Robert Chatterton Dickson has been British High Commissioner in Dhaka since March 2019, responsible for representing the United Kingdom and leading across the British Government’s priorities in Bangladesh.

From September 2018 to January 2019 Robert was Additional Director Western Balkans Programme in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. From August 2015 to August 2018 he served as a Director in the National Security Secretariat (NSS) in the Cabinet Office, heading the Secretariat team supporting the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Security Adviser. He was also responsible for coordination of policy on a range of international issues, and had lead responsibility in NSS for the cross-Government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and Prosperity Fund.

Robert spent two years from 2013 to 2015 as Deputy Ambassador and Chargé d’Affaires at the British Embassy in Kabul during a period of political and military change in Afghanistan. From 2010 to 2013 he served as HM Consul General in Chicago, promoting UK economic, commercial and political interests across 13 states of the US Midwest. He was Head of the FCO Counter Terrorism Department from 2007 to 2010 and British Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia from 2004 to 2007.

Robert’s earlier FCO experience included serving in the British Embassies in Washington (as Press Officer then Private Secretary to the Ambassador) and Manila (as Political and Press Officer). He has also worked in the FCO in London on issues including Iraq, NATO, defence exports, UN Peacekeeping and nuclear arms control. Before joining the FCO in 1990 Robert worked as an analyst and UK and global portfolio manager for the asset management arm of Morgan Grenfell & Co, a merchant bank in the City of London.

Robert is married to Teresa Albor, an artist who was born in the US. He has a stepdaughter, a stepson and two daughters at university.

Professor Shibli Rubayat has been in the field of Finance and Banking education for more than the last two decades. During this period Professor Shibli has played an active role in many Businesses, chambers, and Research related to Finance and Banking field at
home and abroad. Author of the Finance and Banking textbook for the secondary students published by the National Board Professor Shibli has more than 15 research publications in his field and 5 international research paper presentations abroad. His field of specialization is Law and Practice of Banking, Retail and E-Banking, Foreign Exchange and International Banking, Corporate Governance, Legal Aspects of Business.

Recently he has been awarded as a ‘Guest Professor’ at Sichuan University at Chengdu China till 2021. All through first class in his academic carrier, he also has research degree, diploma and training in the field of Finance and Banking in UK, Australia and Korea.

Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative

Sean Kidney is CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO, working to mobilize global capital for climate action.  Projects include a green bond definitions and certification scheme with $34 trillion of assets represented on its Board; working with the Chinese central bank on how to grow green bonds in China; market development programs in Brazil, Mexico, ASEAN and Africa; and market tracking services for the green bonds industry. He is a member of the European Commission's Platform on Sustainable Finance, and was a member of its predecessors, the 2017 EU High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and the EU Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance. He is also a member of green finance committees in China, India, Mexico and Khazakhstan. Sean is also a Professor in Practice at SOAS University of London.

Dr. Frank Rijsberman leads the Global Green
Growth Institute (GGGI) in supporting
governments transition towards a model of
economic growth that is environmentally
sustainable and socially inclusive. With
over 30 years’ experience addressing the
challenges of environmental sustainability and
poverty reduction with leading international
organizations and philanthropic foundations,
Dr. Rijsberman was initially appointed as the
Director-General of the Institute, on October 1,
2016 and re-appointed for a second term
starting October 1, 2020.
In his role, Dr. Rijsberman engages with senior
international stakeholders to drive the green
growth agenda and help mobilize finance for
climate action and sustainable development. As
an advocate for sustainable development, Dr.
Rijsberman is focused on supporting GGGI
Member and partner governments to implement
their Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and achieve
their Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
targets.
He holds a PhD degree in water resources
management and planning from Colorado State
University (US) and a MSc and BS in Civil
Engineering from Delft University of Technology
(Netherlands).

