SPEAKERS
SPEAKERS
Minister Counsellor, Head of Trade and Economic Section
Delegation of the European Union to Thailand
Renita Bhaskar joined the EU Delegation to Thailand on 1st September 2024.
Prior to this position she was posted from 1st September 2020 to 31 August 2024 in the EU Delegation to India as Minister Counsellor and the Head of the Trade and Economic Section where she was responsible for the planning, administration and coordination of all matters related to trade and economic affairs in the EU Delegation.
From October 2015 to August 2020, Renita Bhaskar was the Deputy Head of Unit for Trade Relations with the United States and Canada and the Deputy Chief Negotiator for EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Renita Bhaskar has a wide experience of trade negotiations having worked as Senior Coordinator for the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations from October 2012 till September 2015 in addition to being the Deputy Chief Negotiator for CETA. She has also been the Coordinator of the EU’s trade negotiations with India for a Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement from September 2012 to October 2013.
Early in her career, she has had diplomatic experience having worked in the EU Delegation in New Delhi as First Secretary, Trade and Economic Affairs, between 2008 and 2012.
Besides experience in trade policy, Renita Bhaskar has also worked in the field of environmental policy in the European Commissions’ Directorate General of Environment from 2004 to 2008 on issues related to climate change. Before joining the European Commission, Renita Bhaskar has worked in the private sector with Procter & Gamble in Corporate Finance and Marketing for ten years in Brussels and in Buenos Aires. She has a first degree in Economics and Statistics and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Solvay Business School.
Vong Sok, Head of Environment Division and Assistant Director Sustainable Development Directorate,
ASEAN Secretariat
Dr. Vong Sok is a passionate and dedicated Environmental Professional, with over 20 years’ environmental compliance and governance experience, including in-depth knowledge of strategic environmental planning, environmental diplomacy, and operations control of environmental management systems. He works extensively on environmental management in Southeast Asia, in close collaboration with government agencies, international organizations, development partners, CSOs and communities. This has provided him with specific resources to direct and coordinate the strategic level and make significant impacts and contributions to this region.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Cambodia and a master’s degree in environmental science and management from Belgium. He further completed a PhD in Impact Assessment and Climate Change at the University of Western Australia.
Latifahaida Latif, Assistant Director, Analysis & Monitoring on Finance and Socio-Economic Division
ASEAN Secretariat
Latifahaida is an international trade negotiator specialising in the financial sector. She joins the ASEAN Secretariat as Assistant Director responsible for the analysis and monitoring of finance and socioeconomic issues which include sustainability agenda for the ASEAN Economic Community. Prior to this, Latifahaida was a Trade and Commercial Advisor with the British High Commission, Kuala Lumpur; Deputy Director of International Department at Bank Negara Malaysia; and Assistant Director at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia.
Asri Hadiyanti Giastutim, Planner at Directorate of Environment
Ministry of National Development Planning, BAPPENAS
Ms. Asri Hadiyanti Giastuti is a planner in the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas in the Government of Indonesia. She graduated from Bandung Institute of Technology as Bachelor of Environmental Engineering in 2019 and directly became technical staff in the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs during 2019-2020. Since 2021, she works in the Directorate of Environment Bappenas, concerning circular economy, waste management, and climate resilience development. Besides her background in environmental issues, she was also the President of the Environmental Engineering Students Association and was a two-time bronze medallist of the International Geography Olympiad in Poland and Russia in 2014-2015.
