HO CHI MINH CITY ECONOMIC FORUM 2023 (HEF 2023) Theme: “Green Growth - Towards Net Zero” Time: Tentatively September 13-17, 2023

1. PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE OF HO CHI MINH CITY

2. 2
PREFACE
The Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum (HEF) is an annual international event
hosted by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee with the aim of receiving insights
from local and international experts about the socio-economic development, key
projects, goals and programs of the city.
The 4th Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum 2023 (HEF 2023) is a major
international event with the theme “Green Growth - Towards net zero”. For HEF
2023, the City expects to see the participation of the Prime Minister, leadership of
Vietnamese line ministries; 1,200–1,500 delegates from international financial
institutions (World Bank, IMF, IFC, ADB, etc.), international organizations, such as
the World Economic Forum (WEF), leadership from 21 countries, diplomatic and
consular missions, businesses, national and international experts from countries across
the world that have succeeded in applying green growth and circular economy. The
HEF 2023 Documents are a number of publications collated by the Organizing
Committee, gathering information, presentations and articles from ministries,
international localities, financial institutions, organizations, and domestic and
international experts in different topics. These topics include: (i) Development trend
of green growth and circular economy for megacities (such as Ho Chi Minh City); (ii)
Building circular economy ecosystems in the context of striving to achieve net zero;
(iii) Policies for generating green growth towards net zero and corporate mission; (iv)
Resources for developing the circular economy towards net zero and corporate
mission; (v) Lessons and international experience to promote green growth and
circular economy; (vi) The situation in Ho Chi Minh City and solutions for applying
green growth models. The HEF 2023 Organizing Committee would like to thank all
the speakers, experts, and guests who have spent their time participating in the Forum.
All who have contributed their valuable opinions, observations, and experiences to
this year's Forum in particular, as well as to the green growth goal of Ho Chi Minh
City in general, are greatly appreciated. All comments and articles collated within the
Documents will be used as a hub of information and a valuable reference for Ho Chi
Minh City in the process of policy planning and organizing the implementation of
goals set by the city.
Sincerely yours,
Ho Chi Minh City, September 2023
Organizing Committee
Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum 2023

3. 3
DETAILED PROGRAM
HO CHI MINH CITY ECONOMIC FORUM 2023 (HEF 2023)
Theme: “Green Growth - Towards Net Zero”
Time: September 13-17, 2023
Time Activities in details
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
All day Receiving VIPs, delegates and experts and hotel check-in
16:00 – 17:30 Opening of Exhibition on green growth products and services of Ho Chi
Minh City at Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street and tour of Exhibition
17:30 - 20:30 Ceremony awarding the title "Green Enterprise" to Ho Chi Minh City
businesses and reception at REX Hotel.
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Morning Talk show with national and international experts and speakers at Ho Chi Minh
City Television
Exchange activity between prestigious national and international experts,
speakers with students of Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City
13:30 – 17:30 Ho Chi Minh City Leadership meets with international VIP delegations,
national and international experts, financial institutions and 100 CEOs of
corporations operating in green and circular economy
13:30 - 14:00 Welcoming delegates and performances of traditional musical
instruments
14:00 - 14:10 Tea Connect - performing the art of "Inviting to tea" and
introducing Vietnamese tea
14:10 - 14:20 Serving tea to delegates
14:20 – 14:25 Introduction of the programme and delegates by MC
14:25 – 14:40 Opening remarks by Mr. Phan Van Mai, Member of the Party
Central Committee, First Deputy Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party
Committee, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee
14:40 – 17:30 Discussion between Ho Chi Minh City Leadership with national,
international experts and CEOs moderated by Mr. Vo Van Hoan, Vice
Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee

4. 4
17:30 – 17:45 Concluding remarks by Mr. Phan Van Mai, Member of the Party
Central Committee, First Deputy Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party
Committee, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee
17:45 – 18:00 Closing and photo session
18:00 – 20:00 Reception
Friday, September 15, 2023
I. Opening Ceremony
7:30 - 8:00 Welcoming delegates
8:00 - 8:20 HEF’s trailer and introducing delegates
8:20 - 8:50 Opening remarks by the Prime Minister
8:50 – 9:05 Remarks by Mr. Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo Member, Secretary of Ho Chi
Minh City Party Committee
9:05 – 9:10 Remarks by Mr. Jan Jambon, Minister-President of the Government of
Flanders, Flemish Minister for Foreign Policy, Culture, Digitization and
Facilities of Flanders, Belgium
Key presentations: (6 presentations, 10 minutes/each)
9:10 - 9:20 Presentation 1: Development trend of green
growth and circular economy for megacities
Mr. Jeremy Jurgens, Managing
Director, World Economic
Forum (WEF)
9:20 - 9:30 Presentation 2: Building circular economy
ecosystems in the context of striving to
achieve net zero
Mr. Yasuo Takahashi, Former
Vice Minister of Environment
of Japan, Executive Director of
Institute for Global
Environmental Strategies
(IGES)
9:30 - 9:40 Presentation 3: Policies for generating green
growth towards net zero and corporate
mission
Ms. Zong Ming, First Vice
Chairwoman of Shanghai
Municipal People's Congress
9:40 - 9:50 Presentation 4: Resources for developing
circular economy towards net zero and
corporate mission
Mr. Sebastian Eckardt, Practice
Manager for Macroeconomics,
Trade and Investment in East
Asia and Pacific Region, World
Bank (WB)

5. 5
9:50 – 10:00 Presentation 5: Lessons and international
experience to promote green growth and
circular economy
Mr. Herlevi Kari, Head of
Global Collaboration for
Sustainability Solutions,
Finnish Innovation Fund
SITRA
10:00 – 10:10 Presentation 6: Situation in Ho Chi Minh
City and solutions for applying green growth
models
Mr. Pham Binh An, Deputy
Director General of Ho Chi
Minh City Institute for
Development Studies
10:10 – 10:25 Break and photo session
10:25 - 11:25 Remarks by the leadership of Central Agencies
11:25 - 11:35 Announcing and exchange of the Joint Statement on Cooperation between Ho
Chi Minh City and the World Economic Forum (WEF)
11:35 – 12:05 Guidance by the Prime Minister
12:05 - 12:20 Remarks by Mr. Phan Van Mai, Member of the Party Central Committee, First
Deputy Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Chairman of Ho Chi
Minh City People’s Committee, wrapping up the Opening Session and laying
out discussion orientations for the afternoon sessions.
12:20 - 13:30 Lunch
II. Parallel Sessions
Auditorium on the 1st
floor
(topic 1)
Auditorium on the 2nd
floor
(topic 2)
Auditorium
on the 3rd
floor
(topic 3)
- Chaired by: Mr. Vo Van
Hoan, Vice Chairman of Ho
Chi Minh City People’s
Committee
- Agency in charge: Ho Chi
Minh City Institute for
Development Studies
- In collaboration with:
- Chaired by: Mr. Bui Xuan
Cuong, Vice Chairman of Ho
Chi Minh City People’s
Committee
- Agency in charge: Ho Chi
Minh City Union of Business
Associations
- In collaboration with:
- Chaired by:
Mr. Duong
Anh Duc,
Vice
Chairman of
Ho Chi Minh
City People’s
Committee
- Agency in
charge: Viet
Nam

6. 6
+ Department of External
Relations;
+ Department of Science
and Technology;
+ Department of Natural
Resources and Environment
+ Department of External
Relations;
+ Viet Nam National
University Ho Chi Minh City;
+ Ho Chi Minh City Finance
Investment State-owned
Company (HFIC).
National
University
Ho Chi Minh
City
13:30 - 16:30 Topic 1: Ecosystems of the
circular economy and green
growth - Domestic and
international experience in
striving to achieve net zero
Topic 2: Solutions to promote
green growth and circular
economy models among
businesses, towards achieving
sustainable development for a
megacity
Topic 3:
Cooperation
in developing
circular
economy in
Asia Pacific.
14:30 – 15:50 III. Conference “Bilateral economic cooperation between Viet Nam and
Flanders, Kingdom of Belgium on building sustainable cities, adapting to
climate change” at REX Hotel
IV. Press Conference
16:30 – 17:00 Press Conference on the outcomes of HEF at the Grand Meeting Hall
IV. Wrapping-up Session and Gala Dinner
1. Wrapping-up Session
17:00 – 17:10 Clip summarizing the preparation, organization and outcomes of HEF
17:10 – 17:30 Remarks by Mr. Phan Van Mai, Member of the Party Central Committee, First
Deputy Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Chairman of Ho Chi
Minh City People’s Committee, evaluating HEF 2023 and guidance.
2. Gala Dinner
17:30 - 17:50 Opening performance
17:50 - 17:52 Toast by Mr. Phan Van Mai, Member of the Party Central Committee, First
Deputy Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Chairman of Ho Chi
Minh City People’s Committee
17:52 - 20:00 Gala Dinner
3. HEF Side Events

7. 7
All day Leadership of the Government of Viet Nam and Ho Chi Minh City have
meetings with VIP delegations, national and international experts,
organizations and businesses
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Morning Meeting between Ho Chi Minh City Leadership with the Advisory Council on
the Implementation of Resolution 98
Field visits to industrial parks, businesses applying circular economy and
green growth models in Ho Chi Minh City arranged for HEF delegates (2
options are available)
Option 1: Field visit to Tan Thuan Export
Processing Zone
8:15 – 8:30: Delegates gather at lobby of
REX Hotel
8:30 – 8:45: Depart for Tan Thuan Export
Processing Zone
8:45 – 9:45: Site visit and have discussions
with the Management Board of Tan Thuan
Export Processing Zone
9:45 – 10:45: Site visit and have discussions
with managers of typical businesses located
in Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone
10:45 – 11:00: Depart for REX Hotel
Option 2: Field visit to Hiep
Phuoc Industrial Park and
Xuan Mai Paper Co., Ltd
8:00 – 8:15: Delegates gather
at lobby of REX Hotel
8:15 – 9:00: Depart for Hiep
Phuoc Industrial Park
9:00 – 10:00: Site visit and
have discussions with the
Management Board of Hiep
Phuoc Industrial Park
10:00 – 11:00: Site visit and
have discussions with the
Management Board of Xuan
Mai Paper Co., Ltd
11:00 – 11:45: Depart for REX
Hotel
Afternoon City Tour (Arranged upon the requests of delegates)
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Seeing off international delegates