Mafiz Uddin Ahmed,  Additional Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh

Professor Dr. Muhammad Abdul Moyeen, Dean, Faculty of Business Studies, University of Dhaka

Shirajun Noor Chowdhury, Joint Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh

Education

1. Doctor of Engineering in Environment and Life Engineering

Graduate School of Engineering

Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan

Awarded on 5 December 2012

2. Master of Economics (Research Thesis)

Graduate School of Economics

Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan

Awarded on 28 September 2007

3. Master of Commerce (course work)

Department of Finance and Banking,

University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Year – 1996

4. Bachelor of Commerce (Honors)

Department of Finance and Banking

University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Year-1995

5. Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management

Bangladesh Institute of Management, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Year -1997

Award and Scholarships

1. Receipeint of Kubota Fund (Grant by Nippon Koei Ltd, Japan) for Doctor of Engineering Research for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Amount of grant JPY 1,200,000/annum.

2. Graduate School of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Aichi, Japan and Japanese Government Joint Research Grant for San-En Nanshin Region Development Study Project for the years 2009, 2010, and 2011. Amount of grant JPY 840,000/annum plus tuition fees for Doctor of Engineering degree.

3. Japan Developmet Scholarship (JDS) receipient for Master of Economics degree at Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan. ODA Scholarship of Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2005-07. Amount of grant: JPY 2,100,000/annum plus tuition fees to the univesity and other stipends for purchasing laptops, books and research materials.

4. Study Project of Dhaka City Solid Waste Management funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA- worked as Consultant in the years 2011-12. Amount of Fund: BDT 700,000/- or US$10,000.

Professional Experience

Research and publications

Membership

1. Member, Human and Environmental Symbiosis, Japan (Academic Association).
2. Member, Japan Section of Regional Science International, (Academic Association).
3. Member, Japan Universities Alumni Association Bangladesh (JUAAB), Embassy of Japan, Bangladesh affiliated association.
4. Member, Bangladesh Police Service Association (Professional Association).
5. Member, Rangpur Old Cadets Association, Bangladesh.
6. Member, Finance Alumni, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Language Skills

1. English (Native level)
2. Bengali (Native)
3. Japanese (Fluent)

Ricco Zhang is Senior Director, Asia Pacific of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) based in Hong Kong. Mr. Zhang is responsible for ICMA’s development in Greater China and works very closely with regulators, financial institutions and other organizations who are active at the capital markets in the region to promote and maintain the best market practice. He has previously worked for international law firms, investment banks and other financial institutions engaged in capital market transactions and mergers & acquisitions in Asia and has extensive experience as a market practitioner. Mr. Zhang graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong.

Lasse Ringius joined GGGI on November 1, 2016 as Director and Head of Green Investment Services (GIS) in the Investment and Policy Solutions Division (IPSD). Lasse is responsible for the GGGI team which is tasked with identification, design and development of bankable projects and green fund structures in GGGI member countries.

Lasse combines more than 25 years of professional experience in green infrastructure and climate finance at, among others, International Finance Corporation, i.e., the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Risø Centre, and CICERO, a leading international climate and environment think tank. Prior to joining GGGI, Lasse worked at the IFC, where he focused on innovative climate finance/carbon-linked structures and products. He led the design and October 2016 launch of a first-of-its-kind $152 million bond for forest conservation issued by IFC and developed new products for carbon trading platforms in China. In his assignment at the World Bank, he oversaw the preparation of more than 80 carbon off-take agreements, worth around $540 million. He has been appointed by the UNFCCC CDM Executive Board as international energy expert, has published articles on energy, environment, and climate issues in leading peer-reviewed journals, and has been a reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Lasse holds a Ph.D. from the European University Institute, and was a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Originally from Denmark, he has lived in Italy, Norway, the USA, and most recently the UAE, and has worked in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, South Asia and East Asia.

Galina is based at the Sustainable Finance Programme of the Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, currently completing her DPhil degree. Her research focuses on the transition of the global electricity sector towards renewable energy and away from fossil-fuel-based power generation, with two of her recent studies published in Nature Energy and covered by over 100 news outlets and radio programmes, including BBC, The Guardian, Bloomberg and The New York Times.  In her work, she applies machine-learning-based techniques.

Previously at the OECD, Galina led work on the extractive sector's decarbonisation, as well as working on green development finance and natural capital management.

Galina’s experience also includes the role of an economic advisor to the Minister and Permanent Secretary of Industrialisation and Trade in Namibia. She started her career as an economist in the UK and Scottish Governments.

