research on biodiversity with an impact on policy and society.

Sophy’s expertise spans international climate policy, nature-based solutions and disaster management. She has delivered high impact climate initiatives for governments, business and multilateral organisations such as the European Commission and UN.

Previously, Sophy was Director at an international business association, promoting global environmental integrity in the voluntary carbon markets & Global Director of nature-based policy at the International Emissions Trading Association. Currently, she is based at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment & Society looking at cutting edge solutions to wildfire risk.

Lindsey Higgins is a climate scientist and communications specialist based in Sweden. She received her PhD in Physical Geography from Stockholm University, where her research focused on human-environment interactions related to climate change and freshwater resources. Lindsey transitioned from academia because she was inspired to bridge the gap between scientific research and meaningful societal change, and today, she specializes in transforming complex information into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.

Atalante began her career in Technology Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley after earning a Master’s in Economics and Finance from École Polytechnique.She is now deepening her focus on conservation through a Master’s in Conservation Biology at the University of Cape Town, where her research explores how ecotourism and blended finance can support nature-based solutions in communal conservancies.

Alongside her academic work, she has advised conservation NGOs on sustainable fundraising strategies, consulted for Anchor Environmental, and worked in the field as an assistant ranger in Namibia and South Africa. Her work combines financial and ecological insight to help design investment frameworks that enable long-term conservation and community-led land stewardship.

Judy Ledlee, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of Duke University’s Design Climate program. Design Climate is a student climate tech incubator where future leaders create innovative triple bottom line organizations that generate positive environmental and societal benefits alongside financial returns.

Judy developed her passion for cleantech innovation during her doctoral studies at Duke University where she researched emerging water treatment technologies. From her work, she co-founded a startup for hydraulic fracturing wastewater recycling. After graduating, she continued her cleantech career in the water industry working for Evoqua (now Dupont and Xylem), Black & Veatch, and ZwitterCo. Throughout her career, she’s continued working on entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial activities, and she enjoys passing on the entrepreneurial bug to new generations of students.

As Senior Director, Global Policy and Advocacy, WWF International, Dr. Lin Li coordinates and leads cross-cutting policy and advocacy, represents WWF in multilateral fora and other policy dialogues, leads WWF International policy and advocacy team. Her work focuses on elevating nature agenda to the highest-level attention and commitments and landing these leader’s commitments in multilateral fora decisions such as that of the CBD and SDGs.

Her expertise covers areas such as biodiversity conservation on the ground, climate changes and technologies, policy advocacy at the highest-level, multiple stakeholder engagement and partnership mobilization, fundraising, program management and impact delivery.

Lehman Lindeque is a seasoned environmental professional with over 34 years of expertise in land degradation and sustainable land management, particularly within agro-ecological systems. He currently serves part-time as Technical Advisor for Sustainable Land Management at UNDP South Africa, supporting national efforts to restore ecosystems and strengthen livelihoods. Lehman holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Newcastle, Australia. His career spans 26 years at the Department of Agriculture as an Agricultural Resource Monitoring Specialist, followed by six years at UNDP managing large-scale projects across four South African landscapes.

Beyond his institutional roles, Lehman is also a part-time livestock and crop farmer, embodying his philosophy of stewardship by maintaining and enhancing the land’s productive capacity. Passionate about understanding and sustainably managing the interaction between people and the environment, he brings a unique blend of technical expertise, project leadership, and lived experience to advancing sustainable land management practices.

Jie Liu is currently the George B Geller Professor of Chemistry at Duke University. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Shandong University in 1987 and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Harvard University in 1996. His research interests include synthesis and chemical functionalization of nanomaterials, nanoelectronic devices, scanning probe microscopy, and carbon nanomaterials.

As a faculty member, Professor Liu has received the DuPont Young Professor Award, Outstanding Oversea Young Investigator Award from NSF-China, Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and Bass Professorship from Duke University for excellence in teaching and research. He is elected as a Fellow in AAAS (2013), APS (2014) and RSC (2013). He also serves as an associate editor for RSC journal Nanoscale between 2012 and 2018. He is currently an associate editor for Nano Research since 2019.

Jane is an ecologist and author with more than 30 years of international experience in natural resource management, with a particular focus on water and wetlands. Her career has been defined by leadership roles that bridge science, policy, and practice to drive systemic environmental and social change.For 19 years, Jane served as CEO of Wetlands International, where she transformed the organisation into a globally recognised network dedicated to conserving and restoring wetland landscapes for biodiversity, human well‑being, and climate resilience at scale. She later became the first Executive Director of the Global Commons Alliance, helping to build a collaborative platform aimed at safeguarding the Earth’s life‑support systems.

Earlier in her career, Jane worked with WWF in both Europe and Australia, contributing to major conservation initiatives and shaping policy responses to environmental challenges.Across all her roles, Jane has forged silo‑breaking partnerships that unlock innovation and deliver durable impact. She is widely recognised for her ability to connect the big picture with grounded, locally driven action, ensuring that global ambitions translate into meaningful outcomes for people and nature.

Driven by a commitment to a more environmentally safe and socially just world, Jane now supports environmental, development, and humanitarian organisations through consultancy and service on advisory boards. She continues to champion approaches that integrate ecological integrity, community leadership, and long‑term resilience.

Fiona Napier is a part time Senior Adviser, based in Nairobi with NatureFinance which seeks to align finance and economic systems with nature and equitable livelihoods. She is also a trustee of the Environmental Funders Network which seeks to improve the level and quality of environmental philanthropy in the UK, and a member of the Advisory Council of Stop Ecocide International. Previous roles include the Nature Lead for the UNFCC Climate Champions Africa. She has been International Advocacy Director with the Open Society Foundations and Associate Campaigns Director on Environmental Governance at Global Witness

Fiona has established and played non-ED roles on the Boards of global multistakeholder initiatives. These include co-founding the Ethical Trading Initiative, the Publish What You Pay campaign and trustee roles with five non-profits, one of which she has chaired – the Lamu Environment Foundation in Kenya, which partners with coastal communities to protect the environment.

Joanna O’Malley is Partnerships Manager at NatureFinance, where she strengthens external partnerships, coordinates stakeholder engagement, and manages the organisation’s Innovation Fund. She established the Fund’s operational framework, creating an inclusive process to design, evaluate, and deliver experimental projects with potential for systems-level impact in nature-positive finance.

Joanna works across NatureFinance’s global portfolio, linking partners from governments, financial institutions, and innovators to advance scalable solutions for nature, climate, and people. She has held roles across the environmental and sustainability sectors, from running education programmes to leading social media and communications initiatives, and holds a Master’s in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society and a Bachelor’s in Zoology.

Francisco Oliveira is a Program Officer for the Andes Amazon Initiative at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, where he leads the implementation of forest and freshwater strategies in Brazil. His work focuses on safeguarding biodiversity and climate function by supporting the protection and effective management of 50 million hectares of Amazon ecosystems. He brings over 25 years of experience in conservation, climate policy, and sustainable land use across the Amazon.

Prior to joining the Foundation, he held leadership roles at Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and WWF-Brazil, working on deforestation control, protected areas, and international cooperation. Francisco collaborates with global donors and partners to advance coordinated conservation strategies. He holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Cambridge where he investigated the impact of environmental law enforcement on deforestation, land use change, and forest restoration in the Amazon.

Sara is the director of Duke’s Master of Engineering in Climate & Sustainability where she empowers engineering leaders of the future with the technical knowledge and skills needed to innovate, design, and scale solutions to climate challenges.

Sara has led teams in design and construction of infrastructure and risk reduction projects including the Governor Cuomo Bridge and the World Trade Center Flood Resiliency Program. Most recently, she was the Deputy Program Director for the FEMA Community Engagement and Risk Communications contract, working with communities to educate them about their risk and motivate them to take action to protect themselves.

A career diplomat, Bruno Pozzi has over 25 years of experience in international relations, diplomacy and global policy. His career spans three continents, where he held important roles in political, environmental and economic affairs. Mr. Bruno Pozzi has recently been appointed Chef de Cabinet of the International Seabed Authority and will assume his new duties end of April 2025. He joins the Authority from the United Nations Environment Programme, where he currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Ecosystems Division.

Previously, he was UNEP’s Regional Director for Europe, based in Geneva, overseeing the pan-European region and the European Union. Prior to joining the United Nations, Bruno held senior positions with the European Union in Kenya and Cote d’Ivoire, as well as Belgium in South Africa, China and Japan. Bruno’s approach to multilateralism is shaped by three core convictions. First, political and technical expertise are at the heart of multilateralism. Second, sustainable development, peace and prosperity cannot be achieved without a holistic approach that brings socioeconomic and environmental considerations into development policies. Third, economic transformation and innovation can and must be leveraged as key drivers of a sustainable future for all.

Senior development and innovation professional with 20 years of experience supporting small businesses and startups advancing inclusive finance, gender-intentional approaches, and climate innovation across Latin America and Africa. Currently Co-Lead of the Secretariat of the CIFAR Alliance, a global network of over 70 organizations advancing inclusive climate finance and adaptation solutions in emerging markets.

Holds a PhD in Public Management, an MA in Political Science, and has two BAs in Law, Diplomacy, and International Relations. Global Shaper alumni of the WorldEconomic Forum, Mentor for Startups at LATAM Irrazonable, and MassChallenge. Regular columnist on Innovation, Climate, and Capital, LEGOSERIOUSPLAY Certified Facilitator.

Born a naturalist, trained as a zoologist and pioneering conservationist . His career spans fifty years during which time he has been a wildlife ranger, crocodile rancher, Marine Conservationist and Director of two county wildlife trusts.