8. 8
PART 1
SPEARKER
AND
PANELISTS

9. 9
Dr. PHILIPP RÖSLER
CEO and Founder of Consessor AG
❖ Dr Philipp Rösler holds management consulting
mandates as well as supervisory board memberships in
known Swiss and international companies.
❖ Philipp started his career as a medical doctor at
the German Armed Forces but left the German Bundeswehr
as a captain to join politics in 2003. He served as the
chairman of the Free Democratic Party in the German state
of Lower-Saxony in which he was Deputy-Prime Minister
and Minister of Economics, Labour and Transport. In 2009
he joined the Federal Government of Germany as a Minister
of Health in Federal Chancellor Merkel's second cabinet. In
2011 Philipp Rösler was elected as the Chairman of the Free Democratic Party in Germany
and changed his portfolio to Federal Minister of Economics and Technology. He also became
Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
❖ 2013 Dr Rösler left politics and joined the Managing Board of the World
Economic Forum in Geneva for four years.
TRENT DAVIES
Acting Deputy Commissioner, Southeast Asia
Victorian Government Trade and Investment, Southeast
Asia
❖ Trent has a wealth of experience working in
Southeast Asia, having been based in Vietnam for more than
10 years.
❖ As Acting Deputy Commissioner, Southeast Asia
Victorian Government Trade and Investment (VGTI), Trent is
driving trade, education, and investment intiatives across the
region. Trent has extensive experience facilitating business
and investment linkages between ASEAN and Australia, with
an emphasis on Vietnam where he resides.
❖ Prior to joining VGTI, Trent consulted international clients on the complexities of
investing and doing business in Southeast Asia. His knowledge and advisory services
covered a wide range of topics including but not limited to market research and entry, supply
chain assessments, corporate structuring, trade agreements and legal, tax, accounting and
HR matters.

10. 10
SEBASTIAN ECKARDT
Practice Manager Macro Economics, Trade
and Investment East Asia and Pacific
Region.
❖ In the East Asia and Pacific Region
where he leads a team of economists
wSebastian Eckardt is a Practice Manager for
Macroeconomics, Trade and Investmentorking
on Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, China,
Mongolia, Korea and Vietnam. Prior to this position, he was the Lead Economist for China,
Mongolia and Korea and earlier Vietnam.
❖ Since joining the World Bank in 2008, he has led complex lending operations and
innovative analytical work across more than a dozen countries mostly in Europe and Asia,
supporting clients in the areas of macroeconomic, fiscal, and structural reforms.
❖ Before joining the Bank, Sebastian worked as an economist for the German
Government. A German national, he holds an MSc from the University of Birmingham, UK
and PhD in Public Finance from the University of Potsdam, Germany.
NONG NGOC DUY
Assoc. Prof, Lecturer, senior researcher at the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (CSIRO), Griffith
University.
❖ Honored as one of the best young
scientists in Australia 2020.
❖ Focuses on research to help developing
countries adapt to climate change and move
towards sustainable development, especially for
rural families.
❖ A research scientist in the field of agricultural economics at CSIRO - Australia's
national scientific research agency.
❖ Lecturer at Griffith University.
Has published over 30 scientific papers in world-renowned journals and many influential
international publications in environmental science. Among them, one-third of his research
is related to Vietnam's issues.

11. 11
LE THI THANH NHAN
Senior Lecturer, School of Economics and
Business, Australian National University.
❖ Specialties: Corporate Finance, Economic
Geography, Behavioral Economics and Banking.
❖ Currently a Senior Lecturer, Australian
National University.
❖ Notably published research projects:
- Do shareholder lawsuits lead to delisting?
Evidence from class action lawsuits in securities
(with Jonathan Brogaard, Louis Nguyen, and
Vathunyoo Sila), Journal of Financial Analysis and
Quantitative Analysis (Forthcoming)
- Spillover effects within industries: Evidence from bankruptcy filings (with Phong
Ngo), Journal of Business, Finance, and Accounting (2022)
- Local information environment and accounting fraud (with Jens Hagendorff and
Nguyen Duy Duc), Journal of Money, Credit and Banking (2020)
- Local bankruptcy and geographic contagion in the bank lending market (with
Jawad Addoum, Alok Kumar and Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi), Review of Finance (2020)
RAMLA KHALIDI
Resident Representative of the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam
❖ Over 30 years of experience working in
development and policy research at national and regional
levels, including 25 years at UNDP and the United
Nations Secretariat.
❖ At the regional level, take a leadership role in
the strategic and interdisciplinary planning efforts of the
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific on 2030 Agenda and Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) for West Asia, while
managing technical cooperation programs and policy advisory services for 18 member
countries.
❖ Always strive to strengthen this Commission's partnership with donors, United
Nations agencies and civil society partners.
❖ Focus on research on poverty reduction, comprehensive social development,
gender equality and governance.
❖ Worked as a journalist, a researcher and a program manager in a variety of national
contexts.
❖ Most recently, she was the Chief Resident Representative of UNDP in Syria from
2019 to 2022

12. 12
Jonathan Berkshire Miller
Senior Specialist in Security, Defense and
Geoeconomic Affairs in Asia- Pacific Region,
Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Canada
❖ Director of the Foreign Affairs, National
Security, and Defence program at the Ottawa-based
Macdonald Laurier Institute, Senior fellow with the
Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and senior
fellow on East Asia for the Tokyo-based Asian Forum
Japan, Director and co-founder of the Council on
International Policy. He also holds appointments as
Canada’s ASEAN Regional Forum Expert and Eminent
Person (EEP) and as a Responsible Leader for the BMW
Foundation.
❖ Previously: an international affairs fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations,
based in Tokyo, a Distinguished Fellow with the Asia- Pacific Foundation of Canada, and
Senior Fellow on East Asia for the New York-based EastWest Institute.
❖ Miller also held a fellowship in Japan with the Pacific Forum CSIS from 2013-16,
and has held a number of other visiting fellowships on Asian security matters, including at
JIIA and the National Institute of Defense Studies (Ministry of Defense - Japan).
DUONG THI HONG LIEN
Senior Lecturer in Economics and Law, Curtin
University, Australia
❖ Is a Certified Public Accountant and Senior
Lecturer at the School of Accountancy, Economics and
Finance (Curtin University)
❖ Her studies have been published in international
journals such as Journal of Corporate Finance and
Accounting, Business Strategy and the Environment, Accounting and Finance, Pacific-Basin
Finance Journal, Emerging Markets Review, and Contemporary Accounting and Economics.
❖ Invited to contribute expertise on various media sources, including Channel 9
News (TV), ABC News Tonight (TV), ABC News, 10 Daily News, The New Daily, The
Farmer, Community Radio Networks (RTRFM 92.1, 2SER 107.3FM, and The Wire –
Community and Indigenous Radio).
❖ Received notable awards including Global Positioning Award 2022, Researcher
Engagement Award 2022; Silver Shield Award (Best Research Category), Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)…

13. 13
CURT GARRIGAN
Head of Sustainable Urban Development United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP)
❖In his role as Head of Sustainable Urban
Development at UN-ESCAP, he contributed to
ESCAP's efforts to promote sustainable urban solutions
in cities across the region.
❖He worked for seven years at UN Environment
in Paris, France, as Coordinator of the Sustainable
Construction and Climate Initiative and as Construction
and Cities Program Manager. Prior to joining the United Nations system, Mr. Garrigan
served more than 22 years in operations and management roles for the City of Nashville,
Tennessee, USA, including Deputy Mayor, Parks Director and Coordinator Infrastructure
and Planning Officer for the city's Flood Recovery Team.
❖ Mr. Garrigan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Temple
University in Philadelphia, and holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Environmental
Diplomacy from the University of Geneva
MACKY ZHANG
ZHANG FENG (CHANG FENG)
CEO of Huawei Vietnam
❖ In 2000, after completing his Master's degree from
Trung Nam University, majoring in Human Resources and
Business Administration, Mr. Macky Zhang joined Huawei
and is currently the CEO of Huawei Vietnam.
❖ From July 2021 to March 2023: Mr. Macky Zhang
works at Huawei Philippines as Head of Digital Power
Business.
❖ From January 2019 to July 2021, he was Director of
Digital Power Business in China.
❖ From April 2013 to January 2019, he was the
Division Manager of the Enterprise Solutions Business Group in Xi'an, China.
❖ From May 2000 to April 2013, he served as Director of Sales Management
Department of China Unicom Department (China Unicom Account).
❖ With 23 years of experience at Huawei, Mr. Macky Zhang has extensive expertise
in various areas such as Network Infrastructure, Enterprise Solutions, and Digital Power.

14. 14
KLAUS TYRKKO
Chief Technical Advisor for the Global Eco-Industrial
Parks Programme (GEIPP), United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO).
❖ The Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme
(GEIPP) is a program involving 7 countries aimed at
promoting the adoption of Eco-Industrial Park activities
and creating a favorable policy environment for EIPs
❖ Klaus has previously served as the Head of
Division at UNIDO, Policy Advisor at UNDP, and
European Commission. Klaus began his career in
manufacturing and has also advised in over 20 countries. Klaus holds degrees in
Engineering, Environmental Policy, and Business Administration from Finland, Belgium,
and the United Kingdom.
QUY VO REINHARD
Co-Founder | Director at Health Foundation
❖ Dr. Quy Vo-Reinhard is an entrepreneur with a
PhD in Bioinformatics, an experienced director with a
proven history in Life Sciences, R&D, Healthcare,
Innovation and Digital Transformation, currently focused
on Blockchain4Healthcare.
❖ Worked in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Canada,
India, Vietnam and and is a global speaker.
❖ She is currently Co-Founder and Chief Data
Officer at dHealth Foundation; CEO / Founding Partner
(Pro Bono) of Global V-Space, the leading trusted network
for bringing Talents in Innovation together.
❖ In addition, Dr. Quy Vo-Reinhard is currently a Lecturer at Berner Fachhochschule
BFH; member of the Board of Directors (Pro Bono) at the Global Vietnamese Academic
Network and the Intellectuals and Experts Association of Vietnam in Switzerland; and a Co-
Founder, Board Member at Centiva Health.