Galina holds an MPhil in spatial economics and urban planning from the University of Cambridge and MA in economics from the University of Glasgow.

Khondkar Morshed Millat, General Manager, Sustainable Finance Department, Bangladesh Bank

Dr Saleemul Huq

Dr Saleemul Huq is the Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and Professor at the Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) as well as Associate of the International Institute on Environment and Development (IIED) in the United Kingdom as well as the Chair of the Expert Advisory Group for the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and also Senior Adviser on Locally Led Adaptation with Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) headquartered in the Netherlands.

He is an expert in adaptation to climate change in the most Vulnerable developing countries and has been a lead author of the third, fourth and fifth assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and he also advises the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

He has published hundreds of scientific as well as popular articles and was recognized as one of the top twenty global influencers on climate change policy in 2019 and top scientist from Bangladesh on climate change science.

Relevant accomplishments, awards or recognitions or media coverage received for his work

Saleemul Huq interview on the Islamic Climate Declaration

Bangladeshi Scientist: World Leaders Must Take Urgent Action to Prevent Climate Crisis Rise

ACCCRN ChampionDr Saleemul Huq: Bangladesh is vulnerable and resilient at the same time

Saleemul Huq on The story of adaptation to climate change in the UNFCCC

Lecture 1: Climate Change from the Frontline In Bangladesh with @SaleemulHuq

Dr. Saleemul Huq's opening speech at 6th Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum.

Saleemul Huq: Helping the most vulnerable to negotiate

The World After Coronavirus: The Future of Global Climate Policy | Saleemul Huq

Dr Colombage is an internationally acclaimed Associate Professor of Finance known for his research, teaching and expertise especially on Corporate finance, financial markets, and Financial Technology.

Associate Professor Colombage’s previous appointments include University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Kobe University and Monash University. He is currently serving as the Discipline head of Accounting and Finance, Economics & Law at the Federation Business School. He has published papers in numerous journals including the Journal of International Financial Markets Institutions and Money, Accounting and Finance, Journal of Asian Economics, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, and Applied Economics and presented papers in international conferences.

A/Prof Colombage is a full member of CPA (Australia) and a Fellow of Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Micol Chiesa is a consultant in the Energy and Natural Resources Department of Bain and Co., a top management-consulting firm. She also lectures in Circular Economic at the University of Oxford. Currently, Micol is involved in developing the circular economy market in Europe Middle East Africa (EMEA), aimed at creating sustainable energy to combat global warming. Micol holds a PhD in environmental economics at the University of Oxford and has a master’s degree in Energy Resources and the Environment at the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS). Before returning to Italy, Micol worked for a few years as an environmental consultant for the World Bank and the United Nations, where she helped developing renewable energy markets in South Africa. She is a fellow at the Royal Geographical Society.

Sergio spent more than 15 years in various technical and managerial positions in the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment and associated agencies before engaging with sustainable investing in 2020.

He started his career at the Brazilian National Institute for the Environment, at first working with the environmental assessment of energy projects and then moving over to Protected Areas. During his time in government, he was appointed as Director of Protected Areas and then deputy National Secretary for Biodiversity, having raised a USD 230 million fund for the third phase of the Amazon Region Protected Areas Program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and an MPhil in Animal Biology from the University of Brasilia and is currently finishing his PhD at the University of Oxford. In the past 4 years Sergio started working with ESG and sustainability reporting and has been recently appointed as Head of Sustainability for Planet First Partners.

Published work

1. PETERSON, H., CARVALHO, S.H.C.

Rewilding and Gazetting the Iberá National Park: Using an Asset Approach to Evaluate Project Success. Conservation Science and Practice, publicado online em 18 de setembro de 2020 - https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.258

2. BRAGAGNOLO, C., MALHADO, A.C.M., BERNARD, E., ALEXANDRE, F., GAMA, G. M., CAMPOS-SILVA, J., EFE, M., JEPSON, P., CORREIA, R. A., LADLE, R. J., CARVALHO, S.H.C.

Hunting in Brazil: what are the options?. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, 17 (2): 71-79, 2019.

