Old Speakers - Sea Circular

Carlos Martin-Novella, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Carlos Martin-Novella is the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. He holds a Master of Science degree in biology from the Complutense University (Madrid, Spain). Carlos has more than 30 years of professional experience on environment and sustainable development issues, both at national and at international levels, and multilateral environmental negotiations and processes. In his previous assignments Carlos was the Deputy Secretary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Special Advisor to UN Environment on Multilateral Environmental Agreements, a Senior Advisor to the German Government, a Senior Advisor to the Spanish Government and a Principal Administrator at the European Commission. Earlier in his career Carlos undertook scientific field research on Mediterranean ecosystems and lead initiatives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Spain, Europe and globally.

Antoinette Taus, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, CORA

Antoinette Taus is an award-winning actress, singer, host, humanitarian and long-time UN advocate. She is passionate about her work as the founder of the non-profit organization CORA (Communities Organized for Resource Allocation). She has been a staunch supporter of UNEP’s work, particularly around plastic pollution and ocean conservation. Her efforts helped bring local partners together, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to form Clean Seas Pilipinas, a national chapter of UNEP’s global Clean Seas campaign. Antoinette is also the CEO and Founder of “The Sustainable Planet”, a social enterprise focussing on promoting sustainable products.

Nadya Hutagalung, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador

Nadya Hutagalung is a media personality, eco-centric jewellery designer and eco-activist who has become one of Asia’s leading voices in the Green Movement. Devoting her time and voice to environmental advocacy Nadya made headlines with building one of Singapore’s first eco-home from scratch. She co-founded an ivory reduction campaign ‘Let Elephants Be Elephants’ which has over 8000 pledges to date. In her capacity as a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, she helped launch the global campaign – #cleanseas – to eliminate major sources of marine litter by encouraging governments to pass plastic reduction policies. She is also the Founder of Green Kampong, a social enterprise focused on promoting sustainable living practices.

Bernadette Resurrección, SEI

Bernadette P. Resurrección is Senior Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute – Asia Centre and gender specialist for the SERVIR-Mekong Project. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Development Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University in the Netherlands. She has over 15 years of experience doing research and capacity building on gender, environment, and development. She is also a founding member and steering committee member of the Mekong Program on Environment, Water and Resilience. Bernadette has led sponsored projects on climate adaptation, gender and water stresses in peri-urban Southeast Asia (IDRC), mobility and disasters in Philippine coastal areas (The Research Council of Norway), and the Mekong research fellowships program on water governance (CPWF-M-POWER-AusAID). She has led and co-managed IDRC-supported competitive research grants projects such as Gender and Social Analysis in Environment and Development, as well as EU-supported Asia Link Projects on Gender, Migration and Sustainable Development in Asia.

Sumangali Krishnan, GA Circular

Sumangali Krishnan is the Chief Business Officer at GA Circular and has over 12 years of research and consulting experience ranging fields law, economics and waste management. She has a J.D. in Law from Boston University as well as a Masters degree in Economics. In her current role, Sumangali has developed and led various research projects, exploring both policy and on-ground realities across South and South East Asia. Working closely with intergovernmental agencies, national and local governments, as well as leading plastics, consumer and retail goods manufacturers in Asia, she has a good understanding of opportunities and challenges in the region with respect to waste. In previous year, she has worked in research, private practice and has provided legal and business advise to start-ups and emerging businesses.

Doug Woodring, Ocean Recovery Alliance

Doug Woodring is the Founder and Managing Director of Ocean Recovery Alliance, which is focused on bringing innovative solutions, technology, collaborations and policy together to impact positive improvements for the health of the ocean. He is the Founder of the Plasticity Forum, which focuses on the future of plastic, and where the leaders are going with design, innovation, materials, recycling and solutions, for a world with a reduced waste footprint. He is also the founder of Kids Ocean Day Hong Kong, as well as the Grate Art project, which puts Art for Awareness on city streets in Hong Kong. Doug has worked in Asia for over 25 years in several industries which have been at the forefront of technology within their sectors, mainly related to the environment and new media platforms. He has a dual Masters degree from The Wharton School (MBA) and Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies.

Steve Wong, Fukutomi / China Scrap Plastics Association

Steve Wong is the Executive President of the China Scrap Plastics Association and is also the Founder and Managing Director of Fukutomi Company Limited. Being one of the leaders of the plastic recycling industry, Fukutomi operates through its processing facilities at Hong Kong, Vietnam and Penang and globally with its well-established networks and affiliates worldwide. As environmentalism is Steve’s business philosophy, Fukutomi is committed to investing in technologies and equipment for improving the efficiency through new applications for plastic recycling. His company’s mission is to maintain a fresh, healthy and comfortable living environment for the next generation and contribute to the global sustainable development.

Edward Kosior, Nextek Ltd.

Professor Edward Kosior is the Founder and Managing Director of Nextek Ltd. Nextek provides consultancy services to develop strategic approaches to sustainable packaging, waste reduction and minimal life cycle impact. He has over 40 years’ experience in plastics and rubber, working with the recycling of plastics packaging including the design of many modern plants and achieving patented recycling breakthroughs. Edward was previously the Associate Professor of Polymer Engineering and Director of the Polymer Technology Centre at RMIT University, Australia. He has developed novel processes and designed plants for recycling post-consumer PET, HDPE, PP and LDPE bags in Europe and gained approval from the U.S. FDA for several processes used in food contact applications. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineering and provides support to organisations such as the Earth Champions Foundation, Plastics Oceans, Project Kaisei and Plastics Marine Litter Advisory Board. He holds a Master of Engineering Science in Polymer Engineering from Monash University.

Eduardo Garza, Waste2Wear

Eduardo Garza Garcia is the Creative Director and Partner at Waste2Wear. Based in China, Waste2Wear recycles 100% post-consumer plastic waste into environmentally friendly fabrics and has partnered with former fishermen to collect ocean plastic. It brings together stakeholders from different sectors in a joint effort to find solutions to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans. He uses his creative skills to lead a multidisciplinary team to create awareness on social and environmental issues and to design and implement impact solutions to help companies become more sustainable through innovation in Circular Economy.

Pete Ceglinski, Seabin

Pete Ceglinski is the CEO and Co-Founder of The Seabin Project. He started the Seabin Project with the aim to clean up ocean pollution through a floating rubbish bin designed to catch rubbish, oil, fuel, detergent and micro plastics down to 2mm in size operating 24/7. Along with the development of the project, he’s involved in the technical design and development of the products. Designed for marinas, ports and yacht clubs because of their calm environments and available services, the Seabin has now been installed in more than 16 countries, with more than 50 marinas investing in the technology. Ceglinski has a background in product design, with over 10 years of high-end yacht building experience.