15. 15
THOMAS KRAUSE
Expert in Development at the German International
Development Agency – GIZ
❖ 13 years of experience in development collaboration
in Vietnam through missions in the field of organizational
development and capacity building for partner organizations
from business, science, education and civil society
❖ Possesses extensive specialized knowledge and
application in development cooperation themes related to
environment and climate, sustainability, green economic
growth, gender equality, rural development, healthcare, and
migration.
❖ Leads teams, trains/coaches staff, coordinates international expert tasks, develops
cooperative relationships and networks with domestic and international entities.
❖ Holds extensive experience in working on civil society cooperation topics, public-
private partnerships and diplomacy with political representatives and Project Cycle
Management (PCM)
❖ Advises sponsoring organizations and agencies on the strategic direction of the
service portfolio for clients and improves the political framework conditions for their
members.
LUDWIG GRAF WESTARP
Representative in Vietnam & Moldavia of German
Association of Small and Medium Enterprises
(BVMW).
❖ At the German National Association for
Small and Medium Enterprises (BVMW), he manages
the Vietnam office and is the founder of SKARO, a
company operates in Germany and Vietnam.
❖ Ludwig has managed renowned international
companies in the region. He has worked with leading
companies in Real Estate and Integrated Infrastructure
Management from Germany, Denmark, the USA, and France/China, focusing on Smart and
Green Housing and data-driven infrastructure management.
❖ As Project Leader working with the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Ludwig supported
the development and publication of Vietnam's National Strategy for Environmental
Protection to 2020 and Vision to 2030.
❖ He graduated from the Berlin College of Economics and Law with a Master of
Business Administration (MBA) with an international vision and special focus on Asian
Management, lecturing at the Universities of Strategic Management, Sustainable Corporate
Governance and International Governance.

16. 16
ALEXANDER ZIEHE
Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Asia & Oceania of
Viessmann Vietnam
❖ Represents Viessmann, a leading German
technology provider for climate and energy solutions in the
Asia-Pacific region.
❖ Manages sales activities in the Southeast Asia and
Australia regions, with a focus on Vietnam.
❖ Previously, worked for Viessmann in Beijing,
Shanghai, and Singapore.
❖ During his career in Asia, Mr. Ziehe has actively
participated in AHK China, Singapore and Australia. He was a founding council member of
the Young Leaders Circle in Beijing and participated in the AHK Energy Cluster in
Australia.
❖ Alexander Ziehe studied Economics and History in Jena, Göttingen, Finland, and
the United States and is also a member of the Leadership Program at the St. Gallen
Management Institute.
GIDEON BEHAR
Ambassador at Special Envoy for Climate Change
and Sustainability at Israel's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
❖ Previously, he held positions as Head of the
African Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
as a Special Envoy for African Affairs.
❖ From 2011 to 2016, he was Director of the
Department for Combating Anti-Semitism and
Commemorating the Holocaust. He served as Israel's
Ambassador to Senegal from 2006 to 2011 and Deputy
Chief of Mission for Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon from 2002 to 2006.
❖ He currently teaches a university course on "The Impact of Climate Change on
International Relations."
❖ He was awarded the title of "Grand Officier de l'Ordre National du Lion" by
President Wade of Senegal for his special contributions to Senegal, as well as a special award
from Senegal's NGO support organization, CONGAD, for his humanitarian work in Senegal.
❖ He and his team were awarded the "Best Team of the Year 2015" by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs for organizing and leading the global forum on combating anti-Semitism.

17. 17
ALEXANDER OBERFELD
Member of City Council, Member of Environmental
Quality Committee, Ashdod City, Israel.
❖ Owning an independent law firm in Asdod
city.
❖ Initiated the idea of promoting exchanges
between localities in Israel and Vietnam, contributing
to making bilateral relations a reality.
❖ Believes that if businesses from the city and
Vietnam are connected and collaborate based on each
side's strengths, it will promote two-way trade in the future.
❖ Expresses confidence that Ashdod, one of Israel's largest ports, will establish
friendly relations with localities in Vietnam.
MARIO JORIZZO
PhD at Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable
Economic Development of Italy.
He works and manages a team of ten experienced researchers, currently the unit has a
project budget of five million euros.
FRANCESCO MONTALTI
Advisor to companies Eagle Projects, FAIT, New
Font, and Tratos Cavi;
Secretary of CEI (IEC's parent company in Italy) CT86
(Optical Fiber) and Chairman of SC86A.

18. 18
NGUYEN MAILY ANNA
MARIA
President of Italy-Vietnam Fund
❖ Expert in business internationalization and
business development.
❖ Collaborate with Vietnamese Ambassadors in
Italy in a number of areas such as institutions, business,
foreign direct investment, education, etc.
❖ Organized more than 100 seminars/workshops,
assisted the Vietnamese Embassy in organizing high-
level visits.
❖ Regarding activities in Europe, in 2013, joined
the European delegation led by Vice President of the European Commission Tajani to
Vietnam as a bridge between Europe and Vietnam.
❖ In 2017, joined Eurocham's Delegation to the European Commission to facilitate
the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement as the Representative of Becamex
IDC in Europe, UK and Switzerland .
❖ launched the book "Vietnam - A world of opportunities. Towards Society 5.0"
published by Albastros Editor.
❖ In 2023, awarded the Knights of the Italian Republic. Established Italy Vietnam
Fund with the aim of supporting Vietnam's modernization and industrialization and was
appointed President.
TAKAHASHI YASUO
Executive Director of the Institute for Global
Environmental Strategy (IGES)
❖ Mr. TAKAHASHI Yasuo graduated with
Master of Engineering, University of Tokyo.
❖ In 1983, he joined the Japan Environment
Agency (now the Ministry of the Environment).
❖ He has held important positions at the Ministry
including Director of Climate Policy Department,
Director of the Fukushima Environmental Recovery
Division, Director of the Environmental Management
Division, and Deputy Minister in charge of global
environmental issues.
❖ After retiring from the Ministry in 2019, he was appointed Senior Advisor to the
Ministry and joined IGES in January 2020 as a Special Policy Advisor.
❖ He has served as the CEO of IGES since November 2020.

19. 19
YASUHIKO HOTTA
Director of Sustainable Production and Consumption at
IGES
❖ Supervise IGES's research activities on
sustainable consumption, waste management, circular
economy, and marine plastic issues.
❖ Deputy Chair of the Asia Pacific Roundtable for
Sustainable Consumption and Production (APRSCP).
❖ Prior to joining IGES in September 2005, worked
as a project assistant for UNU/Zero Emissions Research
Initiative at the United Nations University/Institute for
Advanced Studies, a Contract Researcher (Industrial Policy
area) at the Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.
❖ Involved in policy initiatives and research projects related to sustainable resource
circulation, such as the G8's 3R Initiative, the 3R Policy Task Force for Southeast and East
Asia at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and the OECD
Resource Productivity and Waste Reduction Task Force.
❖ From 2016 to 2021, Hotta led the thematic area of the Japan Fund for Global
Environment and Technology’s S-16 project on Designing and Evaluating Policies for
Ensuring Sustainable Production and Consumption Patterns in Asia (PECoP-Asia), with a
5-year project titled “Policy Design Phases” involving the University of Tokyo, IGES,
NIES, and Keio University.
Dr. PHAM NGOC BAO
Deputy Director of Adaptation and Water Area at IGES
❖ Received a PhD from the Faculty of Urban
Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan.
❖ More than 15 years of experience, specializes in
implementing and leading interdisciplinary technical support
and research projects with a policy focus in Asia. These
projects include water supply and environmental sanitation
in developing countries, decentralized domestic wastewater
and sludge management, circular economy perspectives on
plastic waste and solid waste management, sustainable
production and consumption, climate adaptation and
mitigation, especially in the water sector.
❖ Currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Adaptation and Water Area at
IGES. Dr. Bao is also a member of the Secretariat of the Water Environment Partnership in
Asia (WEPA) sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan

20. 20
PARK BONG GYU
President of Korea CEO Summit, President of Marvels
World Blockchain Summit
Sectors: Urban, Culture, Convergence, Global Network,
Global Blockchain
❖ CEO Park Bong Gyu has chaired numerous
international forums and conferences as President of Korea
CEO Summit, leading 8,000 CEOs from various fields
including politics, economy, society, and culture.
❖ In 2004, he held the Forum to invite US President
Bill Clinton, the World Forum of Scientists (Nobel Peace
Prize laureate).
❖ 2005-2006 held the Korea-China Economic Forum (Great Hall of the People,
Beijing). In 2010, he hosted World China Traders Forum in Korea. In 2010, he hosted World
Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Forum in Korea (Seoul). In 2014, he held Korea-China
Cultural and Creative Urban Congress (Seoul DDP). From 2015 ~2017, he attracted attention
when successfully holding the Oriental Wisdom Forum in Tangshan, Xi'an, Qingdao of
China.
JOO YOUNG SUP
Special Professor of Seoul National University/Former
SME Administration/President of Korea ICT
Convergence Network
❖ Sectors: Urban, Culture, Convergence, Global
Network, Global Blockchain
❖ Graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical
Engineering from Seoul National University, and a Master's
degree in production technology from the Korean Institute of
Science and Technology (KAIST).
❖ PhD in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania
State University. He was the former CEO and former General Manager of the Asia Pacific
region of GE Thermometrics Korea, and the former CEO of Vontech company, Hyundai
Autonet.
❖ After that, he held the position of MD of key industries of the Strategic Planning
and R&D Department of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, a member of the Special
Committee on Future Growth Drivers, the National Science and Technology Inspection
Board, a member of the Convergence Research Association at the National Science and
Technology Research Association, member of the National Economic Advisory Association
under the President and Director of the Department of Small and Medium Enterprises.

21. 21
SONG JAERYOUNG
Director - Center for Foreign Affairs and Policy
Cooperation, National Green Technology Institute of
Korea.
❖ From 2019 to 2022: Policy member at the
National Council on Climate and Air Quality (NCCA)
under the Office of the President of Korea to develop
international science and technology programs with
agencies of the United Nations.
❖ From 2014 to 2016: Science & Technology
Research Council as head of international cooperation and
research and development (R&D) strategy department.
❖ Chairman of the Climate Change Committee at the Asia Policy and Innovation
Association, consultant of the Green Seoul Citizens Committee at the Seoul Metropolitan
Government, and professor in charge of the Department of Communication & Content at
Sungkonghoe University in South Korea.
HAN SANG DEOG
Deputy CEO of Samsung Engineering Co, Ltd.
❖ Field in charge: Environmental and industrial
technology
❖ Over 30 years working at the Samsung
Group, Mr. Han Sang Deog has led and managed large-
scale, complex projects for Samsung Engineering in
multiple countries and territories, also assuming
various positions and roles at a global level
❖ Since 2016, he has focused on the company's
priorities in the context of climate change and ESG
(environment - social - governance) issues.
❖ During his career, Mr. Han Sang Deog played a significant role in shaping public-
private cooperation models between Middle Eastern governments and Samsung Engineering
in the environmental sector.