For the last thirty years he has been CEO of Fauna&Flora the worlds oldest and one other most respected International Wildlife conservation with programs both terrestrial and marine spanning  forty countries. He has been involved with the The Earthshot Prize since its inception helping to shape it from the start and has been Expert in Residence (nature and oceans ) for the last three years .

Dr Kashif Shaad is the Director of Freshwater Science & Sustainability at Conservation International. His work is focused on the question of how right information, provided the right time, can tip the balance in favour of improved protection, restoration, and management of freshwater ecosystems. While with his research interests, he tinkers in building mathematical models and geospatial analysis to better understanding the flow of water through natural systems — his work is rooted in applying these approaches for improved water security and the often-intertwined issues of water governance, biodiversity, climate and community-engagement.

At Conservation International, he has led the effort for developing methods and tools for freshwater health assessments. His recent efforts have been on advancing the implementation of projects that align freshwater benefits with climate change mitigation & adaptation potential. A mechanical engineer by training, he also holds a masters in hydroinformatics and a PhD in environmental engineering.

Dawa Yangi Sherpa is a Sherpa-Nepali advocate, scholar, and conservation practitioner at the intersection of Indigenous Peoples rights, biocultural diversity, and environmental (in)justice. She holds a Master’s in Environmental Policy and a Bachelor’s in Biology, and has contributed to Grassroots Responses to Extractivism: Case Studies from Around the World.

As Global Social Safeguards Specialist for the Rights + Communities program at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), she centers the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as a cornerstone of equitable conservation.Beyond WCS, Dawa serves as a Group of Advisors member for the Tenure Facility (2024–2027), Expert Advisor on Indigenous Peoples for the Earthshot Prize, and has held board roles with the United Sherpa Association, Climate Cooperative Futures, and Greens REALIGN.

An author, changemaker, and social entrepreneur, Carry’s work connects the worlds of fashion, nature, and creativity. She co-founded Fashion Revolution, the world’s largest fashion activism movement, and founded Pachacuti, the world’s first Fair Trade certified company and a pioneer of supply chain transparency. Her work has influenced industries worldwide, from championing artisans to investigating microfibre pollution to exploring the future of plant fibres and dyes as a Churchill Fellow.

Her book The Nature of Fashion (Sep 25) explores the entwined histories of plants and textiles, uncovering the threads that have shaped our world and the choices defining our material future

Ed Thorne is a Founding Partner at Sand River, an investment firm backing early-stage companies that value, Protect and Restore Nature. His work is driven by a belief that transitioning from an extractive to a regenerative economy represents one of the most significant investment opportunities of our time, and a critical pathway to restoring Earth’s natural systems. At Sand River, Ed works closely with portfolio companies on strategy, growth and go-to-market, combining his operational and investment expertise to help them build scalable, nature-positive businesses.

He leads the investment pipeline from sourcing through to execution. Ed began his career in fast-growing technology businesses, building B2B sales teams and expanding into new markets. He later led commercial strategy at Loop, a pioneering circular economy platform, where he developed deep experience aligning commercial success with environmental impact, and supporting the growth of mission-driven ventures.

Charlotte is an experienced sustainability and business professional, deeply committed to work that delivers positive and lasting impact on people’s lives, communities and the environment.With experience advising private sector, government and non-profit organisations, Charlotte is experienced in shaping business strategy, scaling businesses, sustainability reporting, and corporate governance. Charlotte is passionate about protecting and restoring nature, in the UK and globally, and sustainable food and farming systems.

She is a Board Trustee for the Royal Countryside Fund, supporting farm businesses and rural communities. From December 2021 to December 2023, Charlotte was seconded from EY to the Sustainable Markets Initiative, joining the Executive Team as Chief Governance and Reporting Officer, working with a network of 200+ global CEOs and 20 Task Forces driving action and impact across a range of high focus sustainability areas including Agribusiness and Natural Capital Investment.

Amy is the Kaplan Senior Research Fellow in Felid Conservation and Professor of Wildlife Conservation at Oxford University, and has over 25 years experience working on large carnivores in Africa, specialising in human-carnivore conflict. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a PhD from University College London, and has published over 80 scientific papers and book chapters on large carnivore ecology and conservation.

She is a member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, the Human-Wildlife Conflict Collaboration, the African Lion Working Group, the IUCN Human-Wildlife Conflict task Force, and is a National Geographic Explorer. She has received multiple awards for her work, including the Rabinowitz-Kaplan Prize for the Next Generation in Wild Cat Conservation and the St Louis Zoo Conservation Award.

Frank is GRST’s Chief Strategy Officer focused on global partnerships, business strategy, and sustainability. Based in Hong Kong, GRST (Green Renewable Sustainable Technology) uses water-based coating technology to make lithium-ion batteries which are non-toxic (no PFAS), low carbon footprint, and highly recyclable to enable a circular battery economy.

Originally from Canada, he has worked in Asia for 25 years initially in private equity and electric micromobility (e3Ws) before joining GRST in 2021.

Larissa Lockwood is Global Action Plan’s Director of Policy and Campaigns, an environmental charity working on issues at the nexus of environment and health.With practical programmes and public engagement providing rooted insights, GAP advocates for wider, systemic change for cleaner air, a safe, well-regulated online info ecosystem and generations of children equipped to act collectively for people and planet. She was previously GAP’s Director of Clean Air for five years, working to phase out the burning of forest and fossil fuels in urban areas, with a focus on public engagement, healthcare, schools, community action, and policy change on domestic burning and gas cooking.

Global Action Plan runs the UK’s Clean Air Day and Clean Air Night campaigns. Larissa has 25 years’ experience in the sustainability sector. She has advised government, helped establish the NHS Sustainable Development Unit, drafted the first NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy, and also led The Carbon Trust’s flagship public sector carbon management programmes. She has an academic background in Behavioural Science (BSc) and Sustainable Development (MProf).

Vijaya Ramachandran is the director for energy and development at the Breakthrough Institute. She works on access to energy and energy finance in poor countries. She has three decades of experience in public policy and academia, serving on the faculty of Duke University and Georgetown University, as well as working at the World Bank, the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General, and the Center for Global Development.

Vijaya serves on the board of the Energy for Growth Hub and Precision Development. Her work is published in Foreign Policy, Nature, and World Development, and is cited by over fifty media outlets including The Economist, The Financial Times, and The New York Times. Vijaya holds a PhD in Business Economics from Harvard University.

Shirley Rodrigues has headed world-leading initiatives to tackle the climate emergency, reduce air pollution and restore nature in London and globally. Most recently this included the Ultra Low Emission Zone, the world’s largest clean air zone of its kind as well as programmes and inclusive policies to make London a net zero carbon city by 2030 and more resilient to climate impacts.

Previously she oversaw a global climate change grants portfolio at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), developing their first cities strategy and making grants to support climate action in China and Brazil and by international co-operation networks. She has held various executive positions in government in the UK.She currently holds various roles including on the Our Common Air Commission, Breathe Cities Advisory Committee, and C40 Cities Board.

Clare originally trained as a clinical pharmacist specialising in oncology. Her work with lung cancer patients sparked a deep interest in air pollution and its health impacts. Since 2014, she has organised and led expert health groups to lobby policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels for stronger air quality regulations to protect public health and the environment.

Clare recently completed a PhD focused on bridging the gap between health evidence and environmental policy and is currently teaching at the University of Melbourne. She is also the co-founder of IdleOff Australia, an advocacy group dedicated to reducing children’s exposure to vehicle emissions.

Richard Washington is Professor of Climate Science at the University of Oxford.He is an expert in aerosols, particularly in mineral aerosol emissions and transport. His work also involves mechanisms of climate change relating to both rainfall and temperature. He has run numerous large field campaigns aimed at collecting data from regions key to climate but for which existing data is particularly sparse.

As Marine Director, Sophie Benbow leads Fauna & Flora’s marine programme, supporting implementation of the organisation’s marine portfolio globally across 19 countries. Sophie supports knowledge exchange and communication between Fauna & Flora’s marine projects and partners, and promotes external collaboration. She has worked for Fauna & Flora for over ten years supporting marine project delivery and development across Asia, Africa and Eurasia, and previously led coral reef research and sustainable small scale fisheries management focussed in Madagascar.

David Booth is Professor of Marine Ecology at University of Technology Sydney, and Research Associate at Sydney Institute of Marine Science. He researches how reef-fish ecology and fisheries respond to climate change and other anthropogenic impacts, in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Great Barrier Reef, including a 22 year dataset on tropical fish travelling down the East Australian Current past Sydney.

He studies seahorses and seadragons, and is global seadragon focus person and a member of IUCN Special Species Group for Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragons. He also researches the impacts and values of artificial reefs, from small reef enhancements adjacent to Sydney Opera House to global offshore oil and gas structures. He is a strong advocate for marine protection and a technical advisor to Plastic Oceans Australia.

Thomas Brook is a specialist in ocean–climate solutions at WWF, with a focus on blue carbon, regenerative ocean farming, and the role of oceans in climate mitigation and adaptation.

Olivia is the Head of Investments at Founders Factory, having overseen 60+ global investments across the company in partnership with corporate partners including Rio Tinto, Aviva, Johnson & Johnson and Pico Group.

Olivia has lead the investments into 15 ocean tech companies and had a core role in launching operations of an investment and startup programme for Founders Factory in Australia. This has included a partnership with the Western Australian Government focused on supporting nature tech startups.

Yingying Chen is a Singapore-based specialist in carbon and emissions reduction, with over a decade of experience in infrastructure and energy. She focuses on strategic advisory, sustainable finance, and low-carbon solutions, with international experience spanning MENA, ASEAN, and Greater China.

Tanya Ferry is Managing Director of Panthalassa Ltd, with over 15 years’ experience in the maritime industry. She specialises in the marine environment, with a focus on marine conservation and improving environmental performance through innovation.

