Climate change has presented a significant challenge to emergency and recovery systems. the primary objective is to be able to address any challenges that may arise. While shifting to a green era, efforts must be expended to keep the lights on and the water flowing despite the droughts and storms. Government agencies and emergency responders are the primary stakeholders in the emergency management industry. The private sector plays a crucial role in emergency management and recovery by offering preventive measures, preparedness services, and advanced technologies.
Panel Two: Circular Economy's role in Advancing Clean Energy Resources.
In all economies, energy is the backbone, and transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources reveals new challenges and new opportunities for innovation. In addition to biogas, wind, and solar, green hydrogen represents one of the most promising new sources for Europe. Embracing the circular economy approach, which aims to minimize waste and maximize the use of resources, can also be a bridge to achieving 100% clean energy usage. Digitalization can also play a vital role in enabling a circular economy and accelerating the transition to clean energy.
Panel Three: Managing Depletion of Water Resources; Challenges and Solutions
The depletion of water resources is happening at an accelerating rate, which has become a significant concern in Europe in recent times. Therefore, it is imperative that we establish strong systems of local management to find innovative and adapted solutions that provide access to water and ensure food sufficiency for all. Technology is playing a crucial role in boosting the water management industry, including water supply equipment, treatment plants for purification and filtration, desalination plants, irrigation systems, and quality control laboratories.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Noé van Hulst is Vice-Chair of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE), hydrogen advisor to IEA & Gasunie, and a Senior Fellow at Clingendael International Energy Programme (CIEP). Before that, Mr van Hulst was the Hydrogen Envoy at the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy. Mr van Hulst was the Dutch Ambassador to the OECD from September 2013 to September 2018 and Chairman of the IEA Governing Board. From 2003 to 2007, he worked at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris as Director of Long-Term Co-operation and Policy Analysis. He became Secretary-General of the International Energy Forum (IEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2008 to 2011. He was Director of the Energy Academy Europe in 2012-2013. Before that, Mr van Hulst worked at the Free University in Amsterdam, the Social and Economic Council (SER) in The Hague, the Ministry of Economic Affairs from 1988, and lastly, as Director-General for Energy.
Noé Van Hulst
Vice-Chair International Partnership for Hydrogen & Fuel Cells in the Economy – IPHE
Noé van Hulst is Vice-Chair of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE), hydrogen advisor to IEA & Gasunie, and a Senior Fellow at Clingendael International Energy Programme (CIEP). Before that, Mr van Hulst was the Hydrogen Envoy at the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy. Mr van Hulst was the Dutch Ambassador to the OECD from September 2013 to September 2018 and Chairman of the IEA Governing Board. From 2003 to 2007, he worked at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris as Director of Long-Term Co-operation and Policy Analysis. He became Secretary-General of the International Energy Forum (IEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2008 to 2011. He was Director of the Energy Academy Europe in 2012-2013. Before that, Mr van Hulst worked at the Free University in Amsterdam, the Social and Economic Council (SER) in The Hague, the Ministry of Economic Affairs from 1988, and lastly, as Director-General for Energy.
Almotaz Abadi, is the UfM Deputy Secretary General in charge of Water, Environment and Blue Economy since September 2022. He is an international and regional cooperation expert with over 20 years of experience working with international donor agencies, and international and regional organizations, as well as policy advisers to governments in the region. Abadi holds a master’s degree in Water Resources Management and one in Governance, as well as a postgraduate in leadership and multilateral cooperation. He was previously the Acting Deputy Secretary General for the same division between September 2015 and August 2016 and Water Managing Director at the UfM, leading initiatives on the water political process in the Mediterranean.
Almotaz Abadi
Deputy Secretary General for Water, Environment and Blue Economy - Union For the Mediterranean
Almotaz Abadi, is the UfM Deputy Secretary General in charge of Water, Environment and Blue Economy since September 2022. He is an international and regional cooperation expert with over 20 years of experience working with international donor agencies, and international and regional organizations, as well as policy advisers to governments in the region. Abadi holds a master’s degree in Water Resources Management and one in Governance, as well as a postgraduate in leadership and multilateral cooperation. He was previously the Acting Deputy Secretary General for the same division between September 2015 and August 2016 and Water Managing Director at the UfM, leading initiatives on the water political process in the Mediterranean.