Murray Hyde, The Plastics Circle

Murray Hyde is the Chief Operating Officer at The Plastics Circle and the Program Director for the Plasticity Forum. The Plastics Circle aim is to turn plastic waste streams into business opportunities globally. He is the Co-Founder of their project PastX which is a micro-market app for the trading of quality recycled feedstock collected by locals. He is responsible for overseeing daily operations, while developing business and strategy for clients. Murray has over 20 years of experience in business and management. His focus is on driving strategic thinking for business and developing relationships that deliver sales, profits and great customer experiences. Murray holds a Master of Leadership from Deakin University, Australia.

Trish Hyde The Plastics Circle

Trish Hyde is the Managing Director and Founder of The Plastics Circle and the Director of Plasticity Global. The Plastics Circle is a business start-up to drive innovation and commercial opportunities that put the circle into circular economies in Asia. Her work spans non-profit industry collaboration and education initiatives; scrap plastic end-market development; technology applied within market contexts and regulatory and stakeholder engagement. Previously, as CEO of the Australian Packaging Covenant, Trish successfully negotiating the Enhanced Covenant, and setting the multi-ministerial and broad-membership endorsed 2022 APC Vision and Strategic Plan. She is a senior executive with 15+ years’ leadership and commercial experience. She holds a double Masters from Deakin University, Australia.

Ellen Jackowski, HP Inc

Ellen Jackowski is the Global Head, Sustainability Strategy & Innovation at HP Inc. She drives HP’s Sustainable Impact strategy and programs that focus on the planet, people and the communities that HP serves. Ellen also oversees efforts to align and integrate these programs with HP’s Personal Systems, Imaging and Printing, and 3D Printing business groups to ensure that sustainability is at the core of HP’s business results. Previously, Ellen was a management consultant focusing on strategy projects for Fortune 500 companies. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University and is a faculty member of the Prince of Wales’s Business & Sustainability Programme at the University of Cambridge.

Pei Kang Ng, Tria Bio

Pei Kang Ng is the CEO and Founder of TRIA, a packaging house specializing in innovative and sustainable food packaging. TRIA’s breakthrough technology, Bio24, is a closed-loop system for disposable foodware and food waste. The system turns disposable foodware and food waste into fertilizer in just 24 hours, a world’s first, and have clenched several notable awards. He also runs a design consultancy firm, Geometria. He has vast experience in various design and innovation competence including industrial design, UX, design thinking, material and sensors R&D, technology management and packaging innovations. More recently, Pei Kang led design innovation for Philips Global TV and Home Theatre System portfolio and drove its R&D activities across Philips Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Singapore. As an industrial designer turned entrepreneur, Pei Kang firmly believes that great design has the ability to inspire change. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from Brunel University.

Michikazu Kojima, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN

Michikazu Kojima is Senior Economist at the Economic Research Institute specialising in environmental policies, especially, waste management and recycling in Asian countries. Prior to joining ERIA, he was a chief senior researcher at Institute of Developing Economies in Japan. He has also contributed in the field of international cooperation, as a member of Expert Working Group of Environmentally Sound Management under the Basel Convention, a member of Technical Expert Committee for Green Industry Platform by UNIDO and the course leader on JICA training courses on recycling policy. He holds Master of Science on Agricultural and Resource Economics from University of California, Berkeley.

Omar Siddique, UNESCAP

Omar Siddique is the Economics Affair Officer, Sustainable Urban Development at United Nations ESCAP. He has over 15 years of experience in formulating urban strategies and managing people-centred city development programmes with a geographic focus in Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin America. Previously, Omar worked with Cities Alliance as a Senior Urban Specialist and with UNDP as Programme Specialist for Urban Development. His main areas of expertise are slum upgrading strategies, urban poverty assessment, municipal financing strategies, city-wide service delivery profiling, local climate change mitigation and adaptation planning, participatory planning for informal livelihoods promotion, and institutional strengthening for improved urban governance. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Urban Geography from Monash University, Australia and a Master of Arts in International Relations from New York University, U.S.A.

Ralyn 'Lilly' Satidtanasarn, Bye Bye Plastic Bags

Ralyn Satidtanasarn AKA Lilly of Bye Bye Plastic Bags Thailand, an anti-plastic youth campaign group, is a 12-year-old environmental activist. Lilly has been meeting directly with officials to lobby for policy change. A sixth grader at St. Andrews International School, Lilly spends about three to four days a week visiting other schools and meeting both government and corporate officials. Lilly won her first victory; she persuaded Central, a major supermarket in Bangkok, to stop giving out plastic bags in its stores once a week. Lilly is currently meeting with education officials to ask that lessons about the environment be included in Thai school curriculums.

Kay Vasey, Mesh Minds

Kay Vasey is the Chief Connecting Officer at Mesh Minds and Founder of the Mesh Minds Foundation. The MeshMinds Foundation is a not-for-profit arts organisation that is focused on enabling sustainable development through creative technology from an Asian perspective. Their mission is to connect artists with the world’s most socially responsible companies to work on immersive artwork and experiences focused on the sustainable development of people and our planet. Prior to MeshMinds, Kay was a technology lawyer focused on multimedia content licensing. Whilst Head of Arts at The British Council, she spearheaded ground-breaking artist-in-residence programmes between Singapore and the UK and took the lead on the Memorandum of Understanding with the Singapore International Foundation.

David Robinson, Bangkok River

David Robinson is the Director of Bangkok River Partners to promote the Chao Phya River as a world-class destination for leisure and tourism. He is also a co-founder of Creative District Foundation, a community-centric non-profit organisation with a new vision of environmental improvement for the riverside districts of Bangrak and Klongsan. He is former media executive working in public and commercial television in Australia, Europe and the US, consults on a number of projects in Thailand through his company VIVID. He has also volunteered with ActionAid previously, an international humanitarian agency focused on poverty eradication, working in 12 countries across Asia from Afghanistan to China.

Paradorn Chulajata, Pre Pack Thailand

Paradorn Chulajata is the Chairman of Plastic Industry Club, The Federation of Thai Industries and Managing Director of Prepack Thailand Co., Ltd., one of the top five flexible packaging manufacturers in Thailand. Since he joined Plastic Industry Club in 2003, he has been involved in several committees such as Thailand Bioplastic Development Committee, Ministry of Science, National Skill Standards of Plastic Industry, Ministry of Labour, Member of Committee in setting up Plastic Institution of Thailand, Ministry of Industry, and Committee in Thailand Institute of Packaging and Recycling Management for Sustainable Environment, the Federation of Thai Industries. He played a major role in forming Public Private Partnership for Sustainable Plastic and Waste management in Thailand which aims to reduce plastic waste into Thai ocean by 50% by 2028. Recently, he has also been appointed by National Environment Board to be a member of the Plastic Waste Management sub-committee in Thailand. He received his MBA from Eastern Michigan University.

