Meet our 2026 Speakers

Eva Riesenhuber is Global Head of Sustainability at Siemens, where she leads sustainability as a strategic driver of business transformation across industrial, infrastructure, grid, and mobility sectors. She focuses on scaling decarbonization and circularity through digitalization and AI, helping customers build resilient value chains, accelerate adaptation, and unlock growth opportunities in a rapidly changing world. With a multidisciplinary background spanning law, finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, venture capital, and investor relations, Eva integrates sustainability into business strategy, innovation, and portfolio decisions. She works closely with executive leaders and boards to navigate regulatory complexity and position sustainability as a source of competitiveness, resilience, and long-term value creation. Her areas of expertise include industrial and infrastructure decarbonization, the energy transition, circular product design, AI-enabled sustainability, and value-chain resilience. She is also passionate about building collaborative ecosystems that advance sustainable infrastructure and societal progress. Eva serves on the Supervisory Board of Siemens Mobility and on the Sustainability Council of Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). She holds a doctorate in International Public Law from Goethe University Frankfurt and LL.M. degrees from NYU School of Law and Université Paris Nanterre. She was recognized as one of the TOP100 Most Influential Women in German Business from 2022–2025 and named to the TIME100 Climate Leaders list in 2025.

Damilola Ogunbiyi is the CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. With Mrs. Ogunbiyi at the helm, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has entered into working relationships with over 200 partners, supported over 100 countries globally, and secured commitments of more than USD 1.6 trillion in energy finance. She has practical on the ground experience, she initiated the Nigerian Electrification Project, a USD 550 million facility which is a joint World Bank and African Development Bank programme that to date has provided energy access to over 8 million people across Nigeria and implemented over 100 megawatts of decentralized energy projects supplying electricity to hospitals, schools, and government facilities. Mrs. Ogunbiyi is a member of the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, a member of the Global Leadership Council of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), an Advisory Board member of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and a member of the Climate and Environment Advisory Council of the European Investment Bank (EIB). She was part of the COP28 Advisory Committee and was Co-Chair of the COP26 Energy Transition Council (ETC). She is a global leader and advocate for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and is passionate about achieving SDG7, which calls for access to reliable, affordable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030. Mrs. Ogunbiyi was recognized in the 2026 TIME Earth Awards, the 2025 Forbes sustainability leaders list, the 2024 TIME100 Climate list and is the recipient of the First Class Order of Zayed II from the UAE President in recognition of her contribution to the success of the climate conference, COP28. She also received the Think Global Leadership Award in 2026, the Global Female Leadership Impact (GFLI) Award in 2024 and the Energy Institute President’s Award for 2023.

Prabhu Pingali is a Professor of International Development Economics at Cornell University, and the Founding Director of the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI). He was Chair of the Governing Board of ICRISAT, a CGIAR Center focused on dryland agricultural systems. Prior to joining Cornell, he was Deputy Director, Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2008-13), and Director of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2002-08). In addition, he worked with the CGIAR for 15 years from 1987-2002, first with IRRI in the Philippines and then with CIMMYT in Mexico. Dr. Pingali is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the Indian National Science Academy a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), India’s National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA), and the African Association of Agricultural Economists and a former President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE). He is globally recognized for his research and policy contributions focused on the nexus of hunger, poverty and environmental sustainability. Prof. Pingali has written 15 books and over 200 journal articles and book chapters. He is the recipient of the 2025 M.S. Swaminathan Award for Leadership in Agriculture.

General Richard Nugee was commissioned into the British Army in 1986. He completed numerous operational tours and also specialised in personnel (HR) roles both for the Army and Defence culminating in Chief of Defence People (equivalent to Global HR Director for Defence). As his final role he wrote a Review of Defence's approach to Climate Change and Sustainability. He has since earned international recognition for bringing the implications of Climate Change and Sustainability to Defence and National Security sectors and has expanded this policy interest into delivery as the Chair, Director and Advisor of a number of renewable energy and environmental sustainability organisations. He is Chief Executive of the Scar Free Foundation, Chair of the Royal NAAFI Board, a strategic advisor to consultancies and organisations, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and is Patron, Chair and Trustee of a number of organisations such as Invictus Games UK2027.

Patty is Director of the Food and Agriculture Program at ClimateWorks Foundation. Patty brings decades of experience in leading philanthropy on climate, energy and food systems transformation. Previously, Patty led the climate and health portfolios at the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, was the founding COO at the European Climate Foundation (ECF), and helped launch Energy Foundation China.