Witchuda Daud, Senior Researcher
Director of Advanced Polymer Research Group
National Metal and Materials Technology Center
Hong Quan NGUYEN
Director of the Institute for Circular Economy Development (ICED) at Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh city
Dr. NGUYEN Hong Quan is the Director of the Institute for Circular Economy Development (ICED) at Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh city and also affiliated with the socio-hydrology group at the Center of Water management and Climate Change (WACC), Institute for Environment and Resources (IER), VNU-HCM. He has a special interest in solving environmental related issues based on inter/trans-disciplinary study and by a strong partnership among academia-industry-government. He has been working in environmental hydrology (e.g. saline intrusion, flood/drought, water pollution) in Vietnam over the past 20 years and expanded his expertise in other disciplines e.g. climate change adaptation/mitigation, circular economy, socio-ecological system, sustainability science. He currently serves as a member of the Editorial board of Circular Economy and Sustainability (Springer) Frontier – Sustainability, section Circular Economy; and member of the Policy Advisory Committee of the Global Circularity Protocol for Business.
Chris Humphrey, Executive Director, EU-ABC
EU-ASEAN Business Council
Chris Humphrey is a Business Development and Government Relations professional with 20 years of experience running business units throughout Asia, and over 30 years of experience either working for or dealing with Governments and regulatory authorities. Chris began his varied professional career as a UK Civil Servant where, amongst other things, he was a Private Secretary to a Minister and an Air Services Trade Negotiator covering the Asia Pacific Region.
After leaving the Government, Chris moved to the private sector working initially in the Government and external relations teams at two British airlines, before moving to Shanghai, China with Virgin Atlantic where he headed up the airline’s China operation and oversaw the rapid expansion of their business in China. Whilst in Shanghai, Chris also sat on the Executive Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce. After a short spell in Hong Kong with Virgin, Chris then joined a UK-based security and defence group where he led their Asia Pacific team for over five years and was instrumental in them getting contracts with the Japanese and Singapore Governments and also with SOEs in China.
Chris has now been in Singapore for over 15 years and has been running the EU-ASEAN Business Council since its formal inception in 2014, where he has overseen a close to 400% increase in its membership and helped make the Business Council the foremost business body for the European industry in ASEAN.
Sudip Ranjan Basu, Chief of Sustainable Business Network at
United Nations ESCAP
Sudip Ranjan Basu is an economist with over 23 years of professional experience in the United Nations system. Sudip has been serving as the Chief of the Sustainable Business Network in the Trade, Investment, and Innovation Division of the United Nations ESCAP since July 2024. Sudip was appointed Deputy Head of the United Nations ESCAP Pacific Office in Suva in July 2021. He most recently served as Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Secretary of ESCAP in Bangkok. From 2011 to 2018, he served as an Economist in the Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division, including as Acting Chief of the Countries with Special Needs Section.
Evelyn B. Taboada
Position
Dr. Evelyn Buque Taboada is a senior technical expert and independent consultant serving international organizations as well as local industries. Her works include the advancement of green technologies, innovation and resource mapping, to promote circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals. She also specializes in effective project management which includes the cyclic steps of conceptualization, proposal preparation (for funding), implementation, monitoring, assessment, evaluation, scaleup and replication.
She is formerly the Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City, Philippines. An expert in green technology transfer and collaboration between business, industry, government, and academe, she also served as COO of the first mango waste biorefinery in the world. Over the years, she has mentored many graduate and undergraduate students as a full professor at USC. She is currently a member of the Philippine CHED Technical Committee on Chemical Engineering; division chair of the Engineering Accreditation Committee (EAC) of the Philippine Technological Council (PTC); and a lead trainer for the National Multiplication Training of the International Deans Course-Philippines funded by DAAD, Germany.
Dr. Taboada earned her PhD in Biochemical Engineering (2005) and a postgrad Master’s Degree in Biotechnology (2001) from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. She also holds an MSc in Chemical Engineering (1998) from the University of the Philippines-Diliman and a BSc in Chemical Engineering (Cum Laude) from USC in 1991. In 2011, she obtained the degree of Master of Laws in Intellectual Property (LLM-IP) from the University of Torino (Italy) and WIPO Academy (Geneva, Switzerland). As a well-published author in international journals, her research interests include bioprocess engineering, sustainable energy-water-food-environment nexus, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the relevance of intellectual property to society.
She has been awarded the prestigious WIPO Gold Medal for Inventors twice for her technological innovations and outstanding achievements in utilizing intellectual property for social and economic development.