22. 22
HWANG KI SIK
Secretary-General of Busan International
Cooperation Fund
❖ Master's degree in International Politics
from Korea University (1997)
❖ Master's degree in International Politics
from the London School of Economics and Political
Science (LSE) (2004),
❖ PhD in International Politics, University of
London (2007)
❖ Professor at the Postgraduate International
Studies Department, Dong-A University (2008-
2023)
❖ Secretary-General of Dong-A University (2012-2016)
❖ Director of East Asian Multicultural Research Institute (2020-2022)
❖ President of the European Research Association on Contemporary Korea (Group)
(2020)
❖ Co-Chair of the G-Busan Roundtable Conference of Busan Metropolitan City
(2022-present)
❖ Member of the Public Relations Advisory Committee of the National Assembly of
Korea (2015-2016)
❖ Member of the Local Diplomacy Advisory Committee of the Governor of the
Korea Association (representing Busan)
Dr. KIM TAE KUN
Green Technology Center, National Climate
Technology Center, South Korea
08/2011 - 01/2014: Member/Team Leader, KIST Europe.
10/2006 - 04/2012: Doctor of Sociology, Westfälische
Wilhelms-Universität Münster 10/2000-09/2006; Master of
Sociology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.
Current:
❖ Main Researcher, Former Division Director and
Team Leader of the National Institute of Green Technology
(formerly Green Technology Center).
❖ International Cooperation Specialist, Presidential
Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth
(CNC).
❖ Member of Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) Environment and
Social Advisory Council.
❖ Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, Academic Society for Appropriate
Technology (ASAT).
❖ Expert member, President's Advisory Council on Science and Technology. The
Committee for Evaluation of Basic Science (PACST).

23. 23
BRIAN KIM
CEO of Kim Ventures Co., Ltd., Climate Tech
Investment
❖ Master of Science in Computer Science,
Sejong University, Seoul, Korea
❖ Graduated in English Literature & Translation
from Handong Global University, Pohang, Korea
❖ From 2018 to 2021: CEO, YOZMA
Corporation Korea. Head of Acceleration – Consulting,
education and investment for startups.
❖ From 2005.5 - 2018: Korea-Israel Industrial
R&D Fund Senior Manager of Strategic Planning & Development Team - Responsible for
managing joint R&D cooperation program between Korean SMEs Country and Israel.
❖ Assisted the Korean Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy to develop
international R&D policies and programs, managed technology transfer between Korea and
Israel.
❖ Team Manager of the Program International Technology Network Organization -
Responsible for managing the network of Korean small and medium enterprises developed
in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Spain,
Turkey, Israel, UAE, China and Vietnam
JAEWON PETER CHUN
President and CEO of the World Smart Cities Forum
WSCS
❖ Since November 2019; is the President of the World
Smart Cities Forum, CEO, ARK-i Labs Jaewon is also the
CEO, XnTREE.
❖ Since March 2011: CEO of the Korea-Israel
Chamber of Commerce (KICC)
❖ Since January 2005: Partner of APEX Company &
Investment, ARK-i Labs, Jaewon's company, playing a
crucial role in leading smart city projects by planning
comprehensive strategies for smart cities and raising capital
from the private sector.
❖ Currently, ARK-I Labs is involved in smart city projects in over 7 cities
worldwide.

24. 24
EELKO BREVOORD
Energy Coordination Specialist at PUM Netherlands
senior experts
❖ Holds a Master's degree in Chemical
Engineering from the University of Twente in Enschede.
Throughout his career, he has published over 30 research
papers and holds 5 patents. He has undertaken various
roles, including:
❖ Senior Energy Coordination Specialist at PUM
Netherlands
❖ Hydroprocessing & FCC Consultant
❖ Held several positions at Albemarle
Corporation over the years, such as Application Director
(2018-2020); R&D Director (8/2012 - 8/2018); Director of Technical Services
Europe/Africa (2010- 8/2012); Director of UOP Commercial Technology Alliance
(1/2009- 9/2010); Director of FCC & HPC Technical Services; Hydrocracking Expert (1/
1997 - 1/2001)
NATHAN SCHMIDT
Climate Fund Managers Regional Head – Asia
Nathan Schmidt is responsible for investment
activities in Asia.
❖ Nathan is an expert in the Asian infrastructure
market, with experience in both buying and selling
energy and infrastructure investments totaling over $6
billion.
❖ In 2010, Nathan was a founding member and
director of Equis, a multi-billion dollar private equity
fund investing in Asia.
❖ Prior to that, he was the Head of Macquarie
Korea Opportunity Management (MKOM), a manager at Shinhan Macquarie Financial
Advisory and a managing director of Macquarie Securities Inc. United States.
❖ He has worked on the development and implementation of renewable energy
projects up to 700 MW across Asia.

25. 25
ASSOC. PROF,
DR. VU MINH KHUONG
Economic and policy expert, senior lecturer at
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore
❖ In 2005, he successfully completed his
thesis and received his doctorate from Harvard
University, whose name is engraved on the gold
board of the Kennedy School of Administration.
❖ Currently working as lecturer at Lee Kuan
Yew School of Public Policy (National University of
Singapore), member of the Economic Advisory
Group for Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc for the 2016-2021 term.
❖ His research focuses on economic growth, productivity, competitiveness and issues
related to the impact of information technology, e-government and economic integration.
❖ His papers were published by various international journals such as Scandinavian
Journal of Economics, German Economics Review, Energy Policy and Journal of Policy
Modeling.
❖ Former consultant for the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, International
Finance Corporation, USAID, KPMG, Central Bank of Singapore and Singapore
Communications Authority.
❖ Former lecturer at Suffolk University (Boston) and Keio University (Tokyo) on
public policy analysis, financial management and economic development.
MICHELE WEE
CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam .
❖ Having 28 years of experience in the
banking sector, promoting strengths in making
strategies.
❖ Before joining Standard Chartered, she held
key roles in Financial Markets at Deutsche Bank,
Bloomberg and Astley & Pearce in Singapore from
2001 to 2011.
❖ Appointed Chairman of the Banking Working Group (BWG) in March 2022 and
continued for another term from March 2023 to March 2024 as recommended by the State
Bank of Vietnam.

26. 26
TRACY HARRIS WONG
Tracy Wong Harris is the Director of Sustainable Finance
for Asia at Standard Chartered Bank
❖ Focusing on the sustainable development of the
Financial Strategy Bank, by developing new products and
solutions.
❖ Tracy is concurrently the Vice President and Deputy
Secretary General of the Hong Kong Green Financial
Association (HKGFA), Appointment Policy of the Financial
Services Development Research Committee (FSDC) and
Advanced Advisor for Green Building Project..
❖ She promotes green and sustainable financial
development in Hong Kong and has more than 20 years of
financial market experience in various structured and fixed income products at JPMorgan,
Mizuho International , Barclays Capital and BNP Paribas with headquarters in London and
Hong Kong.
❖ Award master's and bachelor's degrees in international finance and capital
markets in the UK and graduated from Oxford said on social finance program.
WINSTON TSEON LOONG
CHOW
Associate Professor of Urban Climate Lee Kong
Chian Research Fellow College of Integrative
Studies Singapore Management University
❖ Dr. Winston Chow researches on and has
extensively published on urban climate adaptation and
mitigation to climate-driven impacts and risks,
especially those of heat extremes in tropical cities.
❖ Since 2017, he has been the Principal
Investigator for the multi-institute Cooling Singapore
Initiative, which is dedicated to developing solutions to address the urban heat challenge in
Singapore that can be applied for other cities.
❖ In July 2023, he was elected by governments to be Co-Chair, Working Group II of
the IPCC after being nominated by the Government of the Republic of Singapore. The IPCC
is the United Nations body informing 195 governments about the state of knowledge of
climate change by assessing all relevant scientific literature on the subject.
❖ Dr. Chow is in the editorial boards of several urban climate and sustainability
academic journals, and advises on several international climate research projects in
Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands.
❖ In Singapore Management University, Dr. Chow teaches undergraduate classes on
climate change and sustainability issues, and executive courses on climate change, finance
and governance with the Singapore Green Finance Centre

27. 27
SHANMUGA RETNAM
Member of the Management Board of i-Forum of
Smart City (SCiF), partner of Market Access &
Regulatory Affairs (MARA) in Vietnam.
❖ Shanmuga Retnam is a business connector.
❖ He is currently the Co-Chairman and CEO
of the Vietnam Smart City Consortium, a tripartite
multinational initiative and the Co-Founder of the
Vietnam Business Exchange (VBEx); a business
networking platform to accelerate the integration of
Vietnam's small and medium-sized enterprises with the region and MARA (Market Access
& Regulatory Affairs) Partners in Vietnam, advising small shops to promote provincial
economic development and facilitate trade exchanges within the ASEAN bloc
❖ Former Vice President, Asia Pacific for a global G3 Realization concern, managing
emerging markets in the Asia Pacific region.
❖ Worked in the Prime Minister's Office (Singapore) in 2007.
BRIAN HO
Partner and the Sustainability and Climate
Assurance Leader for the Asia-Pacific and
Southeast Asia at Deloitte
❖ With 20 years of experience in the field of
sustainable development, he provides professional
services to clients and is also responsible for driving
Deloitte's ESG services in the Asia Pacific region. He
holds various positions in the sustainability field,
including being a member of the Sustainability
Reporting Advisory Committee in Singapore and the
Sustainability Committee of the REITAS in Singapore,
actively promoting climate and sustainability
development. Prior to joining Deloitte, he worked as a partner for eight years in the
❖ China division of an international professional firm and served as the China
Regional Director for a sustainable development consulting company in the Asia Pacific
region for ten years.
❖ In addition, he actively participates in sustainable education initiatives in the region
and collaborates with educational institutions to drive development projects. He is a member
of the Singapore Institute of Technology's Industry Advisory Committee for Sustainable
Education and a member of the Consultative Committee for the Global ESG Education and
Research Center at the Hong Kong

28. 28
DINH NGUYEN PHAN
Country Director of EDPR Sunseap Vietnam.
❖ Master's degree in Management Science in
September 2002.
❖ Director of "Cursus Investment" at Académie
des Métiers Finance - EDF in December 2015.
❖ March – June 2016 Institut de Relations
Internationales et Stratégiques de Paris (IRIS –
France): « Enjeux Géostratégiques de l'Energie ».
❖ WORK EXPERIENCE
❖ From 03/2023: Country Director of EDPR in
Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam. Lead business development activities for renewable
energy projects in Vietnam, build portfolio of renewable energy projects.
❖ Served as SEA / Singapore Business Development Manager.
❖ A delegate, representing the French-Speaking Youth Council (www.cjef.be),
member of the Belgian Government delegation to the United Nations Conference on Climate
Change in Poznan – Poland in December 2008.
JEFFREY BALL
Senior Non-resident Fellow on Foreign Policy,
Energy Security and Climate Initiative Brookings
Institution, USA
❖ Graduated from Yale University and is an
author focusing on energy and the environment.
❖ Also a resident scholar at Stanford's Steyer-
Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance; a lecturer
at Stanford Law School.
❖ Senior Non-resident Fellow at the Brookings
Climate and Energy Security Initiative.
❖ Ball's articles have appeared in The Atlantic, Fortune, the New Republic, Foreign
Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Slate, among others.
❖ Awarded the top energy writing award by the Association of American Business
Editors and Writers in 2015.
❖ His essays cover topics such as why carbon pricing can't solve climate change,
financing global carbon removal, the significance of the age of abundant energy, and the
need for economically effective renewable energy approaches.
❖ He contributes comments on energy issues on WSJ.com as a member of "The
Experts," a panel of The Wall Street Journal.