Mike leads a portfolio of global campaigns that secure climate commitment and action from the world’s most influential companies: from driving action towards zero carbon grids (RE100, Smart Energy Coalition and the 24/7 Carbon-Free Coalition), to growing demand for electric vehicles (EV100) and low carbon materials (SteelZero and ConcreteZero). He is also co-lead of the We Mean Business Coalition’s Electric Advantage programme, and a Director of ResponsibleSteel where he chairs the Finance and Risk Committee. Mike has worked with companies across the world on climate and sustainability issues since 1998, spending more than a decade at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), including as Director of Executive Programmes and Director of Strategy & Communications. Before joining CISL, he was Chief Operating Officer of AccountAbility where he led the development of the AA1000 framework for sustainability accounting and reporting. Mike started his career as a business consultant for the COBA Group, following studies in politics, philosophy and economics at the University of Oxford, and international relations at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

Sheldon Whitehouse represents Rhode Island in the United States Senate, where he is fighting to position America as a leader in the clean energy economy and protect the Ocean State from the consequences of climate change. As Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW), Whitehouse takes on the fossil fuel industry and spearheads policies combatting the climate crisis and strengthening environmental protections. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Whitehouse served as Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney and state Attorney General before being elected to the United States Senate in 2006.

Dr. Mauro Atalla is the senior vice president and chief technology and sustainability officer at Trane Technologies, where he leads engineering, technology, innovation, and sustainability. With over 25 years of experience in the industrial sector, he has held significant leadership roles in both the aerospace and buildings industries. Previously, as the engineering and technology leader at Collins Aerospace, he led a global team of 21,000 engineers. Dr. Atalla holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Duke University. He is an ASME Fellow and has received awards from Virginia Tech and SAE International for his contributions.

Bernhard is the Director Global Accelerator and Ventures at the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP). Since he created the Global Accelerator in 2015, it has become one of the Worlds biggest impact startup accelerators, offering 18 annual programmes. Prior to starting the Accelerator, Bernhard co-founded the award-winning ShareTheMeal app that crowdsources funding for WFP and has delivered over 329 million meals for hungry children worldwide. His previous experience includes creating WFP’s Business Innovation Unit and working as a Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Helen is an experienced leader on international climate and humanitarian issues, with over 25 years in government and corporate engagement. Under her leadership, Climate Group has created coalitions of over 650 ambitious companies through initiatives such as RE100, EV100, 24/7 Carbon-Free Coalition, ConcreteZero, and SteelZero, which are crucial in sending demand signals to markets and policy-makers to drive the energy transition, as well as building the Under2 Coalition of state and regional governments, and Climate Week NYC. Helen sits on the board of the We Mean Business Coalition, and the Sustainable Development Capital Energy Efficiency Income Trust. Helen was awarded an OBE in 2022 for services to the climate and was included in The Independent's Climate 100 List 2025.

Chris Ninnes was appointed CEO of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in October 2011. Before joining the ASC, Chris was Deputy CEO and Director of Operations at the Marine Stewardship Council from 2006 to 2011, where he led the expansion of the MSC's technical and commercial work. From 2003 to 2006 Chris was Vice President of MRAG Americas, which followed his appointment as Technical Director for MRAG Ltd from 1996 until 2002. Chris worked for the UK Department for International Development from 1983 to 2002 where he advised on seafood industry development issues in Africa and the Caribbean. He has also been a professional inshore fisherman.

Jason Walsh is the Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance (BGA). Under his leadership, BGA has won significant victories at the state and federal level, including landmark industrial policies and investments in infrastructure and climate legislation passed by the 117th Congress. Walsh has more than twenty-five years of experience at state and federal levels in policy development and advocacy in a range of issue areas—including climate, clean energy, and economic and workforce development—and as a coalition organizer and manager.v Walsh previously served in the Obama administration, as the Director of the Office of Strategic Programs in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and as a Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Domestic Policy Council, where he led Obama administration’s efforts to align and scale up federal investments in workers and communities impacted by the shift away from coal in the power sector. Walsh holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute. He is also a graduate of the AFL-CIO’s Organizing Institute.