She also received the Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award from the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) in Penang, Malaysia and the maiden Prize for Engineering Excellence Award from the Manila Water Foundation in 2015. She received the PIChE 2024 Outstanding Chemical Engineer Award for Research and Development. In addition, she was an Ambassador Alfredo M. Yao Intellectual Property Awardee (2012) and a CHED Republica Awardee (2007). She was featured as one of the ASEAN’s Women Extraordinaire during the ASEAN 50 Women Business Conference (2017) and by Esquire Philippines as among The Best and Brightest (2013). One of her scientific works was also featured in The Women of Science children’s book series.
Mr. Sudip Ranjan Basu
Chief of the Sustainable Business Network Section of the United Nations Trade, Investment & Innovation Division in Bangkok
Mr. Sudip Ranjan Basu is a Chief of the Sustainable Business Network Section of the United Nations Trade, Investment & Innovation Division in Bangkok, Thailand, since 1 July 2024.
Sudip has just completed his three years as the Deputy Head of the ESCAP Subregional Office for the Pacific in Suva, Fiji. Previously, Sudip served as a Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Executive Secretary of ESCAP during 2018-2021.
Prior to that position, Sudip was an Economist in the Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development team and also served as an Acting Chief of the Countries with Special Needs Section. In those capacities, Sudip was engaged in numerous regional development and strategic partnerships since 2011.
Before joining ESCAP, Sudip worked in UNCTAD, Geneva, Switzerland, from 2004 to 2011. He has also worked as a consultant for the International Labour Organisation and the World Bank.
Sudip has held research scholar positions in the University of Pennsylvania, University of Geneva, International Food Policy Research Institute, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights and Indian National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. He has taught postgraduate and executive level courses at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Sudip served as the President of the European Spring Meeting of Young Economists from 2008 to 2011.
Sudip holds a Ph.D. in international economics from the Geneva Graduate Institute, and M.A. & M.Phil. in international trade and development from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Sudip has written on global development with a focus on developing and emerging economies, international trade, macroeconomic policies, finance, applied econometrics and economic growth forecasting models. He has contributed to over 50 UN reports, published in various academic journals, and edited books. He has been advising several national governments as well as regional and international agencies on international economic, finance and sustainable development policies.
Mr Andreas Unterstaller, Attaché
EU Delegation to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and ASEANgation to ASEAN
Andreas Unterstaller manages green cooperation activities at the European Union Delegation in Jakarta. As the operational leader of the EU’s Green Team Europe Initiative in Partnership with ASEAN, he oversees projects in key areas of the European Green Deal, including climate action, biodiversity conservation, sustainable food systems, clean energy and circular economy. Prior to joining the EU Delegation, he worked in the Climate, Energy and Transport Department of the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen, and the Automotive Industry Unit of the European Commission in Brussels. He holds Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Political Science.
Rene Van Berkel
ACEBA
Dr Rene Van Berkel is co-convenor of the ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance, senior circular economy expert for the EU SWITCH Asia Policy Support Component and faculty member of the School of Global Studies at Thammasat University. He has over three decades international professional experience in resource efficiency and circularity, and the roles of productivity, innovation and responsible business practices therein, in particular in Asia, Europe and Australia. He earlier served for over 15 years with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in leadership roles at its headquarters and in Indonesia, India and South Asia. Priorly he was Professor of Cleaner Production at Curtin University of Technology in Australia and senior academic at the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Dr Van Berkel is a Dutch national with a PhD in environmental science from the University of Amsterdam.
Roy Andy Panjaitan, Economic Cooperation and Private Sector Development Advisor
GIZ 3RproMar
Roy Andy Panjaitan is an overseas-educated professional with more than a decade of solid national and abroad work experience in international non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, business consultancy, government relations and public policy. He has been spearheading global, regional, and national projects as well as analytical works in the areas of circular economy, waste management, social protection, and economic development.