29. 29
DANG THANH TAM
Chairman of Kinh Bac Urban Development
Company (KBC).
❖ Qualification:Bachelor of Marine
Engineering, Bachelor of Business Administration,
Bachelor of Law, Diploma of Business Management
from Henley School - UK.
❖ Working experience :
- 1988 to 1996: Maritime Officer, Saigon
Shipping Company;
- 1996 to 2007: General Director of Tan Tao
Industrial Park Joint Stock Company (ITACO)
- 1999 to 2004: Member of the People's Council of Binh Chanh district (Ho Chi
Minh City), term 1999 – 2004
- 2004 to 2009: Member of the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City, term 2004 –
2009
- 2002 to now: Chairman, General Director of Kinh Bac City Development Joint
Stock Company, now Kinh Bac City Development Holding Corporation. On 22/11/2012, he
resigned as General Director of Kinh Bac City Development Holding Corporation.
- 2007 to now: Approved by the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
as an official member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC); High-ranking
advisor for Vietnamese Government’s WTO Action Plan.
- 2011- 2016: Member of Vietnamese Parliament on the 13th
National Assembly
NGUYEN QUANG THUAN
Chairman of FiinGroup and FiinRatings
❖ AAs the Vietnamese leader in information
and analysis solutions to serve domestic and
foreign investors in Vietnam.
❖ FFiinGroup provides financial
information analysis platforms, business
information and market research to assist investors
in the Vietnamese market and support businesses in developing and expanding their
business in Vietnam.
❖ FiinRatings Joint Stock Company is a member of FiinGroup and a strategic
cooperation partner with S&P Global Ratings. FiinRatings operates in the field of
credit rating, licensed by the Ministry of Finance, providing credit rating services and
related activities for businesses, investors and lenders in the capital market.
FiinRatings is also an authorized organization to certify green bonds according to
international standards of the World Climate Organization (Climate Bonds Initiative)
in Vietnam.

30. 30
Dr. LE VO PHUONG NGA
Director of Finance & Partnership AVSE Global
❖ Dr. Le Vo Phuong Nga is currently the Head of
Finance Management, Credit Agricole Corporate &
Investment- the France's leading banking group, with nearly
700,000 employees present in more than 70 countries. Dr.
Phuong Nga is also the
Director of Finance & Partnership of AVSE Global.
❖ As a leader of key social impact projects of AVSE
Global in Vietnam: Central Reconstruction project,
strategic consulting projects for provincial development; the
Mutual Fund for the Poor project; The project on gathering
influential Vietnamese individuals to mobilize resources for Vietnam's development... Ms.
Phuong Nga constantly strives to contribute a lot to social impact projects for the
development of Vietnam.
❖ Dr. Phuong Nga has considerable experience in building and successfully
managing teams with a strong belief in work, in organizational effectiveness, in
wholehearted positivity; she has an understanding the importance of knowledge power, Dr.
Phuong Nga is very enthusiastic about resource connection activities for the development of
Vietnam.
DINH HONG KY
Chairman of Secoin
❖ Automation Control Engineer - Hanoi University
of Science and Technology
❖ Master of Business Administration (MBA) -
GRIGGS University (USA) and Hanoi National
University
❖ 1990-1995: Specialist of Trade Agency of
Vietnam Embassy in Poland.
❖ From 1995: Return to Vietnam and focus on the
production and trading activities of non-fired building materials of Secoin – the leading
manufacturer in Southeast Asia for high-end artistic tile products with a system of 9 factories
and 3 large showrooms in the North - Central - South of Vietnam.

31. 31
DR. LE THAI HA
Managing Director of the VinFuture
Prize, VinFuture Foundation.
❖ Dr. Thai Ha has nearly 3 years of
experience as a Director of Research and
Senior Lecturer at the Fulbright School of
Public Policy and Management, Fulbright
University Vietnam and 7 years as a Senior
Lecturer at RMIT University Vietnam. Her research interests include energy economics,
environmental economics and applied economics.
❖ According to the ranking of Stanford University experts published in the scientific
journal PLoS Biology in 2021, Dr. Thai Ha is named in the top 1% of the world's most
influential scientists in all fields of science and is the only Vietnamese female researcher in
this ranking.
❖ Advisor for the World Bank, UNDP, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Economic
Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
Colin James Barrow
Professor and the Chair of Biotechnology
at Deakin University.
❖ His research is mainly on industrial and
marine biotechnology
❖ He is the Director of the Centre for
Chemistry and Biotechnology and the CRC Program
Leader for Marine Biological Products.
❖ He has more than 300 peer-reviewed
publications with more than 24,000 citations.
❖ He is currently a member of the ARC College of Experts and a member of the
Advisory Committee on Complementary Medicines.
❖ Professor Barrow has joint laboratories in China, India and New Zealand.

32. 32
Dr. TRAN THI HONG MINH
Dr. TRAN Thi Hong Minh is currently the President of the
Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM).
❖ Dr. Tran possesses extensive knowledge and research
publications on the topics of market economy reforms,
economic integration and new economic models of Viet Nam.
❖ She is advising the Government of Viet Nam, and the
Minister of Planning and Investment about macroeconomic
policy issues, economic institutional reforms, new economic
models and economic integration.
❖ She lead the drafting processes of various policy initiatives, such as National
Strategy on Industry 4.0, Economic Restructuring Plan, Project on Institutions for Sub-
National Economic Linkages, Project on Night-time Economy, Project on Promoting
Circular Economy in Viet Nam. Dr. Tran is leading the drafting process of Government
Decree on Regulatory Sandbox on Circular Economy.
❖ Dr. Tran has a Master degree on International Economics and Trade from Flinders
University, Australia (awarded in 2005), and a PhD degree on World Economy and
International Economic Relations from Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences (awarded in
2013).
MELISSA MACEWEN
ESG Director leading the circular economy function within
New Zealand and the APAC region, as PwC Asia Pacific’s
subject matter expert.
❖ With a background in energy and industrials
regulation and public affairs, Melissa subsequently spent
four out of the last five years managing London-based
international policy institute Chatham House's
Environment and Society programme (spanning the
thematic areas of food, land and agriculture, climate change, resource governance,
energy and the circular economy). There, she led the growth of the circular economy
subject area, producing research and analysis and providing recommendations to
international governments, multilateral organisations, development banks, NGOs and
corporates across sectors - includingfinance, food systems, e-waste and critical raw
materials, renewable energy, manufacturing and construction.
❖ Melissa is experienced in identifying the benefits and trade-offs of a
transition to a circular economy, Her recommendations have been incorporated into
the European Commission's circular economy strategy, and she is considered to be a
key knowledge partner for private and public organisations around the world as the
circular economy gains ground.

33. 33
Christopher Phillip Howe
❖ Professional Experiences:
- July 2021 – current: WWF Resilient Asian
Deltas & Mekong Delta Landscape Leader
- February 2019 – July 2021: WWF-United
Kingdom, Head of Food & Landscapes
- January 2017 – January 2019: IUCN Asia
Regional Office, Projects Director
- January 2007 – December 2016: WWF-New
Zealand, Executive Director
❖ Education:
- 2022: Inclusive Conservation WWF
- 2011: MA Creative Writing Victoria University of Wellington
- 2007-2013: WWF Leading at the Top, IMD International, Lausanne
❖ Memberships
- 1985-date: British Association of Nature Conservationists
- 1997-date: IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management
- 2007-date: IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
JOCHEN M. SCHMITTMANN
Regional Resident Representative for the IMF
Resident Offices in Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao
PDR.
❖ Before that, he was the Deputy Head of the
IMF’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in
Tokyo, Desk Economist on the Japan team, and
Mission Chief for the Federated States of Micronesia.
❖ He previously was the IMF’s Resident
Representative in Singapore, covering Singapore,
Malaysia, and Asian financial markets.
❖ Before coming to Singapore, Jochen
worked in the IMF’s Asia and Pacific (including Senior Desk Economist on the Vietnam
team from 2014 to 2017), Western Hemisphere, Finance, and Monetary and Capital Markets
departments. He also worked as part of the team managing the IMF’s investments.
❖ Jochen has published on a wide range of topics in finance and macroeconomics,
including behavioral finance, climate finance, currency hedging, labor markets, and the
economic impact of demographic change in Asia.
❖ Jochen holds a Ph.D. in Financial Economics from Goethe University Frankfurt.

34. 34
ALENKA
SUHADOLNIK
Slovenian Ambassador to the
People's Republic of China.
❖ Ms. Suhadolnik holds a
Master of Economics from the
University of Zagreb and a BA in
international relations from the
University of Ljubljana. She also holds a specialization degree from the Diplomatic
Academy in Vienna.
❖ Ms Suhadolnik played an important role in establishing several Slovenian
international development cooperation institutions. In this context, she served as president
of the management board of the Foundation Together – Regional Center for the Psychosocial
Well-being of Children (2002–2004), a member of the management board of the Center of
Excellence in Finance (2009–2011), and a member of the management board of the Center
for European Perspective (2016-2019).She also served as a member of International Trade
Promotion Commission, SID Bank - Slovenian Export and Development Bank (2017-2019).
JAN SITAR
Economic Counsellor at the Embassy of Republic
of Slovenia to China, also covering Thailand, Viet
Nam, Mongolia and North Korea.
❖ Before coming to China, Mr. Sitar served as
undersecretary at the Slovenian Ministry of Economics
from 2019 to 2022. Other roles Mr. Sitar had fulfilled
with the Slovenian government also included economic
counsellor at the Slovenian Embassy to Russia, Belarus
and Central Asia from 2017 to 2019, and before that as
senior advisor at Slovenian Ministry of Economic
Development.
❖ Before joining the public service, Mr. Sitar worked for many years in the
investment banking field specialized in merge and acquisition. He also worked in marketing
at British American Tobacco, GSK, and Danone.
❖ From 2004 to 2010, Mr. Sitar served as an economist at Faculty of Economics,
University of Ljubljana, and JAMK University of Applied Sciences. Mr. Sitar speaks
frequent English, Russian, Serbian, and Croatian, and some Chinese and German.