Nagulendran Kangayatkarasub, Environment and Climate Change Malaysia

Nagulendran Kangayatkarasub is the Deputy Secretary General, Environment and Climate Change of the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, Malaysia. Formerly, he was deputy under-secretary at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia. He played a key role in the government’s decision to no longer provide drinking water in plastic bottles or food wrapped in plastic at its events, in a bid to cut down single-use disposable plastics. His achievements include work with the government’s Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division as he led the task force preparing the final draft of Malaysia’s Access to Benefit Sharing. Nagulendranholds a doctorate in Biodiversity Governance and aMaster of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

Svein Rasmussen, Starboard

Svein Rasmussen is a former Windsurfing World Champion, Olympic participant and Founder and Chief Innovator atStarboard. Together with customers and partners, Starboard engages at any level possible to protect the fragility of our Oceans, whilst making the watersports gear backed by endless world titles and product awards. It is the world’s first company to calculate its plastic footprint and set up a Plastic Offset Program. Starboard also plants one mangrove tree per board sold, in order to offset their carbon footprint. Under Svein’s leadership, Starboard joined the Ecoboard Project with Sustainable Surf to produce sustainable boards. From planting mangroves, education the next generation of stewards to reducing plastic and carbon footprint in every aspect of Starboard’s processes, Svein innovates and inspires consistently.

Belinda Ford, Coca-Cola ASEAN

Belinda Ford is Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director for The Coca-Cola Company in ASEAN where she is responsible for leading government relations, sustainability and corporate communications across the region. Prior to her current role, Belinda held roles leading the function for the Company across multiple markets in ASEAN including Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam with her initial role in the region based in Yangon with Coca-Cola Myanmar where she helped establish operations and governance for the Company’s newest market. Before Myanmar, Belinda worked for the Coca-Cola South Pacific based in Sydney having joined the Company from public relations agency Porter Novelli where she led the Consumer and Food Practice. Belinda holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Business Administration from the Australia Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales and is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Nawat Kamnoonwatana, CP Group

Nawat Kamnoonwatana is responsible for Sustainability Development at Charoen Pokphand Group (CP). The CP Group comprising multiple business entities operating in different industries, recently announced the ‘Sustainable Packaging Policy’ based on the ‘5Rs Framework’ to reduce and eliminate plastic use under his leadership. One hundred percent of all its plastic packaging must be reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025. He is also Engineering Specialist at True Corporation. Previously, he was a Lecturer at Mahidol University. He holds a doctorate in Video Signal Processing and Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Communication Systems and Signal Processing from Bristol University, UK.

Aimee Gonzales, PEMSEA

Aimee Gonzales is the Executive Director at Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA). Aimee Gonzales has more than 20 years of experience in managing multicultural teams in the design and implementation of marine/fisheries strategies and public policy reform to mainstream environment in regulatory, planning and investment frameworks. Prior to joining PEMSEA, Ms. Gonzales held various posts at WWF International. The most recent was as Manager of the Marine Ecosystems Goods and Services, where she worked on evidence-based economics and policy analysis on marine/fisheries issues. Her previous positions include Manager for EU Fisheries and Trade, Senior Policy Adviser for Trade and Investment and Coordinator of the Expert Panel on Trade and Sustainable Development. Aimee holds a Masters in Environmental Assessment and Education from the London School of Economics and a Master in Public Policy from National University of Singapore.

Huib van Westen, Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate

Huib van Westen is Senior Inspector at the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) in the Netherlands. He focuses on the prevention and enforcement of illegal transboundary movements of harmful substances and hazardous waste. Previously, he was the Coordinator for the Regional Enforcement Network for Chemicals and Waste (REN) implemented by the UN Environment Programme. It aims to enhance the capacity of the customs in the region to control the illegal trade in chemicals and waste, and to further strengthen the existing network as a platform for effective enforcement at the regional and national levels.

Jacob Duer, Alliance to end Plastic Waste

Jacob Duer is the President and CEO of the Alliance to end Plastic Waste. The Alliance is the foremost CEO-driven international organization focused on bringing together industry, government, communities, and civil society in the fight to end plastic waste and is the only organization bringing together the entire plastics value chain (manufacturing, packaging, collecting, and converting). Jacob advances the Alliance mission to develop, deploy, and bring to scale solutions that will minimize and manage plastic waste and promote solutions for used plastics. This includes plastic reuse, recovery, and recycling to keep it out of the environment. In total, the Alliance has committed to a goal of US$1.5 billion to deliver sustainable solutions over five years. Previously, he served as a Program Director for UNEP. Jacob is experienced, impact-driven with a breadth of expertise working across a broad range of stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

Nalini Shekar, Hasiru Dala Innovations

Nalini Shekar is the co-founder of Hasiru Dala, an organization of wastepickers in Bangalore. She is also a co-founder of Kagad Kach Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP), a union of wastepickers in Pune in 1997. Previously, she worked on the issue of violence against women for over a decade in the USA. Her main focus in Hasiru Dala is on the inclusion of wastepickers and other waste workers in the informal waste economy in the Solid Waste Management systems of Urban Local Bodies across Karnataka. Hasiru Dala is working on organising and skilling wastepickers to provide services in the waste management sector. Facilitation of access to social security entitlement offered by the government is another major goal of the organisation. She was chosen as one of 100 women in India who make a difference in the society by BBC.com, and received several awards in the USA for her work with immigrants and women survivors of violence.

Richard Jones, Indorama

Richard Jones is the Senior Vice President at Indorama Ventures PCL and Director of the IVL Foundation. The IVL Foundation recently partnered with GEPP for the collection of waste for sustainable recycling based on the Circular Economy concept. He commenced a career in investor relations (IR) over 20 years ago and has been recognized as one of the top 25 IR officers in the world of all time. Currently, Richard focuses on HR, corporate communications, CSR and sustainability. He is also the Chairman of the Sustainability Steering Committee. He holds a Master in Business Administration from Sasin Graduate School and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from University of Wales, UK.

Aloke Lohia, Indorama

Aloke Lohia is the Founder, CEO, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of Indorama Ventures PCl. He is the Chairman of the company’s Sustainability Committee and a member of the nomination, compensation and corporate governance committee. Indorama Ventures is the world’s largest producer of PET polymer by capacity. Under his leadership, IVL has established a recycling business to respond to the challenges of resource management as well as the need for sustainable packaging. Indorama has eleven recycling facilities globally and aims to complete the recyclable loop and has committed US$1.5 billion of investment in recycling. He holds an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from Rajamangala University of Technology, Thailand and a Bachelor of Commerce from Delhi University, India.

Ieva Rucevska, GRID-Arendal

Ieva Rucevska is the Project Manager of Environmental Crime and Transboundary Waters, GRID-Arendal. At GRID-Arendal, she works on pollution issues in the natural environment, particularly in countries with emerging economies and developing countries such as Balkans, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. She has extensive practical experience on environmental and cross-discipline issues such as environmental crime and security issues. This is complimented by a good knowledge of the geopolitical situation in selected regions, including political limitations and cultural sensitivities. Her work involves applied research and developing new methods and communicating with different stakeholders. She graduated from the Latvian University as a chemist and received training in Baltic Sea environmental engineering in Sweden.