Erin Sikorsky is Director of the Center for Climate and Security (CCS) at the Council on Strategic Risks and author of Climate Change on the Battlefield: International Military Responses to the Climate Crisis (Bloomsbury, 2025). She previously served as Deputy Director of the Strategic Futures Group on the National Intelligence Council (NIC), where she co-authored the quadrennial Global Trends report and led the US intelligence community's climate security analysis. As founding chair of the Congressionally mandated Climate Security Advisory Council, she coordinated between the intelligence community and government scientific agencies. Over a prior decade as a senior intelligence analyst, she led teams examining conflict risks in Africa and the Middle East, earning the National Intelligence Analysis Award. Sikorsky is an adjunct professor at George Mason University, teaching a course she designed on climate change and national security. She is a contributing editor at Lawfare, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the advisory board of Smith College's Center for Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability. She appears regularly on CNN, the BBC, and the Weather Channel, and has published in Foreign Policy, Survival, War on the Rocks, and The Hill. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a B.A. from Smith College.

Justin Worland is TIME's senior correspondent covering energy and climate change and the founder of Future Proof, TIME’s platform for navigating the changing energy and climate economy. For the past decade, his reporting has explored how climate change and the energy transition are reshaping the world around us. His weekly column reaches nearly half a million subscribers. In 2022, Worland was named the inaugural Climate Journalist of the Year by Covering Climate Now. He previously served as the journalism fellow at the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute and is currently the Outrider Foundation fellow at TIME. Worland is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations and was a founding steering committee member at the Uproot Project, a non-profit that works to diversify environmental journalism.

Phil is Chief Scientist at Spark Climate Solutions, a non profit dedicated to supporting the development of emerging, high-impact climate fields to enable a pathway to a safer future climate. Before joining Spark, Phil served in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he helped to inform and implement President Biden’s climate agenda. Prior to rejoining government, he was President and Executive Director of the Woodwell Climate Research Center (formerly Woods Hole Research Center), which helps to manage climate change through use-inspired research. In the Obama administration, Phil served as a Senior Policy Analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and as a Senior Advisor in the US Global Change Research Program. Before joining the White House, Phil was Chief Scientist at Climate Central, a climate change communications organization. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Phil was a Senior Scientist and Deputy Division Leader, and led research on impacts of climate change in California and the US west. He holds a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Harvard in astronomy and astrophysics and a PhD in applied physics from Stanford. Phil enjoys cycling and playing with his dog, Rosie.

Emma Cox is a sustainability and finance leader with over 35 years corporate and public sector advisory experience and is a qualified chartered accountant and chartered management consultant. Emma Cox has recently joined Climate Group’s UK Board of Trustees. Previously she was Global Climate Leader and UK partner at PwC, responsible for driving the development and delivery of leading-edge climate solutions to clients around the world and representing PwC on external climate and nature related issues and platforms. She is a visiting fellow at Oxford Saïd Business School’s Centre for Corporate Reputation. Emma was Head of Purpose for PwC UK and led both its client facing and internal sustainability and climate change teams. Her experience is based across the private, public and NGO sectors, focusing on the need for systemic solutions to address the intertwined challenges of climate, nature and inequality. An engineer and accountant by training, she previously set up and co-led PwC UK’s structuring services deals practice and was Head of People for PwC’s Advisory practice. She was a founder member of PwC UK’s Diversity Council and a Trustee of the PwC Foundation.

Alex Dewar is a core member of BCG’s Energy and Climate & Sustainability practice areas. He serves a diverse range of energy clients on strategy, portfolio, and operational topics while also serving industrial and financial sector clients to assess the risks and opportunities presented by climate change. Alex also leads the firm’s work on carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) and engineered carbon removals (CDR) topics. Since joining BCG in 2009 Alex has worked across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. From 2017 to 2021 Alex was a Senior Director at BCG’s Center for Energy Impact (CEI) and he currently leads the CEI’s work on energy and climate policy. Outside of BCG Alex has served in multiple policy advisory and think tank roles including on the Natural Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee at the US Department of Transportation.

David Calabrese is Executive Vice President of Daikin U.S. Corporation, bringing more than 30 years of experience spanning corporate leadership, government affairs, public policy, law, and association management. He leads Daikin's engagement on key policy and advocacy priorities in the United States, working at the intersection of business, government, and industry. His career includes experience in the federal government, private legal practice, corporate government affairs, and leadership roles in nonprofit trade associations. He has also served on several government advisory boards and brings extensive experience in developing strategies and building partnerships across the public and private sectors. At Daikin, he works to advance dialogue on policies and solutions that support energy security, resilience, and the transition toward sustainable buildings and energy systems.