Chair of the Nature Risk Working Group, leading TNFD LEAP implementation, portfolio double‑materiality assessments, ARR carbon credit modelling, and geospatial/temporal nature‑risk analysis across corporates, FIs, and sovereigns.

Dr Hart has over 40 years’ experience in aquaculture working in a variety of positions in the commercial sector, government, research, lecturing, consultancy and the eNGO sector in both Australia and the United Kingdom. He has a BSc in Fishery Science and a PhD in flatfish larval rearing from the University of Tasmania and has been involved in salmonid, marine fish, abalone and rock lobster farming recirculation systems, development of aquaculture teaching courses and certification of sustainable and organic aquaculture in Australia and the UK.

He has published numerous papers on a diverse range of aquaculture issues and research. He was also a Director of SARF and the IFFO RS TAG and was on the Steering Group for the ASC Feed Dialogue. Dr Hart has been working for the WWF since 2009 and was the Global Aquaculture Lead until 2017. His most recent work is focussed on impacts of fish and livestock feed ingredients within the global Food System and seaweed production.

Kaitlyn Hejin Kim is a Director at Standard Chartered, working in sustainable and climate-related finance.

Jasmine Hussain is an Assistant Director in Sustainable Finance Solutions at Standard Chartered Bank. She previously worked at Temasek as an Associate focused on nature-based solutions, where she conducted research on carbon markets and supported due diligence on investment opportunities.

Jasmine has also held roles at Sustainalytics and the University of Edinburgh, and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh.

Daniel Kleinman is the Founder and CEO of Seaworthy Collective. Daniel’s career spanned piloting, testing, and design for marine robotics – from ocean science and exploration at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to naval research at Bluefin Robotics and as a US Navy contractor.

Daniel has been recognized as the youngest Laureate of Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s Prize for Innovative Philanthropy, a 30 Under 30 by the University of Miami, a Future Climate Leader by the Aspen Institute, and a TEDxBoston Planetary Stewardship speaker.

Eugène Klerk is a Managing Director at Standard Chartered and as the Head of Sustainability Insights is responsible for generating and coordinating the firm’s sustainability-related content. ​He has published extensively on Nature, Blue Economy, Carbon, Circular Economy and Energy Transition-related challenges and solutions. Prior to joining Standard Chartered Eugene worked for Credit Suisse, where for 10 years he was responsible for sustainable thematic and ESG research and managed the Global ESG research team. In addition Eugène was the head of the Sustainability pillar of the Credit Suisse Research Institute.

Eugène started his career in the mid-90s as an emerging markets fixed income and equity analyst. During this time, he was responsible for the EMEA Research team at Credit Suisse First Boston and achieved multiple top 3 rankings in major surveys.​ Eugène holds a master’s degree in applied mathematics.

Ivy Lim is a sustainability and product leader focused on harnessing technology to accelerate environmental and social impact at scale. She is a Senior Product Owner of the ESG Navigator platform, leading solutions across climate risk and client environmental, social, and reputational risk assessments at Standard Chartered Bank.

Ivy actively supports the next generation of changemakers as a mentor and judge for ESG related entrepreneurship incubator programmes. Beyond her professional work, she contributes to ground‑level conservation efforts in Singapore, including native plant propagation, and butterfly and phasmid conservation.

A qualified sustainability professional with over fifteen years of experience identifying and pragmatically managing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks, in accordance with international lender standards and global best practise. Possessing knowledge of the evolving sustainability landscape to help investors meet legislative and regulatory requirements, and the emergence of stakeholder capitalism. Strong communication and relationship management skills help to support the advancement and promotion of the sustainability agenda to both internal and external stakeholders.

Zhe Xian is a Transition Finance and Advisory specialist at Standard Chartered, where he advises on the decarbonisation of hard to abate sectors. His experience spans across energy transition themes including batteries, biofuels, low-carbon hydrogen and derivatives, and renewables.

As a former M&A and corporate strategy specialist at Standard Chartered and OCBC, he brings deep transactional experience with a focus on scaling the global energy transition.

Loreley Picourt works at the science-policy interface for a better integration of the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus into decision-making. She was the Executive Director of the Ocean & Climate Platform (2020-2025) and the UNFCCC’s focal point for Ocean and Coastal Zones of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, whose flagship initiative is the Ocean Breakthroughs to deliver for People, Climate and Nature. Loreley is also an Edinburgh Ocean Leader and part of the Friends of Ocean Action.

Dr. Serge Raemaekers is a social entrepreneur and Co-founder of ABALOBI, a fisher-led initiative in South Africa that supports the social, economic, and ecological sustainability of small-scale fisheries. With over 20 years of experience in fisheries science and community-based ocean governance, he focuses on empowering marginalised fishing communities through inclusive fisheries management, data stewardship, and direct market access.

Through ABALOBI, he has helped develop digital tools and programmes that strengthen community-supported fisheries, climate adaptation, and equitable value chains, with approaches now being replicated internationally.

For the past five years, Daniel Schaeffer has lead Pew’s work on enforcement and technology as part of the efforts to end illegal fishing and joined the Trusts after 27 years in United States Coast Guard. He served as the head of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Fisheries and Marine Protected Enforcement guiding the Coast Guard’s efforts to protect living marine resources through law enforcement activities. His experience spanned the full range of fisheries enforcement actions including over 350 at sea and dockside boardings, operational planning and oversight, policy development, drafting of regulations and intergovernmental cooperation.

For over three decades he has been intimately involved with international fisheries enforcement in nearly every corner of the globe including multilateral meetings, treaty negotiations, as a member of United States delegations to various regional fisheries management organizations, U.S. Coast Guard representative to enforcement meetings, bilateral enforcement agreements, operational discussions and planning assessments and development of enforcement capacity.

Sona is a senior finance executive with experience across Goldman Sachs, Temasek and Standard Chartered. Sona is based in Singapore and joined the Chief Sustainability Officer team at SCB in 2021 initially focusing on the Net Zero Program and the CSO transformation program, before moving to focus on Blended Finance Programmes in Asia. Her work focuses on developing innovative partnerships and programmes that mobilise philanthropic, development and private capital across emerging markets.

Francis Staub is a marine conservation and ocean governance expert with more than 30 years of experience working across science, policy and international cooperation. Founder of Blue Pangolin Consulting, he has played a long-standing strategic role in global coral reef conservation through advisory positions to governments and international initiatives, including International Coral Reef Initiative, and through authorship of flagship global assessments with the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

His work spans coral reefs, marine protected areas and sustainable finance, and more recently has focused on the governance and conservation of the High Seas. In 2024, he has been awarded the Coral Reef Conservation Award by the International Coral Reef Society, recognising his dedication and passion for the preservation of the world’s coral reefs. He has been appointed as a member of the Programme Committee for the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference.

Terry Tamminen is President/CEO of the non-profit “blue economy” hub AltaSea. In 2003, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him Secretary of California’s Environmental Protection Agency. He cofounded the Catalytic Finance Foundation, which works globally to deploy climate solutions at scale, and provides policy advice to 7th Generation Advisors, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Pegasus Capital Advisors, and the UN Green Climate Fund.

Terry’s books include “Watercolors: How JJ the Whale Saved Us” and “Cracking the Carbon Code: The Keys to Sustainable Profits in the New Economy”. The Guardian ranked Terry No. 1 in its “Top 50 People Who Can Save the Planet.

Belle Tan is an Associate in Nature Finance at Standard Chartered, working on nature-related finance solutions. She has a background in environmental science and public policy, with experience across sustainability consulting and banking and finance.

Craig is a multi-award-winning B Corp entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in conservation and environmental leadership. He is the CEO of ORSS Project, an organisation dedicated to restoring ocean health and strengthening coastal economies. He specialises in building initiatives that raise awareness, mobilise funding, and deliver measurable impact across the conservation sector. With a deep-rooted passion for marine ecosystems, Craig is a highly experienced scuba diver and long-time advocate for shark and ocean conservation.

As the founder of OPR Consulting, he focuses on ocean restoration and innovative finance mechanisms such as Blue Bonds, aligning ecological outcomes with sustainable investment. His work is supported by a global network and hands-on field experience across Africa, Asia and beyond.

Adrien Vincent is the founder and president of Albatros Advisory, an advisory boutique specialised in the ocean sustainability space. Adrien is currently advising the European Commission and the UN Global Compact on their seaweed programs, respectively EU4Algae and the Global Seaweed Coalition.

Adrien also works with the International Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS). He regularly works with ocean investment funds and start-ups on their impact journey towards a healthy ocean. Besides, Adrien is working with RespectOcean to set up a blue SME sustainability transition program.

Mark is a highly experienced and professional leader with a passion for sustainable living and mainstreaming innovation led economic development through technology and science. A Chartered Civil Engineer (ICE Fellow) and expanded in to most aspects of delivery of the built environment and wider cross cutting industries – in particular in maritime and defence, around dual use technologies. With an extensive network he enjoys a wide range of activities and group memberships to benefit from the wealth of innovation and forward thinking available, particularly around subjects like clean mobility, inclusivity and social value.

Particular focus of career has been on innovation; investment and economic growth; market making and cluster development; in defence, energy, maritime and non-road elements of transport as they face challenges of decarbonising and adopting new technologies around digitisation and autonomy.

Chris Wu is a Vice President on the Builders Vision Investment Team and is energized by improving ocean health and scaling the blue economy through funding businesses, projects, and funds. Before joining Builders Vision, Chris was a Vice President at Impact Engine, a venture capital and private equity firm investing in companies and funds driving positive impact in the areas of economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health equity, where he specialized in climate tech investments.

Prior to Impact Engine, Chris spent 10 years as an engineering consultant providing structural engineering services for the design and construction of municipal water infrastructure as well as green buildings, including the world’s first skyscraper to earn LEED Platinum certification.