Dr Carole Nakhle is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crystol Energy, an advisory, research and training firm, which has received several awards including Best Independent Energy Consultancy in the UK in 2018 and again in 2021. Born and raised in Lebanon, Dr Nakhle moved to the UK in September 1998 to pursue her postgraduate studies. Today, she is an internationally recognised authority on the interplay between economics, energy, governance and geopolitics. With a unique breadth of experience gained from working across a wide spectrum of stakeholders, Dr Nakhle worked with major energy companies (Eni and Equinor) at the executive level, governments and policy makers (including Special Parliamentary Advisor in the UK on Energy and Middle Eastern Issues), international organisations (Commonwealth Secretariat, IMF, United Nations and World Bank), as well as academic institutions and specialized think tanks on a global scale. She sits on the Governing Board of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) and is a Member of its Audit and Finance Committee. She is also Member of the Advisory Boards of the Middle East Institute and Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines in the US, and a Fellow at Issam Fares Institute in Lebanon. She is a program advisor to the Washington based International Tax and Investment Centre and Lead Energy Expert with the Liechtenstein based Geopolitical Intelligence Services. Dr Nakhle has played an integral part in the OECD Policy Dialogue on Natural Resource-based Development and has contributed to the development of the organisation’s Principles for Durable Extractive Contracts. She has lectured at leading academic institutions, including: the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, Universities of Dundee and Surrey in the UK, The Graduate Institute in Geneva, Saint Joseph University in Lebanon, The National Defense University in the USA and Nato Strategic Direction South Hub in Italy. Her views are highly regarded. She has published more than 200 articles in academic journals, newspapers and magazines and acts as a Reviewer to leading academic journals. She is a thought after commentator on energy in the international media and at major conferences, industry gatherings and by-invitation-only government meetings particularly in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. She has appeared on Al Arabiyya, Al Jazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Africa News, France 24, and Sky News to name but a few, and was quoted in leading newspapers such as the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal. She is also the author of two widely acclaimed books: Petroleum Taxation: Sharing the Wealth published in 2008 and re-printed in 2012 and used as primary reference in leading universities and industry training courses; and Out of the Energy Labyrinth (2007), co-authored with Lord David Howell, former Secretary of State for Energy in the UK. Dr Nakhle has worked on projects in many countries, collaborating closely with host governments, ministries, and parliaments, as well as the private sector and civil society. She has also been on exploratory visits to the Arctic (organised by the Norwegian Government) and the North Sea. She is fluent in Arabic, English and French. In 2017, she gave evidence to the International Relations Committee at the UK Parliament on the transformation of power in the Middle East and implications for UK policy. An avid supporter of gender balance, in 2007, she founded the not-for-profit organisation ‘Access for Women in Energy’, with the aim of promoting the development of women in the energy sector. She has supported similar initiatives in Ghana, Tunisia and the UAE, where she sits on ADIPEC’s Advisory Board for Inclusion and Diversity. She also provides mentoring support to young people around the world. In 2022, Dr Nakhle featured in the ‘Top 22 Outstanding Women CEOs of 2022’ published by the New York based The Women Leaders. A year earlier, she was selected ‘CEO of the Year’ in the UK, by CEO Monthly Magazine. In 2020, she was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Energy Institute and featured on the Energy Council’s list of Top Female Executives in the global energy industry. In 2017, she received the Honorary Professional Recognition Award from the Tunisian Minister of Energy, Mines & Renewable Energy.