Prior to joining GIZ 3RproMar team in May 2022, Andy worked as an Associate at a regional-based consulting firm in government relations, Asia Group Advisors, where he provided strategic advisory services including regulatory analysis, business advisory, and impact assessment for global clients in multiple sectors, including environmental and sustainability-related businesses.
At GIZ 3RproMar, Andy is continuously coordinating and advising the implementation of the Indonesian component of the regional 3RproMar ASEAN project with the private sector and relevant stakeholders, including overseeing 2 (two) pilot project activities on innovative approaches to reduce packaging plastic waste, located in Thousand Island (Kepulauan Seribu) and Bandung, West Java. Furthermore, Andy is currently overseeing the ongoing development of a private-public-partnership initiative using the developed PPP Classic funding instrument of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) together with Unilever Indonesia and Ecoxyztem as the main partners.
Andy holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, USA, and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Indonesia
Liyana Othman, Advocacy Director
EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC)
Liyana Othman is the Advocacy Director at the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC), where she leads key working groups in Sustainability, Transport, Digital, Customs & Trade Facilitation, and Illicit Trade. Liyana has played a pivotal role in fostering collaboration between European business leaders and government officials from ASEAN and the EU, and works to advance EU-ASEAN relations on critical issues such as trade, sustainable development, and the digital economy.
Prior to joining the EU-ABC, Liyana spent several years at Channel News Asia (CNA), where she built a strong reputation as a Senior Broadcast Journalist. She covered major international and local news, and produced environmental feature stories that earned her the Young Journalist of the Year award at the 2016 Asian Environmental Journalism Awards.
Her expertise in sustainability policy was further honed during her time at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), where she spearheaded the Sustainability Programme and authored influential reports on deforestation and the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive. Liyana’s leadership in Track 2 diplomacy and her ability to convene government officials, NGOs, and academics across Southeast Asia and the EU underscores her capacity to drive impactful policy discussions on global issues.
Liyana holds a Master of Science degree in Asian Studies from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. In her spare time, she volunteers at Habitat for Humanity, an international charity dedicated to eradicating poverty housing around the world.
Treesuvit Arriyavat, Communication & Engagement Specialist
ASEAN Center for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD)
David is a PhD candidate in Management at the College of Management, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. He holds significant experience in managing projects within the ASEAN context. Currently, David serves as the project manager for the ASEAN Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ACESP) at the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) at Mahidol University, Bangkok. In this capacity, he is responsible for establishing and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the ACESP Secretariat. This role encompasses various tasks, including project coordination, management of the knowledge and information portal, as well as communication and outreach efforts.
Voltaire Acosta, Project Management Specialist
UNDP
Engr. Voltaire Acosta is an ASEAN (chemical) engineer with 23 years of experience in cleaner production/circular economy and environmental engineering. He worked with the Philippines’ Science and Technology ministry and the League of Cities of the Philippines before he joined various development cooperation projects. He served as Deputy Team Leader for a GIZ waste management project, Deputy Chief of Party for a USAID climate and clean energy project, UN-Habitat’s Project Manager for a circular plastics economy project called Healthy Oceans and Clean Cities Initiative, and consultant to UNIDO in developing GEF project proposals for the circularity of plastics and electronics, before he joined UNDP as Deputy Program Manager for the €23M Green LGUs component of the €60M EU-funded Green Economy Programme in the Philippines. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila), cum laude, was 1st Place board topnotcher in the 2000 Chemical Engineering Licensure Exam, and completed his master’s in environmental engineering from the University of the Philippines in 2006.
Azman Bin Abdullah, Deputy Undersecretary (International)
Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, Malaysia
Mr. Azman Abdullah is currently the Deputy Undersecretary of International Section in Policy and International Relation Division of the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD), Malaysia.
Prior to his current position, he had the opportunity to serve at different tiers of government in Malaysia namely, federal, state, and local government level. Some of the office that he had served in his 20 years of service in the Malaysia government, are Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the state of Negeri Sembilan’s Land and Mine Office, and District and Local Council of Jelebu.