35. 35
❖
PART 2
PRESENTATIONS

36. 36
Unlocking Potential:
Global ESG Criteria Harmonization through UN
Leadership for a Sustainable Future
Abstract
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria have evolved as a critical
framework for evaluating the long-term and ethical consequences of investments and
business activities. While the concept of ESG criteria is gaining ground, the lack of
established global norms makes widespread implementation and effectiveness difficult. This
article advocates for the United Nations (UN) to lead the effort to harmonize global ESG
criteria, resulting in a clear and complete framework that can drive sustainable development
and responsible corporate practices across borders. This article emphasizes the importance
of collaborative international efforts to unlock the full potential of ESG criteria for a
sustainable future by delving into the current state of ESG criteria, analysing the potential
benefits of standardisation, and exploring the role of the UN in catalysing this process.
Keywords: ESG, sustainability, harmonization, global, leadership, United Nations
1. Introduction
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) elements have recently gained
prominence, emerging as a critical paradigm for assessing the non-financial performance of
organizations and investments (Escrig-Olmedo et al., 2019; Friede et al., 2015; Pedersen et
al., 2021; Tien et al., 2020; Townsend, 2020). This comprehensive set of criteria includes a
wide range of concerns, ranging from measuring the environmental impact of operations
and adhering to social responsibility pledges to examining the effectiveness of corporate
governance procedures. In an era marked by serious global concerns such as climate change,
social injustice, and the demand for ethical corporate behavior, the importance of ESG
criteria in defining decision-making processes and bolstering sustainability initiatives has
grown tremendously.
The modern world is at a crossroads, wrestling with complex and multidimensional
concerns that necessitate collaborative and inventive solutions. In this setting, ESG criteria
have emerged as a ray of hope, offering a structured framework for businesses and investors
to manage their operations and decisions through a lens that extends beyond solely financial
considerations. These criteria function as a dynamic toolkit that encourages introspection,
accountability, and alignment with ideals that go beyond profit margins. However, in order
for ESG criteria to fully fulfil their potential as drivers for positive change, a globally agreed
and robust framework is required (Escrig-Olmedo et al., 2019; Gibson Brandon et al., 2021;
Khan, 2022; Li et al., 2021).

37. 37
Despite increased acknowledgement of the importance of ESG issues, a persistent
challenge clouds their worldwide impact: the lack of a defined and widely accepted
framework for analysing and reporting ESG performance. The contemporary ESG
environment is distinguished by a plethora of theories, techniques, and evaluation systems
(Dimson et al., 2020). As a result, firms, investors, and other stakeholders are frequently
forced to navigate a complex maze of differing measures, indices, and standards. While this
diversity reflects the increased emphasis on sustainability, it also brings its own set of
challenges (Van & Long, 2022).
The absence of a defined framework impedes ESG data comparability, complicating
decision-making processes and compromising the credibility of ESG disclosures (Avramov
et al., 2022; Dimson et al., 2020). As a result, the goal of sustainable growth is hampered
by inconsistencies in data interpretation, difficulty in benchmarking performance, and issues
distinguishing genuine sustainability efforts from purely superficial gestures, commonly
known as "greenwashing” (Delmas & Burbano, 2011; Freitas Netto et al., 2020). This lack
of coherence in ESG criteria presents challenges to mobilizing resources towards significant
sustainability activities in a globalized economy where capital flows across borders and
investments transcend geographical boundaries (Dimson et al., 2020; Friede et al., 2015;
Shakil, 2021).
Given these problems, there is an urgent need to standardize ESG criteria. A uniform
framework would promote openness, enable informed decision-making, and level the
playing field for businesses to compete based on genuine sustainability measures (Escrig-
Olmedo et al., 2019). Such harmonization would benefit not just investors looking to spend
resources ethically but would also
enable businesses to embrace sustainability as an inherent component of their operating
plans (Drempetic et al., 2020). The road toward standardizing global ESG standards has the
potential to usher in a new era of responsible business conduct, allowing companies to make
real contributions to a sustainable future while also generating value for their shareholders
and stakeholders (Adams & Abhayawansa, 2022).
2. The Current ESG Criteria Landscape
From significant rating agencies and industry associations to prominent financial
institutions, a profusion of frameworks, methodologies, and score systems have arisen.
Collectively, these initiatives add to the rich tapestry that is the ESG landscape (Dimson et
al., 2020; Shakil, 2021). They are critical in raising awareness about the necessity of
incorporating environmental, social, and governance considerations in addition to traditional
financial indicators when evaluating a company's performance and effect (Mervelskemper
& Streit, 2017). Furthermore, these programs have been essential in campaigning for
responsible corporate practices that go beyond profit maximization, urging corporations to
be more conscious of their societal and environmental impacts (Van & Long, 2022).

38. 38
While these ESG guidelines and processes have clearly aided in the transition to more
sustainable corporate practices, they have also unintentionally contributed to the mosaic of
fragmentation that defines the contemporary ESG arena. Because there is no uniform
approach, each framework stresses different aspects of ESG performance, adopts different
assessment procedures, and measures different criteria. As a result, organizations are
frequently evaluated using distinct metrics that give disparate results, making meaningful
cross-comparisons difficult (Berg et al., 2022; Billio et al., 2021).
This inconsistency in ESG assessment methodology has far-reaching consequences.
One immediate implication is the possibility of inconsistencies in the portrayal of a
company's sustainability performance (Alsayegh et al., 2020; Khan, 2022). Companies may
emphasize areas of their operations that correspond with particular ESG frameworks while
potentially disregarding others, motivated by the allure of favourable branding and increased
reputation (Arvidsson & Dumay, 2022). This selective emphasis, known as "greenwashing,"
can result in a distorted portrayal of a company's commitment to sustainability, weakening
the faith that investors, consumers, and other stakeholders place in ESG disclosures (Delmas
& Burbano, 2011; Freitas Netto et al., 2020).
Furthermore, the lack of consistency in assessing and reporting ESG performance has
broader systemic implications for decision-makers at all levels. Due to inconsistencies in
accessible data, investors, who play a critical role in allocating money towards sustainable
firms, have difficulty adequately evaluating the ESG performance of potential investments
(Avramov et al., 2022; Caplan et
al., 2013). Similarly, firms attempting to connect their strategies with long-term goals
encounter difficulties in evaluating their performance against industry peers and
determining the efficiency of their sustainability programs (Pedersen et al., 2021).
The absence of comparability and standardized reporting is also a key impediment for
policymakers and regulators aiming to establish effective sustainability frameworks and
incentivise responsible behaviour within their jurisdictions. Crafting successful policies
becomes a more challenging task in the absence of a standard and globally accepted way of
monitoring ESG performance, potentially leading to fragmented and uneven rules across
different markets (Adams & Abhayawansa, 2022; Arvidsson & Dumay, 2022).
In essence, the lack of consistency in ESG assessment and reporting undermines the
comparability and credibility of ESG data, limiting investors', firms', and governments'
ability to make educated and influential decisions. To fully realize the potential of ESG
criteria as positive change drivers, the global community must collaborate to create a
standardized framework that unifies these disparate efforts and paves the way for more
comprehensive, transparent, and consistent evaluation of sustainability performance.

39. 39
3. The Argument for Harmonization
To begin, establishing a uniform vocabulary and globally acknowledged framework for
ESG evaluation is a vital step toward increasing transparency and confidence in ESG
reporting. This newfound clarity would provide investors and stakeholders with a solid
foundation for making decisions. A unified ESG
framework assures that the information utilized for decision-making is reliable and
devoid of ambiguity in a world where ethical and sustainable considerations are increasingly
valued (Adams & Abhayawansa, 2022). This dependability generates a higher level of
confidence between organizations and their stakeholders, paving the path for more
meaningful involvement and collaboration in the long run (Berg et al., 2022).
Beyond transparency, the advantages of harmonizing ESG criteria extend to cross-
border investment (Escrig-Olmedo et al., 2017). The reduction of impediments caused by
differences in ESG reporting standards between jurisdictions has the potential to unleash a
flood of international capital flows into sustainable initiatives. By establishing a level
playing field in which ESG information is uniformly organized and evaluated, investors
have the confidence to pursue possibilities in global markets without having to deal with the
difficulties of disparate reporting procedures. This convergence is consistent with the global
structure of today's economy, in which investments traverse continents and sustainable
efforts merit support regardless of location (Amel-Zadeh & Serafeim, 2018; Halbritter &
Dorfleitner, 2015).
The effects of standardization continue to reverberate throughout the corporate
environment, inspiring innovation and encouraging healthy competition. Companies are
supplied with a consistent set of criteria to assess their performance against peers and
industry benchmarks when a uniform
framework is in place. This dynamic climate drives businesses to innovate and develop
ways that significantly improve their ESG performance (Billio et al., 2021; Khan, 2022).
Companies competing to succeed in their adherence to defined ESG standards can result in
game-changing breakthroughs in sustainable strategies. This competitive race to higher ESG
standards can serve as a stimulus for new research, transformative technology, and more
responsible business models, jointly accelerating the road towards a sustainable future
(Alsayegh et al., 2020; Billio et al., 2021).
To summarize, defining global ESG criteria is a proactive step toward improving the
way organizations function, investments are made, and society flourish. It instils trust and
facilitates well-informed judgments by bringing clarity and reliability to ESG reporting.
Cross-border barrier elimination encourages international investment in sustainable
initiatives, propelling the global sustainability agenda ahead. Furthermore, the competitive
pressure it creates among businesses encourages innovation, resulting in concrete gains in