3. JEPSON, P., CALDECOTT, B., SCHMITT, S.F., CARVALHO, S.H.C., CORREIA, R.A., GAMARRA, N., BRAGAGNOLO, C., MALHADO, A.C.M. AND LADLE, R.J.

Protected area asset stewardship. Biological Conservation, 212: 183-190.

4. CONSTANTINO, R., CARVALHO, S. H. C.

A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical termite genus Cyrilliotermes Fontes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae). Zootaxa (Auckland. Print). , v.3186, p.25 - 41, 2012.

5. CONSTANTINO, R., CARVALHO, S. H. C.

Paracurvitermes, a New Genus of Syntermitinae (Isoptera: Termitidae). Sociobiology. , v.57, p.377 - 388, 2011.

6. CARVALHO, S. H. C., CONSTANTINO, R.

Taxonomic Revision of the Neotropical Termite Genus Curvitermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae: Syntermitinae). Sociobiology. , v.57, p.643 - 657, 2011.

7. CONSTANTINO, R., ACIOLI, Agno, SCHMIDT, Karen, CUEZZO, C, CARVALHO, S. H. C., VASCONCELLOS, A

A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical termite genera Labiotermes Holmgren and Paracornitermes Emerson (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae). Zootaxa (Auckland. Print). , v.1340, p.1 - 44, 2006.

Fenella Aouane: Deputy Director, GGGI.

Fenella heads GGGI’s Carbon Pricing Global Practice. As a deputy director, she is a carbon market expert with extensive experience as both a buyer and structurer of carbon transactions. She leads several programs on carbon investigating how to open up the carbon markets under Article 6, with the aim of enabling finance flows to help meet the Paris targets. Used to working in frontier markets she was previously a Director with Standard Bank, Africa’s largest investment bank, where she completed several award-winning transactions related to the carbon market under Kyoto. Fenella has over 25 years’ experience in commodity and financial derivative markets, helping private and public sector clients manage risks and exposure to markets. Currently based in Seoul, she works with countries across GGGI’s membership and has previously worked in London and South Africa

Prof. Dr. Mizan R. Khan is currently Deputy Director at the Int’l Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) & Programme Director, LDC Universities’ Consortium on Climate Change (LUCCC), Dhaka. Prof. Khan has recently been conferred the award of the `most outstanding professor’ by the World Education Congress. He served as a Visiting Professor/Fellow: at the University of Manitoba; School of Public Policy/University of Maryland; Universite de Poitiers; & at Brown University. He is a Lead Author of the IPCC & attends climate negotiations as the lead in climate finance with the Bangladesh delegation since 2001. Dr. Khan has a wide range of publications including several books published by Routledge & MIT Press, on climate change economics, politics and capacity building. He speaks French & Russian as well.

A.K.M. Mamunur Rashid, Climate Change Specialist, United Nations Development Programme - Bangladesh 

Having recently relocated back from London to add value and contribute in emerging markets, Ashik leads sustainable finance efforts and is a key member of the structured banking team for HSBC Bangladesh. Last year, one of his deals won Best Sustainable Finance Deal of The Year by The Asset Triple A. Previously, Ashik led the Finance teams for American Airlines across Europe and Asia. He left Bangladesh a decade ago for London Business School and has since worked on Restructuring, M&A and Corporate Strategy. He is also a CFA Charterholder. Outside work, Ashik teaches at BUP as an adjunct professor.

Dr. Nanayakkara is a Grade I Senior lecturer attached to the Department of Commerce and Financial Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. She obtained her Doctoral degree in the field of Finance from Federation University Australia. Her Ph.D. was on the ‘global green bond market.’ She also possesses a Master of Business Administration degree, specializing in Finance, from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.  She has authored several research papers in green Finance, corporate failure, and financial reporting. Also, she serves as a reviewer in several international journals. She works as the Editor in Chief of the 12^th International Conference on Business and Information conducted by University of Kelaniya and also serves in the editorial boards of Journal of Business and Technology issued by the University of Kelaniya and Journal of Financial Markets and Governance published by the Bangladesh Institute of Capital Markets.

Dr. Nanayakkara has received the best paper, best presenter, best reviewer, and best poster awards in several international research conferences.