Qamar Schuyler, CSIRO

Qamar Schuyler is a Research Scientist at CSIRO’s Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship. She handles statistical modelling for a variety of marine debris-related projects. Her primary focus is on marine plastics, and the transport of debris from land to sea. Other research interests include the impacts of marine debris on wildlife, the analysis of satellite imagery for ecological change detection, visual ecology, and sea turtle biology and ecology. Qamar also has extensive experience in marine tourism, and coordinated outreach and education campaigns in the Mariana Islands. She has a PhD from the University of Queensland and a Master of Environmental Studies from the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Rob Kaplan, Circulate Capital

Rob Kaplan is Founder and CEO of Circulate Capital, an impact investment management firm dedicated to financing companies, projects, and infrastructure that prevent the flow of plastic waste to the world’s ocean and advance the circular economy. Rob is a Co-Founder of and Senior Advisor to Closed Loop Partners, an innovative platform for impact investing, sustainability, and the circular economy. As Managing Director, he oversaw strategy and new business model development, as well as day-to-day operations. The Fund has deployed over US$40m into recycling and circular economy investment opportunities. Rob also served as Director of Sustainability for Walmart Stores, Inc. Rob previously led Walmart’s cross-functional efforts to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas from the supply chain. Rob received his MBA from the Haas School and his undergraduate degree in political communication from the George Washington University.

Casper Durandt, Coca-Cola Southern and East Africa

Casper Durandt is the Head of Sustainable Packaging and Agriculture and Franchise Technical Director for Coca-Cola Southern and East Africa. He also serves on the board of the South Africa National Bottle Water Association (SANBWA) and previously The Glass Recycling Company. He is also the Chairman and Founder of PET bottle recycling company PETCO. PETCO has helped grow PET collection rates from single digits in the early 2000s to 65% today, putting it on a par with international standards. Casper is an accomplished international speaker, has a passion for the environment and is an expert in water bottling, plant maintenance and PET recycling. He has over 20 years of experience in Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Quality, Packaging and Sustainability. He has a PhD in Industrial Engineering, an MBA from the University of Stellenbosch, a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Pretoria University and is a qualified Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

Laksmi Dewanthi, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia

Laksmi Dewanthi is the Senior Advisor to the Minister on Industry and International Trade, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia. She is a government official with more than 25 years of experience in the field of environment and sustainable development. Prior to her current position, she served in a number of different capacities, including as Director of Hazardous Waste Management Performance Evaluation, Assistant Deputy Minister for Environmental Data and Information, as well as Assistant Deputy for Environmental Economics, where she was responsible for developing the State of the Environment Report (SOER) and Environmental Quality Index, Environmental Data and Information System, and the implementation of various economic instruments for environmental protection and management. She received a Master’s degree in Environment and Development Policy at the Sussex University, UK. In the international fora, since 2003, she has been involving in environmental-related trade and climate change negotiation as well as in sustainable development related talks.

Alexander Rendell, Environmental Education Center

Alexander Rendell is an actor, singer, Co-founder and CEO of the Environmental Education Center (EEC), an organization that raises environmental awareness among kids through camps. The EEC is in its fifth year of operations and has hosted around 150 camps. Using nature as its classroom, the group organises outdoor activities and camping trips to encourage young people to help protect the earth’s resources. Alexander aims to foster environmental consciousness in kids, to tackle the environmental crisis from the ground up. He holds a Master in Environmental Social Science from Mahidol University and a Bachelor in Communication and Media Studies from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

Lars Svensson, IKEA Southeast Asia

Lars Svensson is the Sustainability and Communication Director for Ikano Retail Asia (IKEA Southeast Asia) and Group Sustainability Manager for Ikano Group. Ikano Retail Asia own and operate IKEA stores and Shopping Centres in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand and invest in mixed use real estate. He has worked in regional and local management roles in Southeast Asia since 1992 with mainly IKEA but also EF, Novena Holdings and Oriflame with sustainability, marketing, establishment, business development and sales. Lars is currently Vice President of Thai Swedish Chamber of Commerce and has served as Councillor for Southwest CDC in Singapore. He earned an MBA from Stockholm School of Economics with a post graduate scholarship for Malay language studies at National University of Singapore.

Samantha K. Jayasuriya, Ambassador of Sri Lanka

Samantha K. Jayasuriya is the Ambassador-designate of Sri Lanka to Thailand. Ms. Jayasuriya is a career diplomatic officer with 21 years of experience. Immediately prior to been appointed as the Ambassador-Designate to Thailand, she served as the Deputy Permanent Representative at Sri Lanka’s United Nations Office in Geneva. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mrs. Jayasuriya served in the Economic Affairs Department of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, as an Assistant Lecturer. She is skilled in in multilateral affairs, human rights, migration , sustainable development, Policy Analysis, Politics, and Government. She holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from University of Japan (IUJ) and Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Agriculture Economics from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Vong Sok, Head of Environment Division, The ASEAN Secretariat

Vong Sok is the Head of Environment Division and Assistant Director of Sustainable Development Directorate at The ASEAN Secretariat. He manages and promotes ASEAN regional environmental cooperation in the context of enhancing environment sustainability to contribute to sustainable development, among others, in the areas of air, water, land, coastal and marine environment, climate change, environmental education and environmentally sustainable cities. He has over 15 years of experience working as an Environmental Specialist (assessment and management) focusing specifically in the areas of climate change, forestry, biodiversity, watershed, wetlands, and land use planning and management. He holds a doctorate in Environmental Impact Assessment and Climate Change from the University of Western Australia and a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Management from Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.

Hidetoshi Nishimura, President, ERIA

Hidetoshi Nishimura is the President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). Prof. Hidetoshi has an extensive career in international affairs. He joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1976 and has assumed numerous positions since, including Representative of the Asia-Pacific Region of the Japan Overseas Development Corporation, Director of the Southeast Asia and Pacific Division of the Trade Policy Bureau, and Vice Governor for International Affairs of Ehime Prefecture among others. He assumed position of ERIA Executive Director in June 2008 and subsequently was appointed as its first President and was then reappointed as President for a third five-year term. He is also visiting Professor of Waseda University, Darma Persada University, Honorable Professor of Guangxi University, and Fellow of Musashino Institute for Global Affairs, Musashino University. He graduated from Faculty of Law, The University of Tokyo, Japan.

Paola Cortese, Plastic Bank

Paola Cortese is the Indonesia Country Manager for the Plastic Bank, an organisation where people can exchange plastic waste for goods or Blockchain secured digital tokens. She possesses 10+ years of experience in building, running and monetising small businesses in Design, F&B and Sustainability fields. As the founder of Cortese Design Studio – an eco-forward interior design studio, Zero Waste Life HK – a consultancy agency that focuses on lowering barriers to sustainable behaviour, and a Climate Reality Leader, Paola is experienced on the topic of designing a circular lifestyle in the urban environment. Now as the Indonesia Country Manager of Plastic Bank, Paola hopes to expand her impact by cleaning the environment and tackling the plastic issue while alleviating poverty nationwide.