Dr. Carole Nakhle
Founder & CEO - Crystol Energy
Dr Carole Nakhle is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crystol Energy, an advisory, research and training firm, which has received several awards including Best Independent Energy Consultancy in the UK in 2018 and again in 2021. Born and raised in Lebanon, Dr Nakhle moved to the UK in September 1998 to pursue her postgraduate studies. Today, she is an internationally recognised authority on the interplay between economics, energy, governance and geopolitics. With a unique breadth of experience gained from working across a wide spectrum of stakeholders, Dr Nakhle worked with major energy companies (Eni and Equinor) at the executive level, governments and policy makers (including Special Parliamentary Advisor in the UK on Energy and Middle Eastern Issues), international organisations (Commonwealth Secretariat, IMF, United Nations and World Bank), as well as academic institutions and specialized think tanks on a global scale. She sits on the Governing Board of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) and is a Member of its Audit and Finance Committee. She is also Member of the Advisory Boards of the Middle East Institute and Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines in the US, and a Fellow at Issam Fares Institute in Lebanon. She is a program advisor to the Washington based International Tax and Investment Centre and Lead Energy Expert with the Liechtenstein based Geopolitical Intelligence Services. Dr Nakhle has played an integral part in the OECD Policy Dialogue on Natural Resource-based Development and has contributed to the development of the organisation’s Principles for Durable Extractive Contracts. She has lectured at leading academic institutions, including: the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, Universities of Dundee and Surrey in the UK, The Graduate Institute in Geneva, Saint Joseph University in Lebanon, The National Defense University in the USA and Nato Strategic Direction South Hub in Italy. Her views are highly regarded. She has published more than 200 articles in academic journals, newspapers and magazines and acts as a Reviewer to leading academic journals. She is a thought after commentator on energy in the international media and at major conferences, industry gatherings and by-invitation-only government meetings particularly in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. She has appeared on Al Arabiyya, Al Jazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Africa News, France 24, and Sky News to name but a few, and was quoted in leading newspapers such as the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal. She is also the author of two widely acclaimed books: Petroleum Taxation: Sharing the Wealth published in 2008 and re-printed in 2012 and used as primary reference in leading universities and industry training courses; and Out of the Energy Labyrinth (2007), co-authored with Lord David Howell, former Secretary of State for Energy in the UK. Dr Nakhle has worked on projects in many countries, collaborating closely with host governments, ministries, and parliaments, as well as the private sector and civil society. She has also been on exploratory visits to the Arctic (organised by the Norwegian Government) and the North Sea. She is fluent in Arabic, English and French. In 2017, she gave evidence to the International Relations Committee at the UK Parliament on the transformation of power in the Middle East and implications for UK policy. An avid supporter of gender balance, in 2007, she founded the not-for-profit organisation ‘Access for Women in Energy’, with the aim of promoting the development of women in the energy sector. She has supported similar initiatives in Ghana, Tunisia and the UAE, where she sits on ADIPEC’s Advisory Board for Inclusion and Diversity. She also provides mentoring support to young people around the world. In 2022, Dr Nakhle featured in the ‘Top 22 Outstanding Women CEOs of 2022’ published by the New York based The Women Leaders. A year earlier, she was selected ‘CEO of the Year’ in the UK, by CEO Monthly Magazine. In 2020, she was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Energy Institute and featured on the Energy Council’s list of Top Female Executives in the global energy industry. In 2017, she received the Honorary Professional Recognition Award from the Tunisian Minister of Energy, Mines & Renewable Energy.
Pranjal Mathur is a dynamic, sustainable finance professional passionate about academia, policy, and climate risk. With a background in engineering and a deep understanding of Southeast Asian business landscapes, Pranjal brings a unique perspective. Working closely with banks, private equities, and intermediaries, Pranjal develops cutting-edge strategies and data-driven insights to navigate an evolving regulatory landscape. Through his work in ESG services, Pranjal has become a trusted advisor to financial institutions seeking to address climate risk and improve sustainability.
Prunjal Mathur
Climate Risks and Strategy Analyst - KPMG UK
Pranjal Mathur is a dynamic, sustainable finance professional passionate about academia, policy, and climate risk. With a background in engineering and a deep understanding of Southeast Asian business landscapes, Pranjal brings a unique perspective. Working closely with banks, private equities, and intermediaries, Pranjal develops cutting-edge strategies and data-driven insights to navigate an evolving regulatory landscape. Through his work in ESG services, Pranjal has become a trusted advisor to financial institutions seeking to address climate risk and improve sustainability.