Rachel Arthur is one of the fashion industry’s leading systems thinkers, sustainability strategists and writers. She is the founder of the Beyond Fashion Institute, a non-profit dedicated to research and knowledge exchange for systems change in fashion, as well as the Advocacy Lead for Sustainable Fashion at the UN Environment Programme, where she focuses on challenging industry norms, accelerating circularity in the sector and addressing unchecked production volumes.

She authored the UNEP x UN Climate Change Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook on this basis in 2023, and a foundational report for Textile Exchange on reimagining growth in 2024. Rachel formerly led the industry strategy for Google’s environmental data platform in partnership with WWF and Stella McCartney. She is an award-winning business journalist by background, a TED speaker and an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University.

Laura Balmond is Strategy Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, with over a decade of experience advancing circular economy adoption. She specialises in leading complex programmes, strategy development, and operational delivery, with a focus on translating circular economy principles into actionable outcomes and organisational impact.

Claire Bergkamp is the CEO of Textile Exchange. Since joining in 2020, Claire has helped the organization to drive forward a collective climate strategy for the industry, grounded in holistic systems thinking on the interconnected impacts of climate, soil health, water, and biodiversity.

Prior to Textile Exchange, Claire was the Worldwide Sustainability and Innovation Director at Stella McCartney, leading the global environmental, human rights, and innovation strategy for the brand. Beyond helping to secure Stella McCartney’s place at the forefront of sustainable luxury, she played a leadership role in a range of industry initiatives too.

Mark Bowers is an Associate Director and the Materials Skills Leader at Arup based in London, a multi-disciplinary consultancy operating across the built environment.Mark is a chartered engineer and materials scientist working on the application of materials in the built environment. As part of his role, he looks to understand how new technologies and innovations can be successfully applied in, and scaled up for application in, the built environment.

Mark has worked across 5 continents through his career, leading teams in New York and London and delivered projects of all scales from domestic housing through to large infrastructure projects.

Mark Buckley is the Fashion and Textiles Lead for Circular Business Models at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, where he sets the strategic direction for accelerating circular business models in the fashion industry and driving the sector toward market-wide transformation.He oversees the Foundation’s flagship demonstration project, The Fashion ReModel, which helps leading companies decouple revenue from production and scale circular business models such as resale, repair, rental, and remaking.

Mark has previously designed and shaped the Foundation’s design sprints and collaborative project programmes, creating experiences that help businesses build the business case for circular models, and has helped inform the Foundation’s broader strategy for collaborative action. He is an active voice on collaboration in the circular economy, drawing on his experience in service and product design as well as reusable packaging systems.

Ruth Elisa Castro Cerón is a chemical engineer and sustainability strategist with over 20 years of experience in the design and implementation of ESG, climate change, biodiversity, and circular economy strategies across Latin America. She holds master’s degrees in Environmental Management and Renewable Energy, and has led processes in more than 120 operations within multinational environments.

She is the creator of the FAN ESG Methodology, designed to structure, measure and manage sustainability performance under international standards, with the aim of scaling projects and democratizing sustainability. Her approach facilitates decision-making, risk management and access to sustainable financing opportunities She currently promotes sustainability through her social media platforms while advising companies, foundations, and public sector entities on integrating sustainability as a strategic driver for competitiveness and long-term value creation.

Professor Jonas Gomes da Silva  is a Brazilian native living in the Amazon rainforest who has generated a transformative impact across the public, private, and third sectors for 28 years. His mission is to share knowledge and create a positive legacy for humanity and the planet, fully aligned with The Earthshot Prize’s ambitious goals.

He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from Gunma University (Japan) and completed his postdoctoral research in Sustainability at The University of Manchester (UK). He is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM). His expertise spans Total Quality Management (TQM), Strategic Planning, Project Management, and Social Innovation, with a recent focus on Artificial Intelligence, Smart Cities, and Net Zero strategies adopted by leading sustainable cities worldwide.

As a Nominator and member of The Earthshot Prize Expert Advisory Panel, Dr Silva helps to identify, evaluate, and recommend the most promising solutions for restoring the planet. His dedication is demonstrated by more than 17,619 hours of teaching and supervision, research, as well as impactful volunteer work, including projects that have planted 1,000 trees and improved the lives of more than 5,291 people in the Amazon region.

Ms. Bezawit Eshetu is a Circular Economy Specialist and a strong advocate of creating synergies and forging partnerships to maximize impact.She has over 15 years of experience, specializing in environmental management, sustainable development, climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions, green growth, Circular economy solutions, policy dialogues, program design, and implementation. Working with different bilateral and multilateral partners like UN agencies, government entities, and private sectors has given her a whole rounded understanding of how to create inclusive fair, and sustainable solutions.

Bezawit holds a Master of Science in Botany/Plant Biology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry, both from Addis Ababa University. She is an Ellen MacArthur Foundation Circular Economy Pioneer, FLTC Africa program 2020 batch, executive team member at African Circular Economy Network, currently working as Regional coordinator at ACEN Foundation and founder at Circular Alternatives.

Nic Gorini is a seasoned entrepreneur and innovation leader with over 25 years of experience driving sustainable transformation in the consumer industry. He co-founded Spin Ventures to accelerate the adoption of circular and regenerative business models by connecting climate-tech innovators with global corporations. His strategic approach has helped scale impactful solutions across material science, reverse logistics, and re-commerce platforms.

Karl Gygax is Director of Supply Chain Solutions at DP World, leading innovative logistics projects that advance sustainable global trade. With extensive experience in supply chain strategy, Karl focuses on creating efficient, resilient, and environmentally responsible supply networks. His work bridges commercial, operational, and sustainability objectives to deliver lasting impact.

Dondi is responsible for leading Circulate Capital’s investment activities in the Southeast Asia region.He has over 25 years of experience in banking and private equity. Prior to joining Circulate Capital, Dondi was a Partner at Patamar Capital, leading investment efforts across Southeast Asia at the intersection of impact and tech.

Prior to this, he held leadership roles at HSBC, Bank Danamon Indonesia, and Sampoerna Strategic’s microfinance project. Dondi serves on the board of the Indonesia Impact Alliance, a network of impact investing stakeholders with a goal of catalysing more impact investments in Indonesia.

Feroz Koor is the Group Sustainability Officer for Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL), a leading South African-headquartered retailer with operations across the southern hemisphere. He is responsible for driving the overall sustainability strategy and performance of WHL across its operations in Africa and Australasia, covering the Woolworths and Country Road Group businesses.

Since 2007, Feroz has led sustainability efforts at listed South African companies in the telecommunications, FMCG, and retail sectors. He trained as a lawyer and prior to focusing on sustainability, he was an attorney in private practice and then a legal advisor to the Auditor-General of South Africa. He earned his BA and LLB degrees from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Jessica is Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer of Closed Loop Partners and CEO of Closed Loop Builders, the company’s operating group. As Chief Strategy Officer, Jessica leads growth initiatives across Closed Loop Partners, working across all investment platforms and with the firm’s innovation center.

As CEO of Closed Loop Builders, Jessica helps the team incubate, build and scale circular economy businesses across the U.S. The first company launched within Closed Loop Builders is Circular Services, the largest privately held recycling and circular economy services company in the U.S.

Martijn is a serial entrepreneur who has built a number of successful companies in software, mobile and digital media in California. After he came back to the Netherlands he decided to focus his energy on transitioning the world from a “take, make and dispose” linear economy to a circular economy in which materials can be upcycled and reused. For six years he has served as the CEO of Black Bear, a circular economy company that retrieves high-value materials from end-of-life tires, followed by four years as CEO of Circle Economy Foundation, an Amsterdam based impact organisation and author of the Circularity Gap Report.

He is now leveraging his skills, knowledge and network as Partner with Regeneration.VC backing world changing entrepreneurs in the circular economy. He is a frequent speaker at conferences such as World Economic Forum, COP, UNGA Climate Week, and TEDx. Martijn holds an MSc in Applied Physics from TU Delft and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Nicola Mackay is Food Surplus Campaign Manager at Tesco, where she helps lead Community Food Connection and wider surplus‑redistribution partnerships that move good food from stores and distribution centres to charities nationwide.

Working closely with partners including FareShare and OLIO, Nicola focuses on reliable, respectful logistics and governance so surplus gets to people who need it—safely and at scale. Tesco are now seeing millions of meals redistributed each month, a 300‑million‑meal programme milestone since 2015—evidence of sustained, practical impact for communities across the UK

Sophie is a material futurist, advising business leaders and founders in mitigating our environmental crisis through material science. With 25 years of global experience working with brands like Nike to shape material innovation, strategically supporting policymakers and NGOs such as the Textile Exchange and Fashion for Good, and driving grassroots change within the textile supply base, she is considered one of the world-renowned authorities in the field.

Following Sophie’s trailblazing work in Biosynthetics and later Fibre Fragmentation, she founded The Microfibre Consortium to bring the topic to the mainstream agenda. Sophie works strategically, thinks visionary, talks passionately, and facilitates collective action for the sake of bold change.

Thomas is currently Senior Managing Director (CEO’s Office) of Keppel Ltd., a leading mainboard listed company in Singapore. Keppel is a global asset manager with deep operating capabilities in Connectivity, Infrastructure and Real Estate. It currently has US$55 billion of asset-under-management.

He was previously Division CEO of Keppel’s Data Centres & Networks Division. The Division is part of the Connectivity Platform within Keppel Ltd. Thomas’ career in Keppel group spanned across its offshore & marine, infrastructure, telecommunications and logistics businesses since 2002. Prior to Keppel, he was an Investment Manager with Vertex Management (United Kingdom), the venture capital arm of Singapore Technologies.

Thomas started his career in the Economic Development Board and Singapore Tourism Board which are both economic agencies within Singapore Government.