Mr. Azman has a Master in Development Practice from the University of Queensland, Australia. Bachelor (with Honors) in Risk Management and Insurance and a Diploma in Banking from the Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. He is also currently pursuing his Ph.D in Public Management in Universiti Utara Malaysia.
Riku Sinervo, Senior Lead
Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra
Riku works as a Senior Lead at the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, in the Circular Economy team. He is a dedicated circular economist with a passion for developing business models and policies towards circularity. Throughout his career, Riku has worked on numerous circular economy initiatives, such as roadmaps and industry-specific playbooks. He is part of Sitra’s team working on the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), a landmark event and platform that accelerates the global transition towards a circular economy. Additionally, Riku is part of Sitra’s team working on the EU Circular Economy Resource Centre, a joint project with the European Commission, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sitra, and the Belgian Development Agency Enabel. The Centre will kick-off early 2025.
Asih Budiati, Team Leader
Technical Assistance Facility to the Green Team Europe Initiative (TAF-GTEI)
Asih is a dedicated advocate for climate change and sustainable development initiatives, boasting over 18 years of experience in project management. She’s an environmental engineer with a postgraduate degree in Climate Change and Sustainable Development from the University of London. She’s also a certified Circular Economy practitioner, sought from the 2021 cohort of the Circular Economy “From Linear to Circular” Programme by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Tam Phan Hanh, General Director
Yunus Environment Hub Vietnam
Tam Phan is the General Director of Yunus Environment Hub Vietnam, a registered social business dedicated to creating social and environmental impact under Vietnam’s Law on Enterprises, and part of the global Yunus Environment Hub network. With over 17 years of experience in humanities and socio-cultural development, Tam has a diverse background in business development, venture building, and environmental sustainability. Her expertise covers green growth, circular economy strategies, R&D, consultancy, and program implementation, with a focus on circular economy, waste management, the plastic value chain, and just transition in waste management and circular economy. Tam has also led educational and training initiatives in business circularity, EHS, MSME entrepreneurship, and digital skills within the local waste sector while advancing work in EPR, plastic recycling, and plastic credits. Additionally, Tam’s philanthropic leadership includes key contributions to INGOs such as the Loreto Vietnam Australia Program and XUAN – Les enfants de l’avenir.
Yunus Environment Hub (YEH) YEH, a spin-off company of Grameen Creative Lab, is a global social business network creating solutions for the environmental crisis. Co-founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, YEH develops social business solutions that tackle the environmental and climate crisis. The expertise of the global YEH network covers waste & plastic management, circular economy, carbon neutrality, biodiversity, afforestation, sustainable agriculture, clean energy and access to clean water.
YEH’s programs are based upon four pillars: Incubation & Acceleration, Venture Building, Consulting & Advisory, Education, Training & Capacity Building. Current activities spread across South Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.
Nicholas Gandolfo, Director
MUFG
Mr Nicholas spent nearly 20 years in Financial Services and has conducted a variety of roles in 6 countries ( HK, China, Indonesia, Australia, Cambodia and Singapore). He has lived in Asia for more than 12 years and speaks a number of languages.
He is interested in ESG, Impact investing and Sustainable Finance. He enjoys driving the interaction and combination of business, government, and corporate sectors to help solve social problems. He has a strong interest in impact investment, social finance, and the impact of commercial and corporate activities have on communities.
He is continuing to develop my career to impact communities, people, and developing markets using my financial and banking skills set.
He has worked in risk, regulation, consulting, relationship management, global relationship management, team leadership, head of a business segment and project management. He has worked in both the government and private sectors.
He is an energetic, creative and committed person with good leadership skills and ability to motivate and manage teams. He enjoys working in emerging markets and internationally related businesses. He has broad and wide experience and an array of transferable and flexible skills.
Nophol Techaphangam, Founder & CEO
Norn Norn (Circularity Pte. Ltd.)