Sunya Norman is the Senior Vice President of Impact at Salesforce, where she leads the company’s global strategy across sustainability, responsible business, and corporate philanthropy focused on climate solutions and education. A results-driven executive operating at the intersection of innovation and impact, Sunya ensures these efforts deliver measurable business value, driving growth, enhancing brand equity, and strengthening long-term resilience in a rapidly evolving landscape. Sunya is a trusted advisor known for turning vision into action and mobilizing stakeholders to drive meaningful impact. With deep expertise across sectors, she extends her leadership to a broad impact portfolio, including business strategy and operations, corporate sustainability, stakeholder engagement, impact reporting, and purpose-driven marketing. She has led high-impact initiatives across Fortune 50 companies and mission-driven organizations, translating complex challenges into actionable strategies. Sunya serves on the board of American Forests, reflecting her belief that access to nature strengthens communities and economies. She holds an MBA from Presidio Graduate School and a BA from Brown University, and is energized by bringing people together, solving tough problems, and telling stories that inspire action.

Dr. J. Nadine Gracia is the President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a nonprofit, nonpartisan public health policy, research, and advocacy organization in Washington, DC committed to promoting optimal health for every person and community and making prevention and health equity foundational to policymaking at all levels. Dr. Gracia is a nationally recognized leader on the intersection of climate impacts, public health, and health equity. She has extensive experience in federal government, the nonprofit sector, academia, and professional associations. Dr. Gracia served in the Obama Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In that capacity, she directed departmental policies and programs to end health disparities and advance health equity, and provided executive leadership on administration priorities including the Affordable Care Act and My Brother’s Keeper. Previously, she served as Chief Medical Officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, where her portfolio included emergency preparedness, environmental health and climate change, global health, adolescent health, and the White House Council on Women and Girls. Prior to that role, she was appointed as a White House Fellow at HHS and worked in the Office of the First Lady on the development of the Let’s Move! initiative to solve childhood obesity. A first-generation Haitian-American, Dr. Gracia is active in many civic and professional organizations, including the Aspen Global Leadership Network, the International Women’s Forum, Women of Impact, and the National Social Action Commission of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She serves on the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health, the Milken Institute Public Health Advisory Board, the Common Health Coalition, and the National Academies Roundtable on Obesity Solutions. Dr. Gracia is also on the Board of Directors of Vaccinate Your Family.

Mads Christensen is the Executive Director of Greenpeace International and a lifelong environmental advocate. Inspired by Greenpeace’s ability to catalyse change, he joined Greenpeace Denmark as a youth volunteer in the 1990s. Since then, he has worked across the global network, including 15 years as Executive Director of Greenpeace Nordic. He has led bold missions, from securing the release of the Arctic 30 to contributing to the historic UN Ocean Treaty, and has worked closely with Indigenous and frontline communities from the Amazon to Greenland. Three decades in, he’s still driven by what first drew him to Greenpeace: non-violence, direct action, and its uncompromising independence from political or corporate influence. He takes pride in being part of a global movement, powered by the strength of millions who stand behind it. His vision, rooted in patience, persistence, and hope, is of a green future where power shifts from private profit to the common good and environmental justice. Mads serves on the board of GAME, an NGO working for social change through youth-led street sports and culture in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Jorge Moreira da Silva has led UNOPS—the UN’s implementation arm—since 2023. Under his leadership, UNOPS delivers infrastructure, procurement and project management solutions in more than 130 countries and territories, with two thirds of its 2025 project work delivered in special or fragile situations. Appointed by the Secretary-General, he leads the UN Task Force for the Strait of Hormuz. From 2013 to 2015, he served as Portugal’s Minister for Environment, Energy and Spatial Planning, introducing reforms in carbon taxation, renewable energy, electric mobility, water services, waste management and nature conservation. He participated in negotiations on the Paris Agreement and the European Union’s 2030 climate and energy framework. As a Member of the European Parliament, he authored the legislation that created the European Union Emissions Trading System, the world’s first major compliance carbon market. From 2016 to 2022, he led the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate and was Head of the Development Assistance Committee Secretariat, advancing standards for sustainable development finance and aligning development cooperation with the Paris Agreement. He previously taught at the University of Porto and Sciences Po and chaired the Platform for Sustainable Growth. He trained as an electrical and computer engineer and holds a postgraduate degree in senior management.