Amy is an independent consultant based in Massachusetts with over 40 years of experience in the environmental field. Her primary areas of expertise are zero waste and green chemistry, and her work includes strategy, stakeholder engagement, writing, and mentoring individuals and startups in the clean tech space.

Amy spent many years working in government around the US, starting and leading zero waste initiatives, including those on the demand side of the recycling loop. Amy was named 2023 northeast sustainability mentor of the year by the Clean Tech Open accelerator. She has authored numerous articles and publications on clean tech, green chemistry, and zero waste.

Iñigo Ruiz-Apilánez is a civil engineer with over 15 years of experience planning and designing sustainable and resilient infrastructure across a wide variety of countries and contexts. Since 2013, his main professional focus has been helping vulnerable governments and communities to improve their access to essential services and become more resilient to climate change.

As the leader of Arup’s WaSH and Climate Adaptation team within the International Development group, Iñigo oversees impactful projects in partnership with governments, multilaterals, NGOs, and other international organizations. In 2020, Iñigo moved to Peru to join the Peru Reconstruction Programme, where he is now the Technical Leader and Programme Director. This programme aims to rebuild social infrastructure affected by the 2017 El Niño event while strengthening both the Peruvian National Infrastructure Authority as well as local communities and making them more resilient against future climate challenges.

Fiona Sykes is an Associate Director at Arup, with extensive experience in the design and delivery of major waste and resource management infrastructure across Asia. Her work focuses on helping cities and organisations move away from disposal‑led systems towards a future where waste is prevented, materials are kept in use, and resources are recovered safely and responsibly.

Fiona has advised governments, development agencies and private sector clients on waste strategy, upstream collection, source separation, recycling and recovery systems, and the role of large‑scale infrastructure within a broader, holistic waste management ecosystem. This includes the responsible use of facilities such as sorting, recycling and waste‑to‑energy to manage residual waste, while enabling a transition toward more circular outcomes over time. Through her work, Fiona supports practical pathways that accelerate the transition towards a waste‑free world, where systems are designed to eliminate waste rather than manage it.

Anna Turrell is the Global Chief Sustainability Officer at Mars Snacking. She previously served as Chief Sustainability Officer at Decathlon, Group Sustainability Director at Tesco, and Head of Sustainability at Nestlé. Anna is a recognized global sustainability leader with nearly 20 years’ experience in the consumer goods, retail and consulting industries in Europe and Asia.

Anna is passionate about collaborating with stakeholders across the value chain to tackle complex sustainability challenges and create shared value for businesses, communities, and the planet.

A chartered materials engineer working at Arup, Emily has a wealth of materials sustainability expertise, from embodied carbon and life cycle assessments through to ecotoxicity and biomaterials. Supporting clients around the world, across sectors, Emily’s work focuses on supporting client and project teams in understanding the holistic impacts associated with their work, and co-creating strategies to reduce this impact, for people and the planet.

Shaway Yeh is Founder of yehyehyeh, a consultancy working at the intersection of sustainability, creativity, and innovation to support value-driven change across the fashion industry. She is a leading voice on fashion and culture in China, previously serving as Editorial Director of Modern Weekly, and has been recognised on the BOF 500 list since 2014.

Through yehyehyeh, she works with global brands and institutions including LVMH, Kering, and Global Fashion Agenda, and has launched initiatives such as the Shan Future Forum and Sustasia Fashion Prize to advance sustainable innovation in fashion across Asia.

Rainer is Arup’s UKIMEA Resource and Waste Business Leader. He is a Chartered Engineer and Waste Manager with a first class university degree in waste management and recycling technology. He has over 24 years of experience in environmental engineering in both the public and private sectors. Rainer’s experience in resource and waste management is very broad providing strategic advice on waste policy and legislation, the development of sustainable resource and waste management strategies, and feasibility studies including business case modelling.

Rainer has also in-depth experience in waste PFI/PPP procurement and implementation of new waste management infrastructure having lead large multi-disciplinary teams of designers, planners, scientists, engineers and technical specialists.He has worked on waste management projects in over 20 countries spanning five continents.

Madhav Acharya has over 25 years of experience in energy and climate technologies across the corporate, government and startup sector. After receiving his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware, he spent 18 years at ExxonMobil in a variety of roles covering technology development, licensing, manufacturing, capital projects, operations support and strategy.

Dr Acharya then joined ARPA-E as a Technology to Market Advisor, where he led the first ARPA-E SCALEUP program in 2019 that awarded 75 M$ in funding for first of a kind projects. He then worked as VP Commercialization at Syzygy Plasmonics and as a Breakthrough Energy Fellow. Dr Acharya currently serves as Head of Commercialization at Mark1, a spinout of RMI and Deep Science Ventures. Mark works with technology companies and, through a structured approach, leverages its expertise and extensive network to plan and co-develop their first commercial-scale projects.

Emily has extensive experience working with businesses on their decarbonisation efforts which she brings to her role as Senior Advisor and Engagement Lead for The Climate Pledge at Global Optimism. Prior to this, she was Head of Communications, Advocacy and Partnerships at the UN Global Compact Network UK, Programme Director at Chapter Zero – the Directors’ Climate Forum and Network Director at the UKSSD.

Emily worked for award-winning sustainability charity Bioregional, including leading its advocacy work during the SDG negotiations and at COP21. Her early career was spent working in NGOs in the social justice and community development sectors.

Imelda Bacudo is a Climate Social Scientist specializing in sustainable agrifood systems, with over two decades of experience in climate policy, finance, and capacity building. She co-founded the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network with ASEAN Member States and has served as a Senior Advisor to UN agencies and international development organizations.

She has led high-level climate initiatives, helping to secure the endorsement of 160 states in the COP28 Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action. With expertise in policy negotiation, climate finance, and institutional strengthening, she has worked across Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, driving impactful change.

Roy Bedlow is the Founder and Chief Executive of Low Carbon, and a purpose‑driven entrepreneur focused on tackling climate change. Under his leadership, Low Carbon has grown into one of the UK’s leading renewable energy companies and the country’s number one solar developer, delivering more than 8GW of renewable power with over 16GW in development – enough to power more than seven million homes. Founded in 2011, Low Carbon is a long‑standing certified B Corp operating across the UK and Europe, investing in and operating large‑scale solar, wind and battery storage projects.

Roy began his career in the global technology sector, with leadership roles at Apple and Palm, before dedicating his work to climate action. Beyond Low Carbon, he serves as Director of Oxygen House, is a Board member of Sparx, a Trustee of the 1851 Trust, and a Shareholder of Open Planet.

Charlie Bevan is Associate Director, Environmental and Social Risk Management at Standard Chartered, where he focuses on integrating sustainability and climate considerations into financial decision-making. He brings experience across sustainable finance and investor engagement, including roles at Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and Truestone Impact Investment Management. Charlie holds an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy (Sustainable Finance) from SOAS University of London.

Ioannis Binietoglou is an atmospheric scientist currently working as a remote sensing policy manager at Clean Air Task Force (CATF), a non-profit organization that promotes policies and technologies that reduce the impact of climate change. His work focuses on supporting government and civil society to understand methane measuring technologies and thus support data-driven policies and emission mitigation action.

Before joining CATF, Ioannis worked as a remote sensing scientist at public research institutes and the industry, developing ground-based remote sensing systems for atmospheric monitoring.

As the Climate and Energy Lead at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Roberta has over 20 years of experience in managing a multi-million portfolio of adaptation and mitigation projects for developing climate services for the Water-Energy-Food nexus in Africa, South America, Pacific and South East Asia. She leverages her expertise in climate science and policy to enhance the capacity of all countries to address climate change and enact a sustainable development agenda, in alignment with the global landmark agreements.

Roberta also leads the Climate and Energy programme at WMO to develop weather, water and climate services for energy resilience, efficiency and renewable energy. She builds and manages transformative initiatives at the interface between climate science and socio-economic sectors, especially the energy sector, through strategic partnerships with international energy organizations, public and private sectors, academia, civil society, media groups and associations. She is passionate about adding value to transformative solutions for a resilient, low-carbon energy for all, and has been recognized as a top 10 Sustainability Influencer and a Thought Leader in her field.

Ross is the Founder of Zero Minus One, a mission-led organisation that supports, designs and mobilises innovation and development initiatives to scale businesses serving a sustainable and low carbon future.

Previously Head of Ventures at the Carbon Trust, the programmes he has led have supported over four hundred SME innovators across global markets through technical assistance and facilitated over £500m of private-sector investment into early-stage projects. These programme’s include some of the UK’s largest climate tech and energy access accelerators, namely DESNZ’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst Accelerator, and the FCDO’s Commonwealth Investor Network.

Catherine Chien is an investor and strategist focused on scaling solutions at the intersection of nature, climate, and capital markets. She advises the CEO of Silvania, a pioneering natural capital investment company, and serves on the board of Newlight Technologies on behalf of GenZero, Temasek’s S$5B decarbonization investment platform.

Earlier, she led Climate Market Strategy & Investments at Google X and helped build and lead the environmental venture investing practice at Emerson Collective. Her experience also spans Nia Tero, Bain & Company, investment banking, and hedge funds. She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, and Stanford GSB.

Karrie Denniston is Group Director of Sustainability at Walmart.org, where she leads a portfolio of strategic investments focused on advancing large‑scale, cross‑sector solutions to climate, nature, circularity, livelihoods, and human rights. Her work is centered on driving systems‑level change that delivers positive outcomes for people and the planet.Prior to joining Walmart, Karrie served as Vice President of National Programs at Feeding America, the largest hunger‑relief organization in the United States, where she led national initiatives to address food insecurity.