Based on his passion in sustainability and decade-long experience in the mattress industry, Naps founded “nornnorn”, the world’s first Circular Economy Product-as-a-Service platform that combines product subscriptions with end-of-life product recycling, in early 2018.
Running at the intersection of E-Commerce, FinTech and RecyclingTech, the award-winning nornnorn makes access to high-value, long-life products more financially viable for businesses and general consumers while preventing future greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring that our planet’s finite resources are used as productively as possible. The first product category that nornnorn focuses on is premium mattress.
On the R&D side, nornnorn is driving the development of innovative recycling technologies, such as those related to polyurethane foam used in mattresses and other products, in collaboration with a number of partners, including the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and University of Cambridge.
Magnus Bengtsson
Magnus Bengtsson is an international sustainability expert advising governments and organisations on policies related to consumption and production and circular economy. He has lived and worked in Asia for more than 20 years. In 2019, he was one of the lead authors of an EU-supported regional study on plastics and circular economy in ASEAN. He is currently assisting the establishment of an ASEAN platform for circular economy while also facilitating EU-Indonesia cooperation on circular economy and supporting the government of Lao PDR on policies to address single-use plastics.
Magnus is also a sustainability advisor to Japanese corporations as the principal researcher at non-profit NELIS, as a lecturer at Toyo University in Tokyo, and as the policy lead at Berlin-based non-profit Hot or Cool Institute. In addition, he serves on the management team and the steering committee of the Future Earth Knowledge-Action Network on Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production.
Between 2007 and 2017, he worked for the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), where he built up and led the sustainable consumption and production area. Before joining IGES, he held a post-doc position at the University of Tokyo. In addition to a PhD in Environmental Systems Analysis from Chalmers University of Technology in his native Sweden, Magnus also holds degrees in Industrial Engineering and Management (MSc), and History (BA).
Parkpoom Kometshopa, Founder
Right-to-Repair
Mr Parkpoom is a specialist with ten years of expertise in the field, leading a diverse range of sustainability projects in Thailand and Europe. His expertise lies in system analysis, impact assessment, strategy & target setting, and circular design. Following the pandemic in 2020, he decided to return to Thailand, where he became a freelanced sustainability consultant and an educator on topics, such as Circular Economy, system thinking, city resilience, and corporate sustainability. In addition, he co-founded the Reviv community (non-profit) with a mission to foster degrowth by promoting a reuse-repair lifestyle in Thailand. Alongside my professional work, he is a certified climbing wall instructor and a core member of the Thailand Climbing Development Association, a foundation that supports the growth of the climbing community and advocates responsible outdoor practices. His interests encompass the areas of Doughnut Economy, Degrowth, Repair Economy, System Thinking, Nature-based Solutions, Ecological Regeneration, and Grassroots Activism.
Kreshna Yuditya Rahmat, Founder
Dulang
Kreshna is an ESG lawyer and the founder of Dulang, an electronics lifecycle management platform that is enabling the circular economy by promoting particularly the reuse of mint condition or repairable electronics. Kreshna has been involved in various discussions and FGDs regarding sustainability and the circular economy in Indonesia. Dulang itself is showcased in the National Action Plan and Roadmap for the Circular Economy as a best practice of the implementation of the circular economy in electronics in Indonesia.
Michael Bucki
Position
Dr Michael Bucki was trained as an engineer, and a forester. He has been an Official of the European Commission since 2006, took part in negotiating the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, represented the EU in Indonesia and ASEAN between 2016 and 2020, then in India between 2020 and 2024. He has 5 young children, some of them born in Asia. He wants them –and all children- to inherit a planet which is greener, safer, bountiful, wholesome and more “united in its diversity”. He started as EU Counsellor for Environment, Agriculture and Health in Bangkok in August 2024. His core interest is “how to make sustainability the norm”, i.e. making it more convenient, more accessible, more affordable to citizen and consumers, but also more inclusive and profitable, notably to small farmers, forest communities, social enterprises or innovative MSMEs. Specifically he’s interested in digital solutions that allow small scale sustainability solutions to grow, to last, to adapt, and to rip their full value via responsible supply chains and investors.
