Johan Rockström (Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK))

Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström is the Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Professor at the Institute of Earth and Environmental Science at Potsdam University and Professor in Water Systems and Global Sustainability at the University of Stockholm.

Rockström is an internationally recognized scientist on global sustainability issues, who led the development of the new Planetary Boundaries framework for human development in the current era of rapid global change at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. He is a leading scientist on global water resources, with about 25 years of experience from applied water research in tropical regions, and more than 150 research publications in fields ranging from applied land and water management to global sustainability.

In addition to his research endeavors, which have been widely used to guide policy, Rockström provides strategic scientific guidance and consults several governments and business networks. He acts as an advisor for sustainable development issues at noteworthy international meetings, such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC). Furthermore, he chairs or co-chairs the advisory board for the EAT Foundation, the Earth Commission, and the Earth League, is Chief Scientist of Conservation International, member of the European Investment Bank Advisory Group, and elected member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Photo: Jadranko Marjanovic
https://www.pik-potsdam.de/portal/members/johanro/portrait-gallery

Naoko Ishii (Special Presidential Envoy for Global Commons, the University of Tokyo; Director, Center for Global Commons）

Dr. Naoko Ishii is the founding director of the Center for Global Commons at UTokyo. CGC aims to catalyze systems change for sustainable development within planetary boundaries. Before joining the University of Tokyo, she was CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) from 2012 to 2020, developing the GEF2020 strategy focused on transforming key economic systems. Her earlier roles include Deputy Vice Minister of Finance in Japan's Ministry of Finance, World Bank country director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and IMF economist for Kenya, Uganda, and Kyrgyz Republic.

Peter Bakker (CEO and President, WBCSD)

Peter Bakker is a distinguished business leader, who since 2012, has led the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) as the President & CEO. WBCSD is the premier global, CEO-led community of over 230 of the world’s leading sustainable businesses working collectively to accelerate the system transformations needed for a net zero, nature-positive, and equitable future. Prior to WBCSD, Peter was the CEO of TNT NV, the global transport, postal and logistics company.

TIME Magazine recently named Peter as one of the Top 100 Climate Leaders in Business. He was also a recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award (2009), the Sustainability Leadership Award (2010) and the Prix Voltaire International (2023). He received the royal order Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2018 in recognition of his long-lasting commitment to engaging business in tackling global sustainability issues.

Peter holds several corporate sustainability advisory board positions, including but not limited to, Director of GenZero, Commissioner of the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality, and Member of the Energy Transition Accelerator High-Level Consultative Group.

Dr Arunabha Ghosh (Founder-CEO, CEEW)

Dr Arunabha Ghosh is an internationally recognised public policy expert, author, columnist, and institution builder. He is the founder-CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, and has led CEEW to the top ranks as one of Asia's leading policy research institutions and among the world’s 20 best climate think-tanks. He played a formative role in creating the International Solar Alliance, and was a founding board member of the Clean Energy Access Network. Co-author/editor of four books and with experience in 51 countries, he previously worked at Princeton, Oxford, UNDP (New York), and WTO (Geneva). The Asia Society honoured him with the 2022 Asia Game Changer Award, for his and CEEW’s “incredible work, which is making a real difference for India and for the planet”.

Arunabha advises governments, industry, civil society, and international organisations around the world. He is the Co-convenor of the Our Common Air Commission. He served on Government of India’s G20 Finance Track Advisory Group and advised the Sherpa Track for India’s G20 Presidency in 2022-23. In 2022, the UN Secretary-General appointed him to the High-level Expert Group on the Credibility and Accountability of Net-Zero Announcements by Non-State Actors. Dr Ghosh is currently Vice-Chair of the UN Committee for Development Policy, having been first nominated to the UNCDP by the UN Secretary-General in 2018. Arunabha is a member of several international expert advisory groups: Global Commission on the Economics of Water; High-Level Group of Economists, constituted by the French president for the One Planet Lab; and the Senior Consultative Group for the U.S. Department of State’s Energy Transition Accelerator. In 2020, the Government of India appointed him Co-Chair of the energy, environment and climate change track for India’s Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP2020).

He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Clean Air, having previously been a member of the Global Future Council on Energy. He serves on the Board of ClimateWorks Foundation. A frequent speaker and adviser to governments, industry and international organisations, he writes monthly columns across various platforms, has hosted or featured in several documentaries, and his 2019 TED Talk on air quality (Mission 80-80-80) has crossed 270,000 views. He was a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. He holds a D.Phil. from Oxford.

Amel Saidane (CEO, Betawaves)

Amel is an entrepreneur and ecosystem builder. She is founder of Betawaves an innovation powerhouse that builds, supports and invests in Startups in frontier and emerging markets. She is founder of TunisianStartups and non executive board member in several startups.
She is also board member for the Digital Center of Excellence of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
She acted as a strategy and innovation consultant with various development organizations
Prior to that she worked with Microsoft, Siemens and Nokia.
Amel is an engineer qualified from Leibniz University, Germany, she also holds a MSc in Business in Digital Economy,University of Maryland.

Hiroaki Kitano (Executive Deputy President and Chief Technology Officer, Sony Group Corporation)

Hiroaki Kitano is Executive Deputy President and Chief Technology Officer of Sony Group Corporation, overseeing the R&D ecosystem across Sony`s diverse business domains including electronics, semiconductors, and entertainment. He concurrently serves as Representative Director and President, Sony Research Inc. and Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. (Sony CSL). As an AI expert, Kitano also serves as a member of the UN AI Advisory Body, the OECD Expert Group on AI Futures, Singapore’s Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data, the UK’s expert advisory panel for the International Scientific report on Advanced AI Safety, and Japan’s AI Strategy Council.