40. 40
sustainability practices. These advantages compound the impact of ESG considerations,
hastening progress toward a more ethical, responsible, and sustainable world.
4. The United Nations' Role
The United Nations (UN) is a beacon of international cooperation and collaboration,
perfectly positioned to play a crucial role in standardizing global ESG criteria. Its broad
reach, credibility, and unrivalled convening capacity provide fertile ground for orchestrating
a unified framework that cuts over geographical, political, and sectoral borders (Kim &
Yoon, 2023).
When considering the UN's role in this endeavour, one might picture a comprehensive
approach that brings together a varied range of parties. The UN's intrinsic ability to bring
parties together on a shared platform, such as governments, multinational corporations, non-
governmental organizations (NGOs), and financial institutions, has enormous promise. This
convergence of viewpoints, driven by the UN's reputation for promoting constructive
dialogue, fosters a productive interchange of ideas, insights, and best practices (Ortas et al.,
2015). Through these interactions, a complete framework encapsulating the most important
ESG challenges and providing advice on their assessment, evaluation, and reporting might
develop.
The UN's mission extends beyond mere facilitation to the deliberate cultivation of
consensus. The United Nations, with its long-standing commitment to sustainable
development, serves as a neutral arena where diverse interests can be balanced and
harmonized. The UN has the ability to bridge gaps and develop shared understanding among
stakeholders through initiating discussions, conducting research, and convening working
groups made of experts from many disciplines. The UN's worldwide network's depth of
experience provides it with the ability to investigate subtle facets of ESG considerations
while accounting for regional circumstances, sector-specific challenges, and varied
stakeholder views (Sethi & Schepers, 2014).
In this environment, one of the UN's most valuable assets is its legitimacy. The UN's
engagement in standardizing ESG criteria provides credibility to the resulting framework as
a trusted global institution (Kim & Yoon, 2023). Its neutrality and non-partisanship establish
an environment in which
choices are made based on the collective good rather than individual interests. This
provides legitimacy to the standardized ESG principles developed as a result of this
collaborative effort, building trust in the minds of investors, businesses, and societies alike.
Furthermore, the UN's expertise in negotiating complex global difficulties makes it a
perfect candidate for not only opening conversations but also driving a long-term effort to
harmonize ESG criteria. The organization's track record of success in uniting nations and

41. 41
stakeholders around common goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
serves as a model for its potential to deliver revolutionary results (Pradhan et al., 2017).
To summarize, the UN's involvement in the standardization of global ESG criteria is
not a suggestion, but a need. Its worldwide standing, neutral attitude, collaborative platform,
and expertise foster an atmosphere suitable to beginning, facilitating, and leading the
process of developing a generally recognized ESG framework. Through established ESG
principles that transcend boundaries and pave the road for collaborative global success, the
UN can manage the complexities of varied stakeholder interests, foster agreement, and help
design a more sustainable future.
5. Overcoming Difficulties and Moving Forward
The route toward worldwide ESG standards harmonization is a complex and
multidimensional activity that requires a fine balance of numerous aspects (Cornell, 2021;
Eccles & Stroehle, 2018). While hurdles exist, they are not insurmountable, and with careful
planning, teamwork, and dedication to overall sustainable development goals, these
impediments may be addressed with a proactive and inclusive approach (Arvidsson &
Dumay, 2022; Pradhan et al., 2017).
The different interests of stakeholders involved in the harmonization process pose a
substantial obstacle. Governments, corporations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
and financial institutions all bring their own viewpoints, goals, and worries to the table (Berg
et al., 2022; Dimson et al., 2020). Balancing these disparate interests necessitates a deft and
inclusive approach that ensures all voices are heard. Participatory deliberations are essential
because they give a forum for open exchanges, promoting a shared knowledge of the
intricacies involved. This open exchange of ideas is critical for reaching a consensus-driven
solution that meets the needs and aspirations of all stakeholders.
Furthermore, the inclusion of industry-specific nuances is an important consideration.
From technology to agriculture to energy, each industry has unique traits that influence their
ESG issues (Berg et al., 2022). Recognizing these distinctions necessitates a nuanced
approach—one that allows for customization of the standardized framework to meet the
specific needs of each industry. The standardization process may stay dynamic and flexible
by using an iterative strategy that includes continual feedback loops and expert insights,
ensuring that the resulting framework is strong and usable across sectors (Billio et al., 2021).
Cultural variations, while rich in diversity, can often impede the process of
harmonization (Dimson et al., 2020). Values, values, and practices differ greatly among
places, and these cultural differences might influence how conventional ESG standards are
interpreted and used. It is critical to overcome this difficulty by emphasizing inclusivity and
respect for varied cultural backgrounds. It entails promoting a discourse in which cultural

42. 42
variations are viewed as strengths rather than impediments, while acknowledging that
localized changes may be required to ensure the framework's success and relevance across
diverse places (Khan, 2022).
The key to overcome these obstacles is to remain committed to aligning with bigger
global sustainability goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals
give a shared vision that transcends individual interests and fosters a sense of community.
The framework achieves a higher purpose by anchoring harmonization efforts within the
context of these established sustainability goals—one that resonates with the global
community's aspirations for a more equal, just, and sustainable society (Alsayegh et al.,
2020; Crifo & Diaye, Marc-Arthur, Oueghlissi, Rim, 2017; Tien et al., 2020). This
alignment not only maintains the integrity of the standardized ESG principles, but it also
promotes more cooperation among stakeholders as they work together toward a common
goal.
To summarize, while the path to harmonizing global ESG rules is fraught with
difficulties, it is also rife with chances for dramatic change. These hurdles can be
transformed into stepping stones towards a more standardized, transparent, and impactful
approach to ESG assessment by adopting participatory deliberations, iterative procedures,
and a dedication to both sector-specific concerns and global sustainability objectives. The
global community can lead the way for a future in which responsible business practices are
the norm and sustainability is an inherent component of global economic and social progress
by collaborating, innovating, and being committed to sustainability.
6. Final remarks
In an era marked by increasing levels of interconnection and interdependence, the need
to define global ESG criteria becomes even more pressing. As the difficulties we confront,
ranging from environmental degradation to social inequality, transcend national boundaries,
a standardized framework becomes a crucial instrument for creating a collaborative response
to these complex global issues. This framework acts as a common language, facilitating
meaningful collaboration and fostering a shared commitment to ensuring a sustainable and
equitable future for all.
The United Nations (UN) is crucial to this effort because it is uniquely positioned to
lead the fight toward global ESG standardization. Because of the UN's long history as a
global convener and mediator, it is a natural catalyst for this dramatic shift. Its gathering
power crosses political, economic, and cultural boundaries, creating a neutral environment
for governments, companies, non governmental organizations (NGOs), and other
stakeholders to engage in productive discourse. This discussion serves as a crucible for
multiple perspectives to collide, producing a path that not only accommodates but also
celebrates the diversity of interests, insights, and solutions required for a comprehensive and
widely accepted ESG framework.

43. 43
The United Nations' dedication to global improvement is embedded in its culture,
making it a competent and trustworthy body to manage the complexity of this endeavour.
Its agenda is based on the common aim of making the world a more just, sustainable, and
prosperous place for current and future generations. By advocating for the standardization
of ESG criteria, the UN not only fulfils its existing duties but also expands its influence in
an area of critical relevance to the international community.
Furthermore, the UN's involvement does more than simply set standards; it allows
enterprises, investors, and society at large to deal more effectively with the complex web of
sustainability challenges. The UN provides stakeholders with a tool to traverse the
challenges of ESG evaluation by providing a cohesive framework that overcomes regional
inequalities, cultural variations, and sectoral biases. This empowerment extends beyond
academic frameworks and into tangible impact. Businesses may securely incorporate
sustainability ideas into their operations, knowing that their efforts will be consistent with
globally recognized standards. Investors might direct funds to initiatives that show tangible
progress toward sustainability. Through educated judgments based on consistent and
accurate ESG data, societies may hold institutions accountable.
In summary, harmonization of global ESG criteria is more than simply a little step
toward a more sustainable and equitable future. With its convening capacity, dedication to
betterment, and global influence, the United Nations has the opportunity to lead this
revolution. The UN brings stakeholders together in a common pursuit of a world where
sustainability is not only a lofty ideal but a collective reality by encouraging the
standardization of ESG criteria. The global community can transcend the barriers that divide
us and establish a unified path towards a more sustainable, just, and affluent world for future
generations with the UN's leadership.
Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Philipp Rösler
Honorary Consul to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Elena Weber
Consessor AG

44. 44
The National Agency for New Technologies, Energy
and Sustainable Economic Development, Department
of Sustainability: an overview
ENEA is the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable
Economic Development, a public body aimed at research, technological innovation
and the provision of advanced services to enterprises, public administration and
citizens in the sectors of energy, the environment and sustainable economic
development (article 4, Law no. 22 of 28 December 2015)".
Since its foundationin the 1960s, its strengths have been applied research,
technology transfer and technical-scientific support to companies, associations,
territories, central and local administrations: for this reason - unlike other research
institutions - the Agency depends on the Ministry of the Environment and Energy
Security.
ENEA's scientific and technological development activities are carried out in
nine Research Centres throughout the country, in addition to five laboratories, the
headquarters in Rome, a network of regional offices and the Brussels liaison office
for participation in European and international research projects.

45. 45
The Department for Sustainability
General Objectives
Contribute to the valorization of economic, natural and social capital, by
providing technological and methodological tools for sustainable and competitive
growth and improvement of citizens life quality.
Support Policy elaboration and implementation promoting the reduction of
emissions, the mitigation of climate change effects, the transition towards
innovative economic models (circular economy, bioeconomy, blue economy).
The Department also assures technical support to public authorities within the
main national, EU and international fora; in European EIP platforms and working
groups; in international Experts Commissions and within international negotiations
(UN, UN-ECE, EU etc.).
Strategic themes
● Climate changes
● Natural capital and sustainable tourism
● Closure of cycles, industrial areas and circular economy
● Sustainable cities
● Sustainable supply chains and food systems
● Materials and processes for competitive manufacturing industry
● Innovative health products and systems
● Air quality and health
● Protection and enhancement of our artistic, historical and architectural heritage
● Territorial security
● Biotechnological systems, products and processes
ENEA’s Department for Sustainability (SSPT) develops, implements and
promotes the eco-innovation in production and consumption systems, contributing to
the definition and implementation of country’s strategies and policies within the
overall framework of transition towards more sustainable production and
consumption model.
Divisions are the organisational units of the Department that carry out research
and development activities in the following areas:
● Resource Efficency: The Division develops and implements technologies,
methodologies and tools for enhancement, use and efficient management of resources
with a view to enabling circular economy in the value chain of products and materials,
in production chains, in urban and industrial areas, and throughout the territory. It
deals with technologies, up to pilot project scale, for integrated, sustainable
management of waste and water resources in civil and industrial fields,
recycling/recovery of raw materials from complex end-of-life products and nutrients,
materials and energy from waste.