Dr Kittinan Annanon
Research Specialist National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
Dr. Kittinan Annanon is a research specialist for SMARTest Research Team at MTEC – NSTDA and appointed committees for Thailand Industrial Standard Institute (TISI) and Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE). His interests include Sustainable Development, Eco-Design, Circular Economy. He has been involved in development of Thai Green Label, Carbon Footprint standards for Thai products and organizations, etc. He has been focusing on providing practical solutions based on local contexts to solve problems for local communities. Recently, he developed a solution and business model for E-waste collection system and implemented it with a municipality, enabling to solve the problems of informal sector and create a new eco-system for used EE products.
Anthony Pramualratana, Deputy Executive Director
ASEAN Center for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD)
In July 2022, Dr. Anthony Pramualratana assumed the role of Deputy Executive Director at the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development and Studies Dialogue (ACSDSD). The ACSDSD garnered support from leaders during the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok in June 2019 and was officially launched at the 35th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok in November 2019. Its primary objective is to advance research on specific sustainable development issues of mutual interest and facilitate dialogue among ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, Dialogues, and external partners, employing a comprehensive and cross-cutting approach. In September 2022, Dr. Pramualratana played a key role in establishing the ASEAN Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, a regional facility aimed at helping ASEAN Member States (AMS) achieve sustainable consumption and production by accelerating the transition towards a circular economy.
Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Former Rector
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Dzulkifli Abdul Razak is the Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia. He was the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia from 2000-2011. He is the 14th president of the International Association of Universities (IAU), a UNESCO-affiliated organisation, based in Paris. Dzul was awarded the prestigious 2017 Gilbert Medal by Universitas 21 in recognition of “his long-term commitment to a sustainable approach to international higher education.” He is a Senior Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (FASc), Fellows of the World Academy of Art and Science (FWAAS) and the World Academy of Islamic Management (FWAIM). In February 2021, he was invited to serve as an Expert for the Futures of Higher Education Project at UNESCO’s Institute for Higher Education (IESALC). He was an invited speaker at Seoul 2023 Nobel Prize Dialogue. For almost twenty-five years he writes weekly Op-Ed columns for various Malaysia news media like The New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia.
Imelda (Dada) Bacudo
COP28 Senior Advisor on Food and Agriculture
Imelda Bacudo (Dada) currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the COP28 Presidency of the UAE, ensuring the alignment of UNFCCC agreements on agrifood systems with Presidency partnership initiatives. Concurrently, she is the Co-Chair of the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture, with the facilitation unit based in FAO Rome. Previously, Dada worked as a Senior Advisor to ASEAN and ASEAN Member States, strengthening regional and international policies to support the transformation to a low-emission and resilient agrifood sector. She played a pivotal role in the development and coordination of the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network—a successful platform for knowledge exchange and support on climate-smart land use; and the ASEAN Negotiating Group for Agriculture (ANGA), which equipped the agriculture sector for engagements with the UNFCCC and is recognized as a subgroup negotiating under the G77 and China. Dada is a climate change expert with over 20 years of experience in biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and conservation finance. She has collaborated with NGOs, national governments, and international development agencies in the Philippines, Latin America, Uganda, and Southeast Asia.