Yumi Nishikawa, WWF

Yumi Nishikawa is the Regional Plastic-Smart Cities Lead, SEA at WWF. This initiative aims to work on the ground and with cities and tourism areas in five pilot countries to scale up to 25 cities by 2021 to build a global movement of PlasticSmart Cities. She has had over three years of experience working in the financial services industry and over two years in the development. Her non-profit experience includes working for the 100 Resilient Cities, Clinton Global Initiative, Impact Investment Exchange Asia, United Nations Global Compact, and the Rockefeller Foundation. During her time in finance, Yumi worked for Goldman Sachs, Ernst & Young, and J.P. Morgan in Japan. She pursued her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University. Yumi also holds a Bachelor of Arts from Sophia University, Japan.

Sharinee Shannon Kalayanamitr, Venture Partner, Gobi Partners

Sharinee Shannon Kalayanamitr is Venture Partner at Gobi Partners Thailand Fund. Shannon is the Founder of IKIGAI Group, a consulting company designed to solve 21st century challenges. She is currently advising the Thai government, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, and the Digital Economic Promotion Agency (DEPA) on its Thailand 4.0 Strategy, with a specific focus on its Tech, IoT, and Startup Execution plans. Shannon also co-founded and was the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Orami [formerly Moxy], – South East Asia’s only e-commerce destination focused on women. Shannon is also currently an advisor to Santora Nakama, a startup studio that works with entrepreneurs to build startups across the region. She is Gobi’s official representative in Thailand, pitching the firm to investors, limited partners, and angel investors, as well as procuring investment opportunities for Gobi in the digital media and IT sectors.

Atip Asvanund, Director of Sustainability and Good Governance, CP Group

Atip Asvanund is Head of Strategic Policy Development at True Corporation and Director of Sustainability and Good Governance at Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) in Bangkok, Thailand. His work experience revolves around Digital Technology, Startup, Telecom, Public Policies, Food, Agriculture, Fisheries, Retails and Sustainability. Dr. Atip is an executive at Thailand’s major telecommunication, broadcasting and convergence company. He holds leadership positions in public organisations, and contributes to Thailand’s leading newspapers. He is currently heading a sustainability team in 22 provinces coastline provinces in Thailand working directly with communities of Artisan fishermen. His educational background is in Computer Science, Economics and Public Policies. He holds a doctorate and Master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University, USA.

Ran Xie, UNEP

Ran Xie is the Associate Programme Officer for the Consumption and Production Unit, Economy Division at UN Environment. She works on circular economy for plastics. Previously, she was in the Pollution and Health Unit at UNEP, reporting and monitoring of the UNEA3 voluntary commitments and the preparation of the report on pesticides and fertilizers requested by UNEA3 resolutions. She obtained her Master degree in International Relations and environmental policy from Peking University and Sciences Po. Before joining UNEP, she worked for China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center, an institute affiliated with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China.

Salinla Seehaphan, Tesco Lotus

Salinla Seehaphan is the Corporate Affairs Director at Tesco Lotus. Her main responsibilities are enhancing Tesco Lotus’ positive image among external stakeholders, including 12 million customers who shop at Tesco Lotus every week. SHe works to instil Tesco values and engage over 50,000 employees in Thailand through effective internal communications, and supporting Thai society through high impact programmes such as the recent ‘Proud not to use plastic bag’ campaign that received award from Marketing Association of Thailand. She has 18 years of experience in Marketing and Communications working with international companies in various industries including Singapore Airlines, DHL, Yum Restaurants, and most recently, HSBC. She holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Northern Iowa, USA, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.

Louise Mabulo, UN Young Champion of the Earth 2019

Louise Mabulo is an award-winning chef, entrepreneur, agriculture advocate, public speaker, and competitive archer. She is the Founder of The Culinary Lounge, The Camarines Food and Tourism Society, and The Cacao Project. Louise is a recipient of the Young Champions of the Earth Prize 2019 by UNEP for her initiative, entitled The Cacao Project, which aims to combat deforestation by reviving barren lands through tree planting, creating economic forests and nurseries, promoting fair trade and reforestation, while empowering farmers with higher incomes. She promotes sustainable agriculture, and farm-to-table cuisine, and was awarded The Outstanding Young Farmer of the Philippines by JCI International. Louise completed an Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship at Brown University, U.S.A., and the Watson Institute Philippines.

Ambrogio Miserocchi, Thai Union Group PCL

Ambrogio Miserocchi is a Management Associate in the Sustainability Development Department at Thai Union Group PCL. Thai Union, one of the world’s largest seafood companies, has been ranked number one in the world in the Food Products Industry Index of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the two years in a row, with an industry best-in-class 100th percentile ranking for total sustainability. Thai Union Group PCL, has joined forces with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) in a drive to reduce the growing problem of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) worldwide. Ambrogio is an environmental engineer with a strong interest in climate change, environmental conservation and social development. He holds a Master of Engineering in Environmental and Land Planning Engineering and a Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

Lillygol Sedaghat, National Geographic

Lillygol Sedaghat is a National Geographic Explorer and multimedia storyteller at the intersection of science, systems and people. Previously, she was a Fulbright–National Geographic Digital Storyteller documenting Taiwan’s waste management system, plastics recycling, and circular economy initiatives. Through her work, Lillygol hopes to inspire conscious consumerism and spark a global discussion on trash with #MyWasteMyWay. Using infographics, music videos, maps, and digital storytelling to promote environmental education, she aims to transform people’s perceptions of trash from something disposable to something valuable. An active spokesperson for National Geographic’s global Planet or Plastic? campaign, she helped to launch the Planet or Plastic? campaign in both mainland China and Hong Kong. Lillygol received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley and is pursuing a Ph.D. in environmental anthropology.

Youna Lyons, National University of Singapore

Youna Lyons is a Senior Research Fellow with the Ocean Law and Policy Programme of the Centre for International Law (CIL), National University of Singapore (NUS). Her dual expertise in law and marine sciences has led her to spearhead and coordinate several multidisciplinary research projects at CIL including the prospects for re-use of obsolete offshore installations as artificial reefs in Southeast Asia, sensitivity mapping for Singapore in the context of oil spill preparedness and response, and the mapping of shallow features in the South China Sea. She also supports and participates to global and regional intergovernmental meetings on the protection of the marine environment. She is Chair of the Board of the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) and environmental advisory committee, the London Convention and Protocol, the Arctic Council and OSPAR. She holds two Bachelor’s degrees in procedural and international law, an LLM in international law from University Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne. She also holds a Masters in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Jayaprakash Murulitharan, Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, Malaysia

Jayaprakash Murulitharan is the Principal Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, Malaysia. He is highly experienced in various domestic, regional and international policies related to Environmental Management including air and water pollution. He is responsible for monitoring the progress of Hidroflurocarbon Phasing Out Programme (HPMP) under the Montreal Protocol Treaty, the Transboundary Haze Pollutions, developing Malaysia’s Environmental Performance Index (EPI), establishing the National Environmental Quality Monitoring Program, and negotiating and preparing country’s interventions related to policy matters on Ozone Depleting Substance, Air pollution, Acid Deposition, Transboundary Haze Pollution and Environmental Quality Management. He is a Chevening Scholar and holds a Master of Science in Sustainability Studies and Environmental Studies from the University of Glasgow, UK and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Technology, Malaysia.