46. 46
● Sustainable Materials: The Division operates in the sector of innovative
materials for applications to the production system, with particular regard to
composite, ceramic, nanostructured and polymeric materials. It develops functional
and structural materials with low environmental impact, related technologies
(including additive technologies) and demonstration components. It fosters
replacement of critical raw materials and develops analytic techniques regarding our
artistic heritage.
● Models and Technologies for Risks Reduction: The Division develops
numerical models of the atmosphere and climate system to evaluate the impact of air
pollution, climate variability and future scenarios on natural resources, human health
and materials. It develops and applies innovative anti-seismic technologies to civil
and industrial buildings and monumental heritage. It develops methodologies for the
definition of seismic and geomorphological risks. It proposes strategies for the
adaptation and mitigation of risks deriving from natural and anthropic causes.
● Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Capital: The Division acquires
data and develops methodologies and technologies for the environmental
characterization, protection, management and remediation and for understanding the
climate system and its variability, collaborating with the corporate sector for the
development of prototypes and innovative tools. It designs and manages integrated
observatories and carries out studies for the enhancement and protection of
ecosystems and natural resources. It develops microbial biotechnologies also applied
to the areas of bioremediation and the conservation and restoration of cultural
heritage.
● Biotechnologies and Agroindustry; The Division carries out research and
innovation activities for the agricultural and food system, fostering the system’s
competitiveness and sustainability of production from a circular bioeconomy
viewpoint, to boost performance in terms of quality, quantity, safety and traceability
of products, thereby contributing to public health and wellbeing.
● Health Protection Technologies: The Division carries out research and
innovation activities within the industrial biotechnologies and biomedical sector. It
develops innovative solutions for health; identifies new molecular targets of
therapeutic interest; devises new delivery strategies, new diagnostic, prognostic
and radio-exposure bio-markers. Through the development of innovative
experimental approaches and through risk assessment, it characterizes the impact of
environmental changes on human health in terms of predisposition to chronic
degenerative diseases and aging processes.
Moreover, The Department coordinates support and technology transfer
activities targeting developing countries in order to foster actions to combat the
impacts of climate change, within the framework of the national commitments

47. 47
envisaged by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and of
collaboration with State administrative bodies.
Development cooperation
Development cooperation is particularly important for ENEA, being consistent
with its founding values and mission. Actually, the Agency makes its expertise,
technologies and services available through agreements,
contract agreements ,contract agreements and protocols with the national cooperation
system (MAECI, AICS) through a specific Framework Agreement with national and
international organizations (FAO, UNIDO ITPO Italy, etc.), NGOs, Civil Society
Organizations, and other leading actors in this sector, with which it participates in
national and European funding calls.
Under the Agreement with the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and
Sea (MATTM), ENEA delivers technology transfer and provides environmental
cooperation to those countries, most vulnerable and exposed to climate change, with
which MATTM has signed memoranda of understanding, especially as regards Small
Island Developing States (SIDS).
Cooperation development projects provide project planning, technology transfer,
consulting, training and technical support in the production of renewable energy,
environmental and health protection, climate change, sustainable and resilient

48. 48
agriculture, water, wastewater and waste management, marine protected areas
(including marine sanctuaries), alert systems and coastal areas adaptation.
Example of recent project on Sustainability:

49. 49
Navigating European Forests and forest bioeconomy sustainably to EU
climate neutrality
ForestNavigator aims at assessing the climate mitigation potential of European
forests and forest-based sectors through modelling of policy pathways, consistent with
the best standards of LULUCF reporting, and informing the public authorities on the
most suitable approach to forest policy and bioeconomy. ForestNavigator zooms
primarily into selected EU Member States to enhance the consistency of the EU and
national pathways, and add a focus on the global scale and selected key EU trading
partners, to account for extra-EU future drivers and potential leakage effects.
The project relies on a newly developed integrated policy modelling framework
for the EU forests and forest bioeconomy which covers: i) all relevant mitigation
strategies from forest management to energy and material substitution, ii) climate
change impacts, adaptation, and natural disturbances, iii) biophysical climate
feedbacks, iv) systematically accounting for impacts on biodiversity, forest ecosystem
services, and other forest functions, including jobs and green growth.
To increase the accessibility of the models and pathways assessments, as well as
their understanding and transparency, a novel decision-making platform is established
consisting of the web-based ForestNavigator Portal, and a community of policy-
makers, national authorities, and modelers, the Forest Policy Modelling Forum.
To reach its objectives, ForestNavigator will i) harmonize, integrate and
continuously update existing datasets by, including national inventories with new
remote sensing data and models ii) start from complex forest and climate models and
through emulators build them into operational policy modelling tools, iii) integrate
biophysical and socio-economic information, iv) consider EU forests and forest
bioeconomy in the broader context of other land use and economic sectors, v) rely on
input from policy makers and other stakeholders.
ENEA contributes to the project with several actions. In addition to participate to
the management of a dynamic stakeholder dialogue, which infers the difference in
needs and key challenges amongst different interests at play, it supports the evaluation
of forest management costing curves to inform integrated modeling and assess spatial
explicit costs for afforestation and management under different assumptions. Most
importantly, ENEA will lead the activity of recreational and cultural services
evaluation by identifying monetary values associated to different types of forest
management. Finally, ENEA will take part to the design of the ForestNavigator Portal
and to the production, communication and dissemination of project results.
POLYRISK - Understanding human exposure and health hazard of micro-
and nanoplastic contaminants in our environment -New strategy to help protect
humans from microplastic and nanoplastic particle pollution

50. 50
Micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNP) are pervasive contaminants in our
environment and food chain. How much of this pollution enters our body via
inhalation and ingestion? Do MNP negatively impact human health? The EU-funded
POLYRISK project explores these questions by examining human exposure to MNP
and the toxic effects on our immune systems. The interdisciplinary POLYRISK team
is using advanced methods to chemically detect and quantify MNP, understand key
mechanisms of MNP toxicity in vitro, and find biomarkers of toxicity in blood and
saliva. These are important elements of POLYRISK’s human risk assessment strategy
for MNP. The findings of the assessment will feed into the EU policies and help
protect human health, today and in the future.
The POLYRISK project aims unraveling the risks of microplastic and
nanoplastic particles (MNP) that are ubiquitous in our environment and are likely to
be entering the human body via inhalation and ingestion. The most bioavailable low-
micron and nano-sized MNP, pose the biggest analytical challenges or today’s
analytical chemists. Existing knowledge about the adverse pro-inflammatory effects
of airborne particulate matter and nanoparticles, combined with pro-inflammatory
evidence of MNP exposure observed in animal models and in vitro pilot tests with
human immune cells, suggests that MNP may cause immunotoxicity in humans.
Occupational exposure of workers to fibrous MNP can indeed lead to granulomatous
lesions, causing respiratory irritation, functional abnormalities and flock worker’s
lung. Currently, human health risk assessment protocols specific to MNP are not
available and key data is missing. This hampers science-based decision making. On
this backdrop, POLYRISK’s human risk assessment strategy will combine highly
advanced sampling, sample pretreatment and analytical methods to detect MNP in
complex matrices, up-to-date fit-for-purpose hazard assessment technologies and
multiple real-life human exposure scenarios. We will focus on key toxic events linked
to several chronic inflammatory diseases. The consortium uniquely brings together
interdisciplinary experience and know-how on quality-controlled chemical analyses
of MNP and additives, intestinal and respiratory toxicity models, human exposure
epidemiology, immunotoxicology and real-life high-exposure studies. POLYRISK’s
novel human risk assessment strategy is based on mechanistic reasoning and
pragmatically accommodates the complexity of the MNP toxicant class. Building with
ground-breaking science, stakeholder engagement and strong communication,
POLYRISK aims to rapidly reduce current MNP risk uncertainties and support EU
efforts to ensure public health is adequately protected from the potential risks of MNP
pollution. POLYRISK is a part of the European cluster on Health Impacts of Micro-
and Nanoplastics.

51. 51
Renovation packagEs for HOlistic improvement of EU’s bUildingS
Efficiency, maximizing RES generation and cost-effectiveness (REHOUSE)
The main objective of REHOUSE is to develop and demonstrate 8 renovation
packages of promising technology innovations until TRL7. The renovation packages
are fully designed for a wide range of building renovation actions, including deep
renovations, that overcome the main barriers that slow down the current EU
renovation ratios, following circularity principles, including multifunctionality
through active/passive elements integration, prefabrication and off-site construction
of components and respect of buildings aesthetics, architectural and historic value.
REHOUSE also implements an inclusive people-centric social engagement strategy
to endow the renovation wave with a resident and owner perspective towards
affordability, satisfaction and attractiveness of sustainable renovation. The renovation
packages will be deployed across 4 locations serving as demonstrators located in
Greece, Italy (Margherita di Savoia), France and Hungary. These buildings
renovations include detailed design, pilot set-up, demonstration and evaluation to
validate in operational conditions (social) the prototypes of the 8 renovation packages.
REHOUSE proposes solutions that cover together a set of 5 renovation principles
offering technically and economically affordable renovation solutions with enough
flexibility to tackle almost 100 % of the building renovation challenges at EU level.
The aim is to boost market uptake, scalability and replicability of REHOUSE
renovation packages, linking its value proposition with critical economic, technical,
social, regulatory and data security/protection aspects and barriers and propose
practical recommendations on how to overcome them.
Advanced CRMs Recycling from spent LFP Batteries
ACROBAT aims to recycle end-of-life LFP LIBs via efficient, innovative
and environmentally-friendly processes and separation techniques to recover
a maximum amount of EU-CRMs as high-value products and base metals (ferrous
and Cu/Al fractions).
The specific ACROBAT objectives are to research, develop and validate:
1. LFP-dedicated pre-treatment (i.e., shredding, mechanical separation)
with reduced cross-contamination
2. continuous, contact-free, in-line characterisation of LFP black mass
3. extractive recovery of electrolyte materials (i.e., conducting
salts, organic solvents)
4. recovery of graphite by froth flotation
5. recovery of lithium as battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate
by HCl-based hydro-/solvometallurgy
6. direct recycling of LFP black mass by tandem hydrometallurgy-
hydrothermal synthesis.