Elena holds a master’s degree in public administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Ph.D. degree from one of the best universities in Asia, Peking University. Her education has allowed her to gain insights into international and European political and public affairs, study best practices in public policy and management, and master sustainability in the developing world.
Her Ph.D. research and degree focused on energy transition in the context of the Paris Agreement. Elena's expertise includes sustainability, renewables, climate change, public policy and management, public affairs, international development, M&A, international law, arbitration and litigation, and NGOs.
Elena is a passionate advocate for sustainability and climate action. She has become an expert in various fields with over 18 years of experience in corporate and international law, international relations, civil society activities, environment, capital markets, and government reforms.
Elena's background is extensive and diverse, working in both the public and private sectors across the developed and developing worlds. She is an outstanding, outstanding, and outgoing individual with an out-of-the-box thinking approach. She is an organized leader who is often an outlier but never an outsider.
With substantial experience in public policy and the corporate world, Elena brings an exclusive blend of skills and expertise to her work. She has managed NGOs, held different roles in various nonprofit organizations, and worked in government dealing with major international stakeholders. She has worked in a Chinese SOE (State Grid of China).
Elena Balbekova, PhD
SHE changes climate Ambassador
Elena holds a master’s degree in public administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Ph.D. degree from one of the best universities in Asia, Peking University. Her education has allowed her to gain insights into international and European political and public affairs, study best practices in public policy and management, and master sustainability in the developing world.
Her Ph.D. research and degree focused on energy transition in the context of the Paris Agreement. Elena's expertise includes sustainability, renewables, climate change, public policy and management, public affairs, international development, M&A, international law, arbitration and litigation, and NGOs.
Elena is a passionate advocate for sustainability and climate action. She has become an expert in various fields with over 18 years of experience in corporate and international law, international relations, civil society activities, environment, capital markets, and government reforms.
Elena's background is extensive and diverse, working in both the public and private sectors across the developed and developing worlds. She is an outstanding, outstanding, and outgoing individual with an out-of-the-box thinking approach. She is an organized leader who is often an outlier but never an outsider.
With substantial experience in public policy and the corporate world, Elena brings an exclusive blend of skills and expertise to her work. She has managed NGOs, held different roles in various nonprofit organizations, and worked in government dealing with major international stakeholders. She has worked in a Chinese SOE (State Grid of China).
A professional event host who has spent 20+ years learning how to keep all kinds of audiences happy.
Clare worked as a broadcast journalist across national and local BBC, commercial radio, ITN, and the British Forces Broadcasting
Service.
She hosted virtual and in-person corporate events and roundtable discussions on a variety of subjects and industries.
Clare Forestier
ICWS EMCEE
A professional event host who has spent 20+ years learning how to keep all kinds of audiences happy.
Clare worked as a broadcast journalist across national and local BBC, commercial radio, ITN, and the British Forces Broadcasting
Service.
She hosted virtual and in-person corporate events and roundtable discussions on a variety of subjects and industries.
Salima H. Steven is a professional with twenty years of experience in marketing and communication. She holds a diploma in agronomy and crop science and is fluent in three languages. Salima is an expert in international climate networking and has created platforms to connect global sustainability advocates. She is also the founder of EventOne and the International Climate Webinar Series.
Throughout her career, Salima has organized and produced over fifty global events on energy, environment, water, smart cities, and climate change, ranging from small to large scale, across North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. In addition, she has over seven years of experience managing communication for GO15, a non-profit association of very large power grid operators.
Salima Hebbache Steven
EventOne Founder & ICWS Commissioner
Salima H. Steven is a professional with twenty years of experience in marketing and communication. She holds a diploma in agronomy and crop science and is fluent in three languages. Salima is an expert in international climate networking and has created platforms to connect global sustainability advocates. She is also the founder of EventOne and the International Climate Webinar Series.
Throughout her career, Salima has organized and produced over fifty global events on energy, environment, water, smart cities, and climate change, ranging from small to large scale, across North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. In addition, she has over seven years of experience managing communication for GO15, a non-profit association of very large power grid operators.