Vu Hai Dang, National University of Singapore

Vu Hai Dang is a Senior Research Fellow with the Ocean Law and Policy Programme of the Centre for International Law (CIL), National University of Singapore (NUS). His area of expertise includes international law, law of the sea, international environmental law, protection of the marine environment and the South China Sea. Dang holds a Doctorate of Juridical Science in International Marine Environmental Law from Dalhousie University, Canada and a Master of Laws in International Trade Law from University of Paris V, France. He has experience working in the fields of legal service, civil servant, diplomacy and academics.

Lixin Zhu, East China Normal University

Lixin Zhu is part of the Plastic Marine Debris Research Centre (PMDRC), State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University. Lixin received his Bachelor’s degree from the Ocean University of China, in Qingdao, China, majoring in marine ecology and marine life science. Lixin holds a doctorate from the State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (SKLEC), East China Normal University, in Shanghai. Lixin’s doctoral thesis focused on the losses of the dissolved organic matter as it transits from rivers to the open ocean. He quantified concentrations of dissolved black carbon and lignin and their loss rates in waters from the Yangtze River and East China Sea, as well as within Georgia estuaries.

Kavinda Gunasekara, Asian Institute of Technology

Kavinda Gunasekara is the Team Leader (Environment) and Senior Program Specialist at the Geoinformatics Center (GIC), Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. He joined GIC in 2008. Previously, he worked as a GIS Specialist at Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) and a Researcher at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. His areas of expertise include GIS and Remote Sensing Applications on Coastal Morphology, Landslide, Glacier, Habitat Suitability and Tsunami and Use, Cover Mapping and Change Monitoring and On-the-Job Trainer. He holds a doctorate in Coastal Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan.

Bénédicte Niel, Pollution Crime Unit, INTERPOL

Bénédicte Niel is the Principal Environmental Quality Agent, Pollution Crime Unit at the Environmental Security Programme, INTERPOL. Prior to this, she worked as a Junior Researcher in the Biodiversity department, investigating anti-deforestation policies at The Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. Bénédicte also worked as the Communications Director at CliMates, an international youth think-and-do-tank, which aims at finding innovative solutions against climate change and gathering the next generation of decision-makers. She holds a dual Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Policies and Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences and Social Science from Université Pierre et Marie Curie and Sciences Po, France.

Christophe Crepin. World Bank

Christophe Crepin is the Sector Leader, Social, Environmental and Rural Development unit, East Asia and Pacific region, The World Bank, East Asia and Pacific. Christophe has led and overseen environmental and climate policy dialogue in a large number of countries as well as divers lending operations and advisory services in environmental management and climate change. His areas of expertise are climate policy and institute, and climate finance. Christophe has been with the World Bank for over 15 years and prior to his current position, he was the lead environment specialist in the same unit. Before joining the Bank, he was a program manager at the French Development Agency. Christophe holds a Ph.D in veterinary science from the Universite Pantheon-Sorbonne in Paris as well as a degree in public policy and economics, majoring in development economics, from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris.

Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee, Chulalongkorn University

Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee is a researcher at the Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She is also the Project Manager of the Chula Zero Waste Project. Together with network partners, Chulalongkorn University implemented this project to develop a model for waste and hazardous waste management in urban areas and the Sustainable Waste and Hazardous Waste Management Plan in Chulalongkorn University. Her areas of expertise are policy and institutional analysis on waste management, environmental and health valuation, economic tools for environmental management, public participation in environmental management and trade and environment. Sujitra holds a doctorate and Master’s degree in Environmental Economics from Hiroshima University, Japan. She completed her Bachelor in Political Science (International Relations) from Chulalongkorn University.

Panate Manomaivibool, Mae Fah Luang University

Panate Manomaivibool is a Lecturer at the Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand. He has led around 20 research projects and served as advisor in several other projects on sustainability. He has also assisted in a series of projects commissioned by the Pollution Control Department in Thailand to translate the policy principle into draft laws for the management of waste electrical and electronic equipment. His recent research was the foundation of the action that was followed under the theme “Chiang Rai Zero Waste” (CR ZW). Together with practitioners and community leaders, they successfully developed an archetype community in Chiang Rai that can achieve more than 50% waste diversion and be an exemplar for others to model after. He holds a doctorate in Engineering and an MSc in Environmental Management from the IIIEE, Lund University and a Master in Public Administration and Public Policy from University of York, UK.

Dechen Tsering, Director, UNEP Asia and the Pacific

Dechen Tsering is the Director at UN Environment, Asia and the Pacific Office. She has held management and leadership positions with the United Nations and has over 25 years of experience in national government and intergovernmental organizations including the World Bank. She has been actively involved in intergovernmental negotiations as a key negotiator for least developed countries and contributed to the establishment of the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Least Developed Countries Expert Group. Previously, she served as Director of the Finance, Technology and Capacity-Building Programme at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat. Prior to that position, she was the Deputy Regional Director of UN Environment in Asia and the Pacific. Dechen holds a Ph.D. from the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich in forest economics and policy. She also has a Master’s Degree from Georgetown University and Undergraduate Degrees from UC Berkeley.

Yegor Volovik, NOWPAP

Yegor Volovik is the Coordinator of at the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP), UN Environment Programme. He has over 25 years of experience including over 20 years at international level in both public and private sectors, including a number of UN Agencies including UNDP, UNEP and UNICEF. Yegor is familiar with the development processes in countries with economies in transition, including designing and implementing environmental policy reforms, strengthening management capacity of national and inter-state partners, as well as setting up modern governance systems and favourable enabling environment. HE has worked in various geographical regions including Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, Central Asia, the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins. He holds a PhD from the Institute of Program Systems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (databases, information systems, mathematical modeling of abiotic and biotic processes of ecosystems, ecosystem management decision support).

Kazuhide Umemoto, Deputy Mayor, Kitakyushu

Kazuhide Umemoto is the Deputy Mayor of the City of Kitakyushu, Japan. In one of the greatest environmental comeback stories of the 20th century, Kitakyushu was transformed from industrial wasteland to the first “Eco Town” in Japan. For its passionate commitment to the environment, the city of just under 1 million people has received global accolades. Kitakyushu became the first city in Japan to receive the UN Environment Programme’s Global 500 award and was named one of four Green Growth Model Cities by the OECD. The organization chose Kitakyushu as one of its nine pilot cities to advance the SDGs. A new cooperation agreement between the city and UN Environment will help bring that expertise to bear on plastic pollution through support to local governments in Thailand and Cambodia to implement effective waste management plans.