She also brings experience in public service, having worked as a Policy Analyst at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, supporting federal child nutrition programs.Prior to joining Walmart, Karrie served as Vice President of National Programs at Feeding America, the largest hunger‑relief organization in the United States, where she led national initiatives to address food insecurity. She also brings experience in public service, having worked as a Policy Analyst at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, supporting federal child nutrition programs.

Adeline Diab Adeline Diab is a global investment executive whose career — spanning the World Bank, Man Group, and Bloomberg — has been built on one argument: that financial performance and sustainability are not competing priorities, but the same case made without compromise.

Having led strategies for asset owners managing over $450 billion and thematic funds with over $2 billion AUM, she has been equally committed to governance and to convening institutional investors, corporates, and policymakers to shape market standards and investment practice. She has long invested — intellectually and actively — in the startup and venture ecosystem, as an advisor to The Earthshot Prize, Notpla, and SESAMm.

A published author and regular speaker at the World Economic Forum and UN Climate Conference, she serves on the boards of Human Rights Watch, the Zoological Society of London, and the English National Opera. French-Lebanese and based in London, she is fluent across the worlds of capital, policy, and impact.

Robinson Ejilah trained as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria, and obtained his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria in 2010. He obtained Certificates in Conflict Analysis, Interfaith Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Conflict Management from the United States Institute of Peace, Washington DC,. U.S.A

He also holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Information Technology from the National Open University of Nigeria in 2016, and a Certificate on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, from the European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium, Peace Research Institute, Frankfurt. Germany.

Karim Elgendy is a climate, energy, and sustainability expert based in London, with more than two decades of international experience spanning energy and climate policy, environmental strategy, and sustainable urban development. He is the Executive Director of the Carboun Institute, the first think tank focused on climate and energy in the Middle East and North Africa. He is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Cambridge, and an Associate Fellow at both Chatham House in London and the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. Karim’s work focuses on the political economy of climate change, energy transitions, and sustainable development in the MENA region, with particular emphasis on the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf.

His recent engagements include advising governments and diplomatic agencies on climate policy and multilateral negotiations. In addition to his policy work, Karim explores the broader nexus between climate and energy transitions and other strategic domains, including security, geopolitics, trade, migration, and economic development. His research and analysis examine how climate policy interacts with regional socio-economic and political dynamics, particularly in fragile and resource-sensitive geographies.

Robbie’s mission is to drive systemic positive change. As a sustainability leader with over 17 years of cross-economy expertise, he helps organisations foster collaboration and identify win-win-win solutions grounded in scientific rigour.

He recently served as the EMEA Head of Sustainability and Senior Director at CBRE Investment Management, where he was a member of the European Leadership Team and an executive voting member of key investment and risk committees.In this role, Robbie was responsible for implementing the firm’s sustainability vision and strategy, leading to significant business success. This included leading the EMEA business to win the PERE ESG Firm of the Year, Europe, in 2024.

His work also earned him personal recognition, including the Global ESG Leadership Award at MIPIM and Environmental Professional of the Year from the Royal Chartered Society for Environment (SocEnv) in 2025. With a deep technical foundation in chemical engineering, Robbie brings a unique, process-oriented approach to ESG. For over 12 years as a consultant, he supported blue-chip companies and major infrastructure projects, helping them measure, communicate, and manage their ESG risks and opportunities.

Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Environmental Planning (IUP) at Leibniz University Hannover, where he contributes to the EU Horizon project VALERECO (Valorization Legumes Related Ecosystem Services).

He holds PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Alberta, where he was affiliated with the Future Energy Systems project. His research specializes in non-market valuation, economic experiments, dietary preferences, and environmental regulation. He is also the co-funder and lead researcher at Peruvian Vegetarian Union (UVP), an NGO that promotes the adoption of sustainable food system and that is also responsible of the V-label certification in Peru.

Sadie Fleetwood is a Chartered Energy Engineer with a background in process engineering and a focus on the delivery of low‑carbon energy systems. She works across green hydrogen, e‑fuels, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), nuclear and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), supporting the transition to a net‑zero energy system.

Based in Arup’s London office, Sadie specialises in energy transition advisory and technical and commercial transaction support, with a particular emphasis on hydrogen and synthetic fuel value chains. She advises project developers, investors and public‑sector bodies on the technical, commercial and operational aspects of both greenfield developments and the repurposing of existing assets. Her work spans the full project lifecycle, from early‑stage feasibility and technology selection through to due diligence and investment decision‑making, helping to translate innovative low‑carbon technologies into investable, deliverable projects.

Rob Garcia-Gradoville recently left the Cargill protein sustainability team where he led carbon insetting pilots and portfolio management. He is now supporting the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to explore opportunities within the midwest US ag ecosystem to accelerate the transition to regenerative & circular food systems.

Previous experience includes consulting with Rivian, adjunct lecturing with UMN, innovation programming with IDEO.org, global WASH markets with Water.org, climate change adaptation as a Fulbright Fellow, and community development as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Rob is a recent Aspen Institute First Mover fellow and an A.T. thru-hiker, has two engineering degrees, and graduate specializations in water resources, sustainable business, and carbon management.

He grew up on the east coast but his family roots in Iowa and his professional career path brought him back to the midwest where he proudly serves on the board of the Superior Hiking Trail in northern MN.

Mayank Girdhar is an entrepreneur and investor focused on climate and deep tech innovation. He is Managing Director of Business Innovation at X and has worked across organisations including XPRIZE, Stanford University, and UpSpark, supporting the development and scaling of high-impact ventures.

After previously leading WildAid’s climate campaigns on food and transportation from 2015-2018, Matt rejoined as Climate Program Director in 2022 where his responsibilities include program development, fundraising, and partner collaboration. As Disaster Preparedness Director at Give2Asia (2011-2015) and Development Director at Project Drawdown (2018), Matt connected corporate, foundation, and individual donors with some of the world’s most effective NGOs focused on local and global climate issues.

When not addressing climate change, his roles have directly addressed disabilities justice as Executive Director at On-the-Move Community Integration (2019-2022) and Board Chair at the California Communications Access Foundation (2014-2019). Matt earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from Chapman University and is now based in Portland, Oregon.

Athanasios Grammatikopoulos is a Climate and Net Zero strategist and Co-Founder of Green Arche, with 20 years of international experience helping cities, governments, investors and businesses accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future. A Certified Energy Manager (CEM®), he specialises in turning Net Zero ambition into scalable, investment-ready solutions across energy, infrastructure, transport and the built environment.

Most recently, Athanasios led Climate Action strategies at Connected Places Catapult, delivering major initiatives in Net Zero neighbourhoods, hydrogen innovation, carbon accounting, climate resilience and clean growth. Athanasios is also an Expert Evaluator for CINEA / Horizon Europe and Innovate UK, assessing pioneering technologies and sustainability projects. His expertise spans innovation scaling, sustainable finance, systems transformation and delivering measurable impact aligned with global climate goals.

Brenda Haendler, PhD, is the Director of Technology Management for Breakthrough Energy Discovery. Her work focuses on technical support of the Fellows program and connecting them with other Breakthrough Energy resources. Prior to Breakthrough, Brenda was with Booz Allen Hamilton for 13 years. She focused on growing and leading a team supporting the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) finding high-risk applied research and development projects.

Brenda also worked as a project engineer at PolyFuel, a direct methanol fuel cell start-up and as a geosynchronous payload designer at Boeing Satellite Systems. Brenda was a 2006 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Science Policy fellow and worked for two years at the Department of State learning implementing international energy policy. Brenda earned a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s and a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, all in mechanical engineering.

Carrie is Director of Sustainability at British Airways where she has established sustainability as a central focus of the airline’s corporate strategy with the creation and launch of BA Better World sustainability programme.

Previous roles in IAG, NATS and across Heathrow and Scottish Airports, reflect her career-long focus on aviation sustainability and her passion for innovation and securing a net zero future for the sector. Carrie is a Chartered Environmentalist, Fellow of IEMA and registered environmental auditor. 

Jules’ life has been shaped by injustice and hope. Growing up in Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa, she saw firsthand how apartheid denied children their most basic rights.

That experience planted her lifelong commitment to equity and regeneration.Her career has spanned advocacy, leadership, and system redesign. She’s led housing and care services for asylum seekers and refugees, advised local governments on social care (in the UK), and during Covid-19, served as Director of Strategy for New Zealand’s Managed Isolation and Quarantine service, redesigning national models to protect people during future pandemics.

James Hart is a Chartered Energy Engineer specialising in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), green hydrogen, ammonia, biogas, e‑fuels and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). Based in Arup’s London office, James works on the development of complex energy infrastructure projects supporting the decarbonisation of heavy transport, industry and energy systems.

His experience spans project feasibility through to commissioning, including technical feasibility studies, owner’s engineer roles and technical due diligence for public and private sector clients. James currently leads and contributes to large‑scale green fuels projects across the UK, Europe, Australia and India, with a focus on early‑stage development, investment decision‑making and the integration of new low‑carbon technologies at scale.

Joanne Holbrook is Of Counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, where she leads the UK Environment practice and co-leads the firm’s Global Environmental Network. A highly regarded environmental law specialist, she advises a broad cross-section of clients on all aspects of environmental law, including matters relating to land, air, water, biodiversity, waste and circularity, chemical regulation, and climate change.

Joanne is known for her strategic planning, pragmatic regulatory engagement, and commercially grounded advice with a focus on practical implementation. She also regularly contributes to industry dialogue and the development of best practices in relation to key environmental issues.

Ted is a Senior Director in Group Sustainability at CapitaLand Investment (CLI), leading the Environmental Management & Innovation team. He is a registered Professional Engineer (Civil; Massachusetts, USA) holding Civil & Environmental Engineering Masters’ & Bachelors’ from Stanford University.