Betty Cremmins is a global partnerships builder who works at the intersection of government and industry to accelerate climate action through sustainable supply chains.

Manish Bapna is the president and chief executive officer of NRDC, one of the world’s largest and most influential environmental organizations. With more than 800 lawyers, policy experts and scientists as well as over three million supporting members, NRDC is confronting the interlocking climate, health, and nature crises facing the world today. Prior to joining NRDC, Bapna’s leadership roles have focused on scaling solutions at the intersection of the environment and human development. He served as a senior economist at the World Bank, where he designed and implemented rural development projects in Asia and Latin America then as executive director of the Bank Information Center (BIC), a nonprofit that works to protect the rights of local communities and the environment then as executive vice president and managing director of the World Resources Institute (WRI), a world-class research organization dedicated to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature, and stabilize the climate. Prior to joining the World Bank, Bapna was a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company in the financial services and technology industries. Bapna holds master’s degrees in business and political and economic development from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MIT.

Ed Crooks joined Wood Mackenzie in 2019. Based in New York, he covers the full range of commodities, technologies and sectors, with a particular focus on climate policy, economics and the energy transition. He writes Wood Mackenzie’s popular Energy Pulse newsletter, analysing the latest developments in the world of energy, and also hosts Energy Gang, one of the world's most popular energy-focused podcasts. Before Wood Mackenzie, Ed was an award-winning energy editor for the Financial Times, first in London and then in New York. He joined the FT in 1999 as economics editor. He previously worked as an economics correspondent for BBC News, a reporter for Investor’s Chronicle magazine, and an economic researcher at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He has also served on the UK government’s Sustainable Development Commission.

Marek Pruszewicz is CEO if Dialogue Earth, a media non-profit which reports on the impact of climate change on lives and livelihoods across the Global South. He was an editor and senior manager for BBC News for 16 years and has spent the last decade working at senior level for a number of NGOs and social enterprises.

Danya Hakeem is the Chief Operating Officer at Elemental Impact, a nonprofit investor that helps advance innovative technologies with deep environmental and local impact. She oversees the organization’s investment, partnership, and operational functions and has directed more than 100 investments in companies including Fervo Energy, Nitricity, and Nth Cycle. Earlier in her career, she worked in food policy, community organizing, and documentary production for National Geographic and Discovery Channel.

Fiona Bennie is a Partner at Newton, where she leads impact and innovation across consumer goods and retail. Her twenty years across brands, NGOs, creative agencies and consultancies, from L'Oréal to Forum for the Future, has given her a rare view of how change happens, and how it doesn't. Previously a Managing Director at Accenture, she sat on the global sustainability leadership team, heading sustainable innovation and future of food across consumer industries. She led the firm's partnership with the World Economic Forum on the New Frontiers of Nutrition and champions novel foods and alternative proteins as a major unlock for the future food system, connecting start-ups, investors and corporates across the US and Europe. She joined Newton for how it operates: teams work alongside clients from factory floor to boardroom to unlock complexity. An outcomes-based model ties Newton's success to what implementation delivers, from cutting food waste to lowering freight costs to building the commercial case for resilience. Impact, both commercial and environmental, becomes the basis of a working partnership built on tangible results. Fiona lives on a farm in the English South Downs and grows food in her kitchen garden, the shortest supply chain she works with.

Shivakumar is a global advocate for sustainable steel production, with a background in metallurgical engineering, renewable energy, delivering large scale global engineering projects and expertise in climate finance. At ResponsibleSteel, his work intersects global industry engagements, policy, and transition finance to advance low-carbon, responsible steelmaking. He engages with steel value chain, governments, to drive demand-side action and align industry with climate and social goals. Shivakumar bridges technical, policy and financial domains to support a just, global transition in one of the world’s most essential industries.

Stephanie is a Technology & Innovation Senior Associate at BloombergNEF covering clean, baseload power. By looking at investment trends, customer partnerships and project pipelines, she tracks the commercialization of next-generation nuclear and geothermal technologies. She also covers climate-tech startups, with a particular focus on emerging technologies in the power sector, by tracking venture capital investment trends and contributing to the annual BNEF Pioneers competition which identifies game-changing technologies or innovations in climate tech. She has prior work experience at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency doing federal oversight of air permitting, and she worked in NYC government advancing energy efficiency. Stephanie has an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Chicago.

Valerie Volcovici is a Washington DC-based reporter for Reuters who covers national environment and energy policy as well as global climate and pollution issues.