Karen Raubenheimer, University of Wollongong

Karen Raubenheimer is a lecturer at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong, Australia. She obtained her PhD from ANCORS, focusing on international and regional policy frameworks. Her thesis, titled “Towards an Improved Framework to Prevent Marine Plastic Debris,” analysed measures to prevent ocean- and land-based sources of plastic pollution. The feasibility of a new legally binding international agreement and an associated global funding mechanism was reviewed. She presented a possible model for such an agreement at the 17th meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. Karen was the lead researcher and author of the 2017 assessment for UNEP titled: “Combating marine plastic litter and microplastics: An assessment of the effectiveness of relevant international, regional and subregional governance strategies and approaches.” Karen also holds a Master of Environmental Management from the University of New South Wales.

Stein Hansen, UNIDO

Stein Hansen is the Regional Director and Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand where he also represents UNIDO in the UNSDG Asia Pacific Regional Directors group, and the UN Regional Coordination Mechanism. He is an Economist who has been working in international development for 26 years. Prior to his appointment, he was Chief of Strategic Donor Relations, Office of Deputy to Director General, UNIDO, Vienna, Austria. Previously, he has also worked at UNDP where he served as Resident Representative, UN Resident Coordinator and Deputy Resident Representative. He holds a B.Sc. in Economics from Aalborg University, Denmark. In addition to being an Economist, Stein R. Hansen holds a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University with focus on international development. He is also a Senior Executive Fellow of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Hiroyuki Miyazaki, Asian Institute of Technology

Hiroyuki Miyazaki is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). He is a Project Assistant Professor at the Center of Spatial Information Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan. He has over 15 years of experience on geospatial information technology, such as geographic information system (GIS), satellite remote sensing, and mobile phone technology, and its applications for various sectors including energy, environment, disaster management, urban infrastructure, and knowledge management. He also has over five years of experience in international research projects and more than two years’ international experience on ICT development in Asia. He holds a doctorate and Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from The University of Tokyo, Japan.

Wayne Nicholas Phillips, Mahidol University

Wayne Nicholas Phillips is a lecturer in Ecology and Conservation at Mahidol University International College. The focus of his work with the youth has been on providing opportunities to interact with stakeholders to gain different perspectives of shared problems; and to spend time in nature to gain a greater understanding of the role of our behaviour. His efforts focus on coral reefs and adjacent ecosystems and as an outlet for his efforts he founded Project Koh Sak to highlight the role of plastics and tourism in reducing coral reef resilience to climate change. Working with the island owners and other stakeholders, Wayne aims to reverse declines in reef and island quality and to help deliver an experience that is educational; enhances island and reef quality; and offers the opportunity for peace and quiet in this frenetic world. He holds a doctorate in Biology from the University of Essex and a M.Sc. in Aquatic Resource Management, King’s College London, UK.

Kim Nong, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia

Kim Nong is the Senior Technical Officer for the Minister of Environment in Cambodia. He is also Deputy Secretary General for General Secretariat of National Committee for Cambodian Coastal Zone Management and Development, Deputy General Director for General Directorate of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection, Deputy National REDD+ Task Force, and also as COBSEA National Focal Point. He is a specialist on Environmental Protection of Coastal Water and Community-Based Development from Germany and Canada respectively. He has 25 years experiences working on policies and strategies development for environmental conservation and protection, especially on flora and fauna, and also attended many National and International symposiums and conferences that related to community-based development, sustainable livelihoods, climate change issues, environmental policy, biodiversity and natural resources conservation and protection. He is particularly interested in social action research, policy and strategy development, and sharing lesson learnt from a practitioner level to decision maker level.

H.E. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand

H.E. Varawut Silpa-archa is the Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand. Varawut was elected as Member of the Parliament again in 2019, after previously serving as a Member of the Parliament in 2001, 2005 and 2007. Roles he has held in government include Deputy Minister of Transport in 2008, Secretary to the Minister for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in 2002, as well as Secretary to the Minister for the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment in 2001. He completed a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at University College London and then did a Master of Business Administrative Finance at the University of Wisconsin.

Giuseppe Busini, Deputy Head of Mission, European Union

Giuseppe Busini is the Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union Delegation to the Kingdom of Thailand since September 2018. The European Union is Thailand’s third trading partner and third source of foreign direct investment. They are also partners in issues such as promotion of Sustainable Development Goals. Giuseppe has worked in the EU External Relations service for more than 20 years, covering inter alia South Caucasus, Iran, Central Asia, the Gulf Cooperation Council and India. Before his appointment to Bangkok, he was responsible for the EU’s relations with ASEAN and the ASEAN Regional Forum. Giuseppe holds a master degree with Honours in Political Science and a PhD in International Relations and Contemporary History, both obtained at the University of Perugia in Italy.

Veronica Pedrosa

Veronica Pedrosa is an independent broadcast journalist, news presenter and moderator. Veronica began her career, in 1995, as a news anchor with CNN International and then with BBC World. She has also been a journalist with ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. She was with Al Jazeera English in the run-up to its launch, and worked for the channel for six years full-time, and then as a freelance for a few years more. During that time she was based in the Asia-Pacific bureau, in Kuala Lumpur; at the main bureau, in Doha; and as a correspondent in the field, based primarily in Bangkok. In 2004, Veronica was named Best News Anchor at the Asian Television Awards. She completed her undergraduate studies at Newnham College, Cambridge and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. (Honours) in English.

Wijarn Simachaya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand

Wijarn Simachaya is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand. He is a great asset to the Thailand Bio-Diversity Network Alliance advisory committee. His main responsibilities at MoNRE Thailand are natural resources and environmental plans, strategy development, and international cooperation on natural resources and environment issues. He is also a representative of the ministry of various UN, Sub-regional, and ASEAN forums. He has worked as a leader of green growth and government reform strategy development for Thailand. Wijarn serves as a chairman of Thailand’s long-term strategy (20-year plan) on natural resources and environmental management, including water resources management, sustainable forest management, together with pollution control management and environmental governance for the Ministry. He has been a supervisor of 16 departments and public organizations of the ministry, along with the 76 provincial offices for natural resources and environment throughout the country.

Zuraini Ahmad Tajudin, Department of Environment Selangor, Malaysia

Zuraini Ahmad Tajudin is the Senior Principal Assistant Director of Department of Environment Selangor, Malaysia. Currently, she is assigned as head of enforcement for all activities subjected under Environmental Quality Act 1974 at the Selangor state level. As part of Department of Environment of Malaysia enforcement team, her team is mandated to ensure the compliant of The Basel Convention, especially on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous waste and other waste. Among her team recent successes is the detainment of over 100 illegal cargos containing plastic and hazardous waste into Malaysia. Her previous role as a prosecutor has equipped her with the knowledge of handling all the related legal issues. With over 20 years of experience working for The Department of Environment of Malaysia she has also been the focal person for The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention.

Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited

Esther An is the Chief Sustainability Officer at City Developments Limited (CDL). A pioneer CSR practitioner for over 20 years, she is instrumental in building up City Developments Limited’s sustainability leadership since she joined the company in 1995. She spearheaded the company’s pioneering efforts in strategic sustainability integration, reporting and green financing. Esther sits on board several international and local sustainability organisations including UNEP Finance Initiative Property Working Group; UNEP Sustainable Stock Exchanges’ Green Finance Advisory Group, World Green Building Council Corporate Advisory Board, GRI Corporate Leadership Group for Integrated Reporting; Asia Pacific Real Estate Association Singapore Chapter Board and Global Compact Network Singapore Management Committee. Founder of the Women4Green Network, Esther is committed to engaging and empowering women in the male-dominated building and technology industries to drive the sustainability agenda.

Naporn Popattanachai, Faculty of Law, Thammasat University

Neo Mei Lin, Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore

Neo Mei Lin is a Research Fellow at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS). She holds a doctorate in Marine Ecology and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Life Sciences from NUS. Her research interests include Giant clams, Experimental Marine Ecology, Invertebrate Larval Biology and Ecology, Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and Science Communication. She is a recipient of the World Future Foundation Ph.D. Prize in 2014, the L’Oréal For Women in Science National Fellowship in 2015, and the NUS Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2017. She was also selected as the only Singaporean TED Fellow for the Class of 2017.

May Thazin Aung, Stockholm Environment Institute Asia

May Thazin Aung is a Research Associate with SEI Asia working on policy analysis and stakeholder engagement. May works closely with government agencies and civil society in Southeast Asia to promote evidence-based decision-making and multi-stakeholder participation. May’s work focuses on understanding how political, regulatory and institutional structures in natural resource governance influence the use and control of resources by different actors and social groups. Away from research and policy engagement, May is also interested in using innovative science-communications tools at the science-policy interface, and has published several photo-stories, discussion briefs and short-films. Prior to joining SEI, May supported Myanmar policy-makers to develop environmental protocols to improve natural resource governance. May graduated from Vermont Law School with a M.A. in Environmental Law and Policy.

Peter Kershaw, The Joint Group of Experts on Scientific Aspects of Marine Protection

Peter Kershaw is The Chair of The Joint Group of Experts on Scientific Aspects of Marine Protection, an inter-Agency body of the United Nations (GESAMP). He is an independent science advisor to UN agencies on marine environmental protection. His international experience includes working in association with a number of UN Agencies and other Intergovernmental Organisations (e.g. IAEA, UNESCO-IOC, UNEP, IMO, FAO, IWC, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Global Environmental Facility, ICES, PICES) in a range of research, assessment, advisory and collaborative roles. His research interests have revolved around many different aspects of marine environmental processes and the potential effects of human activities on the ecosystem, the influence of societal and economic aspects in policy formulation and implementation, and use of this understanding to bridge the science-policy divide. He holds a doctorate and a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Dundee, Scotland.

María Neira, Department of Public Health and Environment, WHO

María Neira is the Director of the Department of Public Health and Environment at the World Health Organization (WHO). She was also Vice Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs in Spain and President of the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency. Before joining WHO, she obtained extensive field experience working in Africa as Public Health Adviser in the Ministry of Health in Mozambique and in Kigali, Rwanda, where she served as UN Public Health Advisor for UNDP. María holds a degree in Medicine and Surgery (University of Oviedo, Spain), and a specialization in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the Université René Déscartes, Paris. She then obtained a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, in Paris, France. She has been awarded the Médaille de l’Ordre du Mérite National by the Government of France, the Spanish National Nutrition Strategy Award, among others, and is a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Asturias.

Roland Weber

Roland Weber is an independent international consultant for several UN Organisations (UNIDO, UNEP, UNDP, Stockholm Convention Secretariat) for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention. He has over 25 years research experience on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). His areas of expertise include Dioxins, unintentional POPs, Brominated and fluorinated POPs, Best Available Technologies (BAT) and Best Environmental Practice (BEP), Destruction of POPs, POPs contaminated sites, Sustainable Consumption & Production, Chemicals in plastic and control. He is drafter of Stockholm Convention guidance documents, member of the UNEP Dioxin Toolkit and BAT/BEP group and has an assignment at Tsinghua University Beijing at Stockholm Convention Regional Center for Asia and Pacific. He holds a doctorate and a Master in Chemistry both from the University Tübingen, Germany.

Wenxi Zhu, IOC-WESTPAC

Wenxi Zhu is the Head of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Sub-Commission of UNESCO for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) based in Thailand. He is responsible for the development, coordination and implementation of regional programmes on marine science, observations and capacity building in the Western Pacific and adjacent regions, which include North-East Asian region – The Global Ocean Observing System (NEAR-GOOS), South-East Asia – The Global Ocean Observing System (SEAGOOS), IOC Regional Network of Training and Research Centers on Marine Sciences; ten regional scientific projects and programs, and four regional working groups. As a key advocate for marine science, IOC and its WESTPAC focus on working collaboratively with scientists representing different institutions, countries, and international programs to advance ocean science for the prosperity of human beings.

Emilie Devenport, River Recycle

Emilie Devenport is responsible for project development at River Recycle. Their mission is to provide river cleaning as a free service for affected communities to immediately reduce the flow of plastic entering the oceans. Together with their partners, River Recycle provides the means to recover plastics currently flowing in rivers around the world, and turn it into raw material for the circular economy. River Recycle’s second largest shareholder provides 30 years of experience in marine oil spill cleanup with a global delivery network in 104 countries. Emilie has broad experience tackling marine conservation challenges with the public and private sector, related to plastics pollution, marine protected areas and youth participation in decision-making. She pursued her Master’s Degree in Marine Systems and Policies at the University of Edinburgh, and also holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.

Katy Waring, EcoBeasts

Katy Waring is the Co-founder of Bangkok’s environmental education startup EcoBeasts. With collaboration and teamwork at its heart, EcoBeasts connects schools and local environmentally driven businesses and foundations, aiming to support and ignite positive action across the city. Katy worked in events before completing a BEd Primary Education in her home country of Scotland. Her 10 year teaching career has spanned 5 countries, developing a pedagogical understanding in as many different curriculums and methodologies. Unable to discover a framework that highlights environmental themes adequately, Katy’s passion and drive to bring environmental education into the spotlight became realised with the birth of EcoBeasts in January 2019. The project has big plans for the future, remaining true to its core beliefs of collaboration for mutual gain for all participants, the essence of powerful action driving local and global sustainability.