Previously leading innovation, certification, and an Operational Environmental Monitoring & Management Plan, he now focuses on the CLI 2030 Sustainability Master Plan targets through global piloting of innovative technology, sourced from platforms such as the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge. His team assesses physical climate risks to CapitaLand. He enjoys sharing what he has learned in panels, fireside chats, talks, and podcasts.

Anna brings diverse experience working within community advocacy, international human rights organisations, public-market investing, early stage fintech, and systemic investing. Her most recent experience includes place-based financial innovation within the Dark Matter Labs Capital Systems team and supporting the TWIST: Investing for Systems Change community of practice.

She is particularly interested in the power of storytelling and evidence-based narratives to unlock wealth holder agency. Anna holds a BA in Middle East Studies and History, a MSc in Global Migration, and a professional certification in the Trauma of Money.

Andy Jarvis has worked for over 20 years in research for development to support the delivery of food security and environmental sustainability in the food system. His research has focused on data-driven policy analysis on a variety of topics from agrobiodiversity conservation to climate impacts and adaptation.

Andy joined the Bezos Earth Fund from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, a CGIAR center, as the Associate Director General for Research Strategy and Innovation where he oversaw research that spans from crop breeding and genetics to landscape management, climate adaptation and mitigation through to dietary shifts and consumer behavior. Andy holds a PhD in Geography from King’s College London, and is located in Cali, Colombia.

Marco is a Corporate and Investment Banking professional with focus on Transition Finance & Advisory at Standard Chartered.

He holds degrees in Finance from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management as well as European Business School and he was joining the Sustainable Finance journey at an early stage of its development. Since then, he has focused on helping shape the future of ESG in the finance context, combining deep financial expertise with a strong commitment to accelerating the low-carbon transition.

Throughout his career, Marco has advised clients on innovative financing solutions across (Structured) Finance and Capital Markets, while actively contributing to the evolution of broader Sustainable Finance ecosystem through engagement with initiatives including UNEP FI. His work is driven by the belief that finance can be a powerful catalyst for scaling climate solutions, accelerating cleantech adoption, and enabling meaningful economic transition.

Chris is the Head of Carbon Markets Development at Standard Chartered, building the bank’s environmental trading and financing business and growing its profile as a global leader in sustainable finance. This involves advising clients and governments, supporting trade bodies, originating carbon related transactions and building trading infrastructure. He supported SCB’s Group CEO, Bill Winters, in his role as Chair of the Taskforce for Scaling the Voluntary Carbon Markets (TSVCM) and is now a board member of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Markets (IC-VCM).

He is also a board member of Carbonplace, a global carbon credit settlement platform, and a member of the Climate Impact X (CIX) Advisory Forum. Chris is involved in a number initiatives to grow the carbon market including the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance (NCSA), Singapore’s Sustainable Finance Association (SSFA) and the ASEAN Common Carbon Framework (ACCF). He also is the Bank’s representative on the Coalition to Grow Carbon Market’s Business Advisory Group. Chris’ experience in the commodity markets spans over 30 years in origination, sales and trading. At Standard Chartered, he built the Bank’s energy risk management platform, originating deals with state-owned and merchant refiners, oil producers, airlines, utilities and shipping companies.

Previously Chris was with Barclays where he was Global Head of Environmental Markets Sales and before that at Merrill Lynch where he traded power, gas and set up their carbon emissions trading desk. He was a founder member of the Carbon Markets and Investors Association (CMIA) and was the Chair of Power Trading Forum a division of the Futures and Options Association (FOA). He also worked as a base metals trader for several years before moving to energy. Chris has a strong understanding of commodity deal structuring, trade finance and managing price risk.

Kelly is Chief of Science, Data and Systems Change for the Bezos Earth Fund. In this role, she brings data, analysis and evidence to inform the Fund’s strategic direction. Kelly is also Co-Director of the Systems Change Lab, which monitors, learns from and accelerates the transformational change required to protect people and the planet.

Kelly is Chief of Science, Data and Systems Change for the Bezos Earth Fund. In this role, she brings data, analysis and evidence to inform the Fund’s strategic direction. Kelly is also Co-Director of the Systems Change Lab, which monitors, learns from and accelerates the transformational change required to protect people and the planet.

Ke-Vin is the Head of Group Innovation at City Developments Ltd (CDL), a globally respected real estate firm known for its innovative and pioneering sustainability initiatives.

In this role, he spearheads innovation and venture capital strategies, driving part of CDL’s transformation roadmap. Ke-Vin leads CDL’s Enterprise Innovation Committee and multiple initiatives in Digital- and Customer-centric solutions.Previously, he held engineering, project and asset management positions at Surbana-Jurong, CapitaLand, and Ascendas REIT. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Nanyang Technological University and is a certified Green Mark Advanced Accredited Professional from the Building and Construction Authority.

Frank Hiroshi Ling is Chief Scientist at the Anthropocene Institute, a guest lecturer at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Ibaraki University, and a former research fellow at IGES and University of Tokyo.
He has consulted for organizations like the ADB and was a Mirzayan Fellow at the National Academy of Science.

His work has been cited by the IPCC and he hosts the “Groks Science” podcast. Dr. Ling holds a PhD in Chemistry from UC Berkeley, a BS in Chemical Engineering from Caltech, and an MS from UC Santa Barbara

Ivonne is a climate policy specialist based in Latin America with over a decade of experience in the civil and public sectors. She has worked in sustainable development programmes in Latin America and South-East Asia in close collaboration with youth and indigenous populations. As Director for Climate Change and Environmental Policy for the British Government in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, she specialized in Climate Diplomacy and international mechanisms to address climate and biodiversity issues.

Ivonne currently works at the Secretariat of the National Adaptation Plan Global Network providing support and policy advice to countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on how to better adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Anjali Mahendra is the Director of Global Research at World Resources Institute’s Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. She is an internationally known expert on the relationship between inclusive urban development and climate change, experienced in leading innovative research to inform policy and practice. She has developed knowledge resources for cities, taught courses, led policy studies for U.S. government agencies and international organizations, and authored several publications on urban transportation, land use, and climate policies, particularly in the global South.

Anjali serves on the U.S. Climate Security Roundtable, she has been an evaluator for the Ashden Foundation’s Sustainable Mobility Award, and an Expert Advisor for The Earthshot Prize in 2023 and 2024. She holds Masters degrees (City Planning, Transportation) and a PhD (Urban and Regional Planning) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Over 13 years of operational experience spanning from Fortune 500 enterprises to early-stage climate startups. Over 10 years investing in clean energy and climate focused organizations.

Ryan is currently the Founding Managing Partner at Five Spheres Capital, the Investor-in-Residence for an Ocean focused non-profit & entrepreneur support organization, and the Miami Ambassador at Investors for Climate, one of the largest climate investment groups on the planet comprised of over 400+ VC’s, Ange Investors, Family Offices, and Sovereign Wealth Funds.

Nathanial Matthews is CEO of PlanetaryX, a nature tech social enterprise providing high-integrity solutions that enable businesses, consumers, and investors to value ecosystems, protect biodiversity, build resilience, and support community well-being. With over 25 years of global experience managing water, ecosystems, agriculture, and resilience programmes, he previously held leadership roles with the Global Resilience Partnership, CGIAR, and in the water and private sector.

Nate contributes to numerous global networks, boards, and advisory councils. He is a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, holds a Ph.D. in Geography, certificates in finance from Yale and LBS, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and the Explorers Club, and has authored over 85 scientific publications and reports.

Iain Meager is Director of Innovation at the Carbon Trust, a global climate organisation, where he leads a global portfolio of clean energy research, innovation and strategy programmes. His work focuses on shaping public investment in clean energy innovation and accelerating the transition from research to real-world deployment.

He has extensive experience working with governments, industry and academia to design and deliver large-scale programmes that support the development and scale-up of low-carbon technologies, including the flagship UK FCDO Transforming Energy Access platform. Iain holds a PhD in Chemistry focused on advanced solar energy materials.

Pat Mitchell is a lifelong advocate for womenʼs leadership who has used her diverse spheres of influence to elevate womenʼs stories and representation and to lead for a more just, equitable and sustainable world.Currently, sheʼs the Co-Founder of Connected Women Leaders, a collective problem solving coalition, spanning geographies and generations and the Co Founder and Partner of Project Dandelion, a global women led campaign to unify, amplify and activate womenʼs leadership as a pivotal accelerator towards a climate safe future for all.

She is also the Co-Founder and Editorial Director of TEDWomen. Mitchell’s influence extends far beyond her professional achievements. She serves on the boards of the Sundance Institute, The Skoll Foundation, The Woodruff Arts Center, The Carter Center Board of Councilors, and the VDAY movement to end violence against women. As a member of CARE’s Global Advisory Council and Chair Emeritus of the Women’s Media Center, which has established an annual award in her name, her commitment is to optimize every platform and every opportunity to elevate women’s stories, challenges and accomplishments.

In her 2020 memoir. “Becoming a Dangerous Woman,” Mitchell calls on us to speak up, stand up and show up to meet the challenges of dangerous times.

Jon is CEO of BloombergNEF taking on this role at the end of 2013. BloombergNEF (BNEF) is a strategic research provider covering global commodity markets and the disruptive technologies driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. BNEF assesses pathways for the power, transport, industry, buildings and agriculture sectors to adapt to the energy transition, helping commodity traders, corporate strategists, finance and policy professionals navigate change.

Jon joined New Energy Finance in 2008, which became BloombergNEF in 2010. Prior to 2008, Jon spent two decades in capital markets, the first decade at JPMorgan and then Accenture, the second decade as co-founder and CEO of a capital Markets management consulting firm, based in London and New York.

