Focus: Environment/Sustainability
Henrique Pinto da Costa
Henrique Pinto da Costa is Director of Nexus Consulting, an organization working on land use management, watershed management, urban development, and biodiverse conservation. The organization takes a broad, integrated approach to addressing ecological issues to create new land-use policies in support of sustainable development in São Tomé & Príncipe. Previously, he directed a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage the youth of São Tomé & Príncipe in finding sustainable development solutions through education. He acts as an independent consultant for a number of companies and international organizations. Before that Henrique served as an advisor to the São Tomé & Príncipe President on development policies and was director of ECO-STP,…
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Nereus "Neric" Acosta
Nereus "Neric" Acosta is a Philippine politician, previously serving as Presidential Adviser on Environmental Protection and as a three-term member of the Philippine House of Representatives, representing the first district in the Bukidnon province. He also served as Secretary-General of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, which works with leading liberal-democratic parties in Asia for greater democratization and the strengthening of human rights. During his time in the House of Representatives, Neric was the principal author of environmental laws on solid waste management, biodiversity, and pollution in the Philippines. He also served as Chair of the Committee on Ecology and Chair of the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and…
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Kyriacos Koupparis
Kyriacos Koupparis is Head of the Hunger Monitoring Unit at the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) where he and his team utilize data and emerging technologies to track global food security. Previously he was Head of Frontier Innovations at the UNWFP's Innovation Accelerator. In this role, he led a team that explored how emerging technologies – such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and robotics – can be harnessed to catalyze impact within the context of humanitarian assistance and food security. Previously, he worked for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as Senior Innovation Advisor where he designed and administered multi-million dollar programs to advance social and environmental prosperity…
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Jingjing Zhang
Jingjing Zhang is a prominent Chinese environmental lawyer and a lecturer in law at the University of Maryland School of Law. She is the director of the Transnational Environmental Accountability Project and the founder of the China Accountability Project. She works on cutting-edge transnational environmental and climate lawsuits in the international development arena. Her team tests various legal avenues to ensure Chinese companies under China’s Belt and Road Initiative comply with environmental laws and international human rights norms in Africa and Latin America. Through her work as the inaugural litigation director of the Beijing-based Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims between 1999 and 2008, Jingjing won several milestone environmental…
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Amit Wanchoo
Amit Wanchoo is Managing Director of Eaton Laboratories, the first pharmaceutical manufacturing unit of Kashmir actively involved in low cost healthcare. He is also the CEO of Space Communications, 1st Events, Sports and Film shoot Management Company of Jammu and Kashmir. He blends health and entertainment in healing, supporting, and providing employment to the people of Kashmir. Born and raised there, Amit has been actively engaged in social activism, entrepreneurship development, reviving art, culture, heritage, and tourism in the region. Amit was the President and Founder of the Rotary Club of Kashmir, which has contributed to various health and literacy initiatives. Amit also runs a documentary film company which has…
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Tuokanjo Sem Shikongo
Taukondjo Sem Shikongo is currently the Senior Programme Management Officer for the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Unit, which is mandated to serve the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on ABS at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Unit has as its mission to provide support to Parties, in their policy development, coordination, implementation and review of issues related to access and benefit-sharing under the Convention and its Nagoya Protocol, in an integrated, mainstreamed and efficient manner and to arrange for and service the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol. Prior to this Taukondjo served as Director for Tourism…
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Gidon Bromberg
Gidon Bromberg is Co-Founder and Israeli Director of EcoPeace Middle East, a regional organization started in 1994 that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists to promote sustainable development and advance peace efforts in the troubled Middle East. He has spearheaded the advocacy campaigns of the organization both in Israel and internationally and developed the cross-border community peace building program “Good Water Neighbors” that is seen as a model for other programs in conflict areas. Gidon speaks regularly on water, peace, and security issues, including before the UN Security Council, Climate Summit, Munich Security Conference, at the UN Commission for Sustainable Development, the US House of Representatives, the European Parliament,…
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Kamal Amakrane
Kamal currently leads the Global Centre for Climate Mobility, advancing various regional initiatives, including the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative, a joint undertaking by the AU, UN and the World Bank to address climate-forced migration & displacement in the continent. He also spearheads the Rising Nations Initiative, a UN Member States-led initiative focused on protecting the statehood & sovereignty of Pacific atoll island countries facing existential threat from rising sea level. Kamal has been a faculty member of Columbia University since 2018, where he co-chairs the University’s Climate Mobility Network and works on advancing efforts to address climate forced migration. In 2018, he directed the Migration Consensus Initiative at the Columbia University Global Policy Initiative. During the intergovernmental negotiations for the Global Compact for Migration (GCM),…
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Negusu Aklilu
Negusu Aklilu is an environmental advocate and Coordinator for Destiny Ethiopia Initiative at the Forum of Federations. As one of Ethiopia’s most influential environmental advocates, he provided strategic leadership for environmental advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns as Director of the Forum for Environment. Negusu previously served as Climate Change Advisor to the Department for Democratic Development. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Akirma: A Magazine on Environment and Development, and as Co-Editor of the Ethiopian Environment Review, which he launched in 2010. Negusu has successfully spearheaded and played key roles in national and international initiatives for conservation and sustainable use of environmental resources. He co-founded and currently co-chairs the Ethiopian Civil…
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Solangel Fernández
Solangel Fernández is an architect, urban designer, and urban economist with 15 years of experience. Throughout her career, she has been in charge of directing urban development and sustainable mobility initiatives as well as large infrastructure projects, especially during trying political times. In Peru, Solangel directed the urban planning offices at the municipalities of San Isidro and San Borja where she and her team developed innovative strategies to transform public spaces for the wellness of communities. Additionally, she has participated and coordinated metropolitan urban plans, key for the development of the country, and directed urban regeneration projects in vulnerable human settlements over the hills of Lima. Previously, she worked on…
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