Yulia Sugandi, Educator & Researcher
The Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Sciences,
Educator and Researcher, the Homeland Earth Ambassador, Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Sciences, IPB University, Indonesia. Yulia Sugandi is an Anthropologist and Sociologist with advanced research methodologies on social and human sciences and social policies. She has a PhD from the Institute of Ethnology at the University of Muenster, Germany, a MSc from the University of Eastern Finland, and a Bachelor’s degree from Gadjah Mada University. Yulia actively promotes socio-ecological justice through her work as a development professional and as a board member of various projects. She combines this with teaching and researching gender justice, social equity and inclusive development, human ecology and climate change. Yulia collaborates with stakeholders to support organic social change and systems transformation. She worked alongside the Minister of Environment and Forestry as part of the editorial team for the Trilogy books and policy brief on Indonesia Facing Climate Change. Throughout her career, she consistently linked scientific research and policymaking. The curriculum module developed by Yulia on equity and social inclusion, known as green empathetic leadership, has been adopted by the National Public Administration. She effectively employs mixed methods in developing relevant and sustainable policies and programs for government agencies and the United Nations. Yulia advocates for ecological reflexivity, resilience thinking, contextual assessment, the decolonization of knowledge, and collective social learning to attain planetary justice.
Jost Wagner, Managing Director
The Change Initiative
Jost Wagner is the Managing Director of The Change Initiative, a facilitation company located in Bangkok and the Chief Navigator of the Asia-Pacific Futures Network In the last 20 years he has advised and facilitated more than 600 workshops and conferences worldwide for organisations such as the United Nations, Asian Development Bank, The German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the World Bank, USAID, but also various governments, NGOs and the private sector onsite and remotely. He is a Certified Professional Facilitator by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) and a full member of the Association of Professional Futurists.
Currently, he is also the Chief Navigator aka Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Futures Network – Asia’s largest informal network of futurists in the region.
Prior to working as a facilitator and futurist, he worked for the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in New Delhi and the German Embassy in Bangkok.
Teh Lip Li
Position
Teh Lip Li, PhD has extensive experience in government affairs, academia and consulting. She is currently an Adviser for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Research Platform, and an adviser and consultant to various international organisations on regionalism, sustainable development and human security. She was previously a lecturer of the MA and PhD in international development studies at Chulalongkorn University and worked for many years at the ASEAN Secretariat.
Wijarn Simachaya, President
Thailand Environment Institute
Dr Wijarn Simachaya is the current President of Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), the Secretary-General of Thailand Business Council for Sustainable Development (TBCSD), a Chairman of the Circular Economy Sub-committee under National Agenda BCG Economy Model and President of Thai Sustainable Consumption and Production Network (Thai SCP Network). He is the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), Thailand, and he has played an active role in facilitating climate change and environment-related policies in Thailand. Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) plays a significant role in promoting an international standard of environmental management and sustainable development, covering the three dimensions of sustainability (economic, social, and environmental), both nationally and regionally.
Dr Simachaya holds two Bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Education and Law from Chiang Mai and Ramkhamhaeng Universities respectively, a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Kasetsart University, and a Graduate Diploma in Sanitary Engineering from Chulalongkorn University. His highest degree is a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Engineering from the University of Guelph, Canada in 1990. He also received honorary doctoral degrees in Environmental Science, Environmental Management and Environmental Education from seven leading universities in Thailand.
Chirachai Punkrasin, Executive Director
ASEAN Center for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD)
Chirachai Punkrasin joined the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue in April 2022 as Executive Director.
He studied political science and history at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and received an MA in Area Studies (South East Asia) from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He worked as a journalist for three years with The Nation – an English-language daily based in Bangkok, before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand in 1984.
He began his Foreign Service career working on ASEAN issues at the Foreign Ministry’s Department of ASEAN Affairs and then moved to the then Department of Political Affairs where he worked on Thailand’s relations with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He worked on multilateral economic issues during several assignments to the Department of International Economic Affairs. He served as Director-General of the Department of American and South Pacific Affairs from 2009 to 2012 where he was responsible for overseeing Thailand’s relations with the countries in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America and the South Pacific.
His overseas postings have included: First Secretary at the Royal Thai Embassy in Manila; a secondment as Director (Program) to the APEC Secretariat in Singapore; Deputy Chief of Mission at the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington D.C., and Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in New York. He served as Thailand’s Ambassador to Mexico (with concurrent accreditation to Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) from 2012 to 2015 and as Ambassador to Australia (with concurrent accreditation to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) from 2015 to 2017.
He retired from government service in 2017.