Shehnaaz is a Director at SouthSouthNorth where her portfolio includes oversight of finance, delivery, and operations hubs. Shehnaaz is Chair of the Global Resilience Partnership Board, a Global Innovation Fund Climate Advisory Board member, on the Global Transitions Programme Committee and on the Race to Resilience Measurement Advisory Group. She has deep theoretical and practical expertise in delivering complex programmes within the African context.

Social justice and equity are at the foundation of what informs Shehnaaz’s approach to programme design. Prior to joining SSN, Shehnaaz was a researcher and lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town.She holds a BSc, MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering. She has the dubious honour of being the first female of colour to obtain a doctorate in Chemical Engineering in South Africa.

Katie Morgan is Climate Program Lead at MIT Solve, where she designs and leads innovation challenges connecting climate entrepreneurs with partners to scale high-impact solutions. She has over four years’ experience developing bespoke innovation programmes for organisations including Amazon, Verizon, UNEP, Waste Management, and the BMW Foundation, and works at the intersection of climate innovation, partnerships, and systems change.

Carlos Nobre, an Earth System scientist from Brazil. PhD in Meteorology from MIT, USA, in January 1983. He dedicated his scientific carrier mostly to Amazonian and climate change science at Brazil’s National Institutes of Amazonian Research (INPA), Space Research (INPE), University of São Paulo.

He was the Program Scientist of the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA). He is foreign member of the US National Academy of Sciences and Royal Society, member of the Brazilian Academy of Science, World Academy of Science and Planetary Guardian. Creator of the Amazon Third Way-Amazonia 4.0 Initiative. Also, Co-Chair of Science Panel for Amazon.

Lewis Perkins is the president and CEO of Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), an organization at the forefront of decarbonizing the global apparel and footwear supply chain. Under his leadership, Aii has mobilized brands, manufacturers, and financial institutions to fund and scale high-impact environmental solutions, including the Fashion Climate Fund and the Climate Solutions Portfolio. With more than two decades of experience in sustainability, corporate responsibility, and philanthropy, Lewis has helped shape some of the most influential initiatives in the sector.

Before leading Aii, he served as president of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, where he launched the Fashion Positive initiative, one of the first major programs integrating circularity into fashion design and production across supply chains. A sought-after speaker and strategic advisor, Lewis has shared his insights on climate and industry transformation at COP, the Global Fashion Summit, the Clinton Global Initiative, Aspen Ideas: Climate, and Vogue Forces of Fashion, among others.

Giles Pettit is a business and technology leader in railway engineering and operations at Arup, with experience spanning rolling stock, asset management, and rail systems strategy.

Vinicius is an Associate Professor of Operations and Sustainability at Insper, where he also works as Associate Dean of Industrial Engineering and the Head of the Metricis Center for Sustainability and Impact. Vinicius is the founder of the Insper Earthshot Climate Leadership Program and the Program Director of the Advanced Program in Sustainability. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and was a visiting researcher at MIT, where he earned a Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (GCLOG).

His research focuses on the intersection of sustainable development, supply chain management, and complex systems modeling, with a particular emphasis on food and humanitarian supply chains. He has founded two award-winning tech startups in Brazil and a sustainability consulting firm in Denmark, aiming to bridge science and practice to generate real-world impact.

Monica Miller Prabhu is Founder and Executive Director of the Methane Mitigation Council, an independent nonprofit and honest broker working to cut methane emissions faster, with no stake in which approach wins. The Council builds the methane solutions community and connects it with investors, operators, scientists, and policymakers — so the fixes that work get used at scale.

Previously, she helped found an early-stage hardware company developing a methane mitigation technology with applications across multiple industries, raising $12M from the California Energy Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Methane Emissions Reduction Program, and private industry partners in the U.S. and Canada. An alumna of Emory University, Monica was born and raised in Alaska and lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Daniela Ramirez is a climate and sustainability leader with over 20 years of experience across Chile, Brazil, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand. Originally trained as an environmental engineer in Chile, she holds a Master’s in Environmental Management and has spent over a decade working in local government in New Zealand, including at Nelson City Council, where she has led climate change strategies and emissions reduction initiatives.

Her work spans carbon inventories, renewable energy and transport decarbonisation programmes, and the implementation of environmental and energy management systems.

Dr. Gerhard Salge is the Chief Technology Officer of Hitachi Energy. He joined Hitachi Energy’s predecessor in 1999, working within Corporate Research. From 2005 to 2014, he had several roles within the Medium Voltage Products Business Unit. In 2015 he became Global Head of Technology for Power Products, then Business Chief Technology Officer – CTO for Power Grids in 2016.

Gerhard Salge holds a MSc and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany.

Chris is a results-driven, internationally experienced executive leader with a 25-years’ experience transforming SME and Fortune-500 companies. Bringing entrepreneurial and innovative energy as an Executive Director, Board Advisor and Chartered Director, outcomes include an AIM listing, 4 trade-sales and a number of SME Board Advisory roles. Winner of the IoD Director of the Year in 2024 (International), Chris was also an Earthshot Prize Finalist Advisor for Roam in 2022, and has been an Expert Panellist since 2023.

After eight years building global Digital and Advisory practices at Hitachi’s Digital businesses and incubating new Green-Digital ventures, Chris moved to Hitachi Europe as Chief Strategy Officer and ExCo Member. He now leads Regional Strategy and Transformation, integrating Hitachi’s Green, Digital, Energy, and Transportation capabilities to advance Hitachi’s role as a Climate Change Innovator.

Ed Schmidt is a global climate innovation leader and Chief Operating Officer of Greenhouse, a climate tech and innovation ecosystem accelerating the transition to a net zero economy. He works across energy, infrastructure and technology, partnering with governments, industry and investors to scale high impact climate solutions. He leads initiatives supporting the commercialisation and deployment of technologies across electrification, distributed energy and sector decarbonisation, and has delivered global, industry-led climate innovation challenges that bring together corporates, startups, researchers and policymakers to accelerate real world deployment.

Ed is a Director of the Climate Action Foundation, driving cross sector climate action through initiatives such as Climate Action Week Sydney. With over two decades of international experience across Europe, Asia Pacific and Australia, he is recognised for connecting innovation, capital and industry to deliver scalable climate impact.

Aakash is passionate about technology and science-led innovations in sustainability. He is a Partner at Peak Sustainability Ventures, one of India’s pioneering climate VC funds, and has led deals across Energy, Food Systems, Water, and Alt-Materials.

He has 8 years of prior VC experience across global funds. Aakash is also the Co-Founder of neonVest, a New York-based, VC-backed startup that was acquired in 2024. He is actively involved in the climate ecosystem and has given a TEDx talk on “The ‘Hidden Cost’ of Everything We Do”.

Dr. Mary Showstark is a disaster risk and resilience leader working at the intersection of climate, health, security, and intelligence. A Physician Associate and Assistant Professor at Yale University with a PhD in Security and Intelligence Studies, she consults for the World Bank and serves as Chief Liaison Officer for Health Tech Without Borders.

She is also CEO of On The Ground AI, a social enterprise, in partnership with the AI for Good Foundation, delivering a private-sector coordination platform that connects NGOs, governments, vendors, donors, and citizens with ral-time visibility into operations, resources, funding, and deliveries.

Er Yong is the Director at DP Sustainable Design Pte Ltd. The company focuses on Environmentally Sustainable Design consulting services. He is a registered Professional Engineer (Mechanical) holding Master Degree in Building Science from National University of Singapore.

Er. Yong is also a Green Mark Advanced Accredited Professional. He is currently the Chairman of Mechanical Taskforce for Singapore Green Building Council overseeing the development of green and innovative mechanical products to be used in construction industry. For his effort of championing sustainability in the built environment through design, construction or building management, Er. Yong was conferred the SGBC-BCA Sustainability Leadership Green Engineer Award in 2019.

Associate Professor Stephen Tay, a faculty member in the National University of Singapore (NUS), obtained his PhD from Imperial College London under the National Research Foundation Overseas Scholarship. For his significant contributions in the solar PV industry, he was awarded the “Young Green Building Advocate Award” in 2019 by Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority and Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC).

Subsequently, he was elected to the SGBC Board in 2023 and 2025. Beyond the industry, he was awarded the NUS Honour Roll in 2024 for attaining the NUS Annual Teaching Excellence Award for three consecutive years from AY19/20 to AY21/22.

Sebastián Vangeli is the Carbon Project Development Manager at Boomitra, where he leads soil carbon projects that generate carbon credits through regenerative agriculture. With extensive experience in soil science, sustainable agriculture, and climate change mitigation, he spent around eight years in academia, researching soil health and GHG emissions mitigation, before transitioning to the industry.

Now, he spearheads some of the most impactful soil carbon projects in Latin America. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Buenos Aires. Committed to sustainability, Sebastián works to enhance soil health, reduce emissions, and drive climate-resilient agricultural practices.

Research Engineer in Stanford University Department of Energy Science & Engineering, where he works on sustainable, low-carbon energy systems. His research has produced more than 20 publications with over 800 citations in leading journals.

Recognized with the AGU Science for Solutions Award (2025), which honors significant contributions in applying Earth and space sciences to societal challenges, he is also an award-winning educator, author, and trustee whose leadership bridges technology, policy, and sustainability.

Stuart works with key Government Departments including DESNZ, MHCLG, Defra, DfT, Cabinet Office, Home Office, NISTA, HM Treasury together with senior leaders of Trade Associations and key companies across the construction sector to ensure policy and advice to Ministers is informed by appropriate business intelligence. Stuart manages the relationship between the Department and the Construction Leadership Council (a joint Government/sector council, co-chaired by Minister Jones), including oversight of all CLC comms.

Stuart is also the Communications Director for the CLC’s Construct Zero programme, working with over 270 companies across and beyond the sector, leading and showcasing their collective transition to Net Zero. Stuart is also the DBT Construction Sector Relationship Manager.