Daniel Lodetti is a diplomat and part of the team leading the G20 Initiative on the Bioeconomy (GIB), one of the innovations announced by the Brazilian Presidency for the G20 in 2024. Daniel was also the Brazilian negotiator for the circular economy at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in 2024 and board member of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP). He was part of the Brazilian delegations to many international fora, including the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the G20 Development Working Group and the Latin American and Caribbean Forum on Sustainable Development at ECLAC. He worked at the Brazilian Embassy in Bogotá Daniel graduated in economics from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).
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Kai Zhao
Executive Vice President
China Association of Circular Economy (CACE)
Kai Zhao holds an MBA from Guanghua School of Management, Peking University. He is an expert member of the National Green Development Fund Expert Advisory Committee, the National Technical Committee on Environmental Protection (SAC/TC275), the National Technical Committee on the Basis and Management of Product Recycling and Utilization (SAC/TC415), and the National Technical Committee on Energy Systems (SAC/TC459), among others. Zhao has successively won the second and the third prize of the China Standard Innovation Contribution Award. He has been engaging in the promotion of energy conservation and the circular economy over twenty years and has extensive experience in international cooperation.
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Hua Wen
Program Director, Energy Transition Project
Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) China
Hua Wen collaborates with Chinese partners to design and implement research and outreach projects to accelerate just and inclusive energy transitions in China's top coal-consuming provinces and cities. Prior to joining NRDC, he worked with the World Resources Institute for nine years, focusing on project management and cross-cutting research on the water-energy nexus, climate preparedness and market-based mechanisms. Before that, Hua worked as a programme officer at the Chongqing Environmental Protection Bureau in southwest China. He holds a master's in environmental engineering from Southwest China University and an MPA from the University of Maryland.
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Liyang Zhu
President
China Association of Circular Economy (CACE)
Liyang Zhu is a professor-level senior economist andmember of the Fourth China National Expert Committee on Climate Change. He has a long-term participation in policy research, major plannings formulation, relevant regulations drafting and revision, and review and evaluation of important demonstration projects in the fields of the circular economy, energy conservation and emission reduction, climate change and environmental protection, in support of NDRC and other relevant government departments. Before working in CACE, he was the director of the resource and environment industry department of China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC). Zhu was also the member of the general Group of China National Medium- and Long-Term Program for Science and Technology on Water Pollution Control and Treatment, as well as been awarded with the State Council Special Government Allowance for experts.
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Mellany Díaz
Adviser to the ministerial office
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Guatemala
With her vast experience in environmental management, Mellany Díaz has led the strategic planning of environmental projects in the public and private sectors. In several positions, lately the executive director of the national sector of plastics, her work has focused on the implementation of environmental certifications that boost business competitiveness in the plastics industry in Guatemala. She has contributed significantly to promoting use of alternative raw materials, such as bioplastics, and developing comprehensive solid waste management plans at the business, municipal and community levels. Mellany holds a master's in sustainable development and a postgraduate degree in corporate social responsibility.
Rick Goss brings over 25 years’ experience in public policy, strategy and advocacy to help clients achieve their sustainability, energy and environmental priorities. Rick is a recognised policy and technical expert and a seasoned global negotiator who has successfully delivered results in Washington, Brussels, Beijing and at the United Nations. Rick’s experience includes testifying before the US Congress on conflict minerals policy, electronics recycling and green procurement, and representing the information and communications technology (ICT) sector before US federal agencies. He has advised the European Commission and the OECD on supply chain priorities and has represented the sector before global governments on sustainability topics related to manufacturing processes and ICT products. Rick recently stepped down as chair of the board of Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI)and is now serving as their senior advisor.
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Elsa Lefevre
Programme Manager, Cities Unit
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Elsa works to support sustainable urban development with practitioners and experts at the international, regional and local levels. She focuses on the development of UNEP’s work in integrated and sustainable neighbourhood design and coordinates the advocacy component of UrbanShift, aiming to promote the importance of cities in the achievement of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and to raise awareness of the programme at the global and regional level.
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Janja Ribič
Under-secretary
Slovenian Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy
We already know everything; we just need to go back. In the last 8 years Janja Ribič has worked on various environmental topics, in particular the circular economy, green public procurement and the integration of EU project activities into the regular content of the ministry and national policies. She is passionate about organising sustainable events, implementing lectures on environmental issues, preparing green public procurement, transferring good circular practices, and implementing projects that promote the circular economy in relation to climate policies. She is convinced that the content of the circular economy is intertwined with all policies and requires a different approach than what Slovenia is used to. She therefore strongly advocates intensive inter-ministerial integration involving business and other stakeholders. Nature is its inspiration and greatest ally.
Christian Susan is an Austrian national. He holds an MSC in integrated water resource management and an MSC in environmental economics. He joined UNIDO in 2008 and has since worked as project manager on a wide array of environmental projects in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin and Central America. The main objectives of the projects include promoting public-private-partnerships for water stewardship, circular and sustainable industrial approaches, facilitating resource efficient and cleaner production, the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and supporting the transition towards eco-industry. In 2018, he assumed management responsibility for the Swiss-funded Global Eco-Industrial Park Program (GEIPP) as well as for the GEIPP country-level interventions in Colombia, Indonesia, Peru, South Africa and Vietnam. The GEIPP is one of UNIDO’s flagship projects promoting the adoption of circular economy approaches in industries.
Klaus Tyrkkö has worked for the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) implemented by UNIDO since 2020. GEIPP is a 7-country programme advancing the uptake of eco-industrial parks (EIP) practices and creating an EIP-conducive policy environment. Klaus served previously as division chief at UNIDO and has held a policy advisory role at UNDP and the European Commission. Klaus started his career in the manufacturing industry and has also served as a consultant in more than 20 countries.