Martin Stuchtey (President, The Landbanking Group)

Prof. Dr. Martin Stuchtey is a geologist and economist who has dedicated himself to the renewal of the economic system in the sense of a natural capital approach. Together with Dr. Sonja Stuchtey, he is the founder of ‘The Landbanking Group’ - a technology company that makes biodiversity measurable, assessable and investable. He also founded and managed the SYSTEMIQ group of companies. Previously, he worked for McKinsey & Co. for 20 years, where he was responsible for the sustainability division, among other things. He is a professor of resource economics at the University of Innsbruck, author, multiple advisor, father of six children and organic farmer.

Prof. Dr. Martin Stuchtey ist ein Geologe und Ökonom, der sich der Erneuerung des Wirtschaftssystems im Sinne eines Naturkapitalansatzes verschrieben hat. Zusammen mit Dr. Sonja Stuchtey ist er Gründer von „The Landbanking Group“ – einer Technologiefirma die Biodiversität mess-, bewert- und investierbar macht. Ferner gründete und leitete er die Unternehmensgruppe SYSTEMIQ. Zuvor war er 20 Jahre lang für McKinsey & Co. tätig, wo er u.a. für den Nachhaltigkeitsbereich verantwortlich war. Er ist Professor für Ressourcenökonomik an der Universität Innsbruck, Buchautor, vielfacher Beirat, Vater von sechs Kindern und organischer Bauer.

Charles Goddard (Editorial director, Economist Impact)

Charles Goddard imagines and builds The Economist Group’s flagship initiatives, the purpose of which is to catalyse progress on key issues of the day. He works closely with partners on themes including ocean health and the sustainable ocean economy, the Anthropocene, global health security, and ageing and longevity. Based in Sydney, Australia Charles was previously editorial director, Asia at the Economist Intelligence Unit, director of research in Asia, and managing director of the Economist Corporate Network, a peer network for senior executives. He is concurrently executive director of Economist Impact’s World Ocean Initiative, and Back to Blue, a joint initiative with The Nippon Foundation that is building pathways to zero pollution in the ocean by 2050.

Mere Takoko (Chief Executive, Pacific Whale Fund)

Mere Takoko is a passionate advocate for Indigenous-led conservation and a leading voice in the development of Pacific nature markets. As Chief Executive of Blue Natural Capital Pacific, she brings a wealth of experience in working alongside Indigenous communities to create innovative economic models that incentivize conservation, restore ecosystems, and empower Indigenous peoples. With a deep respect for traditional knowledge and a commitment to environmental justice, Mere is dedicated to building a more sustainable and equitable future.
Mere's work has focused on developing a carbon and biodiversity credit scheme for Māori-owned forests and ocean assets, recognizing the interconnectedness of these ecosystems. She is a strong advocate for the recognition of the rights of nature as author of the He Whakaputanga Moana Ocean Declaration and as co-founder of the Pacific Whale Fund, an Indigenous-led initiative dedicated to protecting whales and their ocean home.
Mere's vision is to create a circular bio economy that is both sustainable and equitable, where Indigenous peoples are at the forefront of shaping a future that honours both people and the planet.

Hiroyuki Isono (President and Group CEO, Oji Holdings Corporation)

Mr. Hiroyuki Isono is the President & Group CEO of Oji Holdings Corporation. He has vast experience in overseas business development and contributed a lot to Oji’s global expansion.

He was appointed to current role in 2022 and described company’s purpose “Grow and manage the sustainable forest,　develop and deliver the products from renewable forest, and Oji will bring this world a brighter future filled with hope”.

He believes sustainable forestry can activate various forest ecosystem service such as water resource conservation, global warming mitigation, and biodiversity conservation which are economically and socially important.

Masakazu Sugiyama (Professor, RCAST; UTokyo)

James Newcomb (Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI))

James Newcomb is senior expert in RMI’s Strategy Team. He focuses on identifying pathways to a net-zero economy while advancing justice, security, and well-being. He led the launch RMI India and led RMI’s Electricity Program, where he cofounded the Electricity Innovation Lab (eLab). Previously, he led energy analysis at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and co-founded Bio Economic Research Associates (bio era). He was CEO of E Source, an independently managed, for-profit RMI subsidiary providing information on energy efficiency and energy services. Mr. Newcomb holds a BA, Economics, Harvard University and MA, Energy and Resources Group, University of California Berkeley.

Marko Lackovic (Managing Director & Partner, BCG)

Marko Lackovic is Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group, engaged on energy and climate and sustainability topics across South-East Asia. Marko has worked with clients on a broad range of issues including energy transition and decarbonization, transformations, strategy development, operational improvements,, and new-business launches. Among other projects, Marko led the development of a long-term 'zero emissions' strategies, including abatement levers and their economics, markets and emissions regulation, and related strategies for private and public sector organizations. Prior to joining Boston Consulting Group, Marko worked in management functions in private and public sector in Europe.

Kahori Miyake (Executive Manager of ESG Strategy and Solution Department, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and Co-Chair, JCLP)

Ms. Miyake is an Executive Manager of ESG Strategy and Solution Department at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and the Co-Chair of Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP), a coalition of over 230 businesses advancing decarbonization in the country. She has been heavily involved in lobbying activities not only to the government and policy makers since taking the JCLP Co-Chair role in 2019, but also to various industry players and also to the public. In 2022, she served as a member of High-Level Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities convened by Secretary General Guterres. Prior to the current role, Ms. Miyake served as the Chief Sustainability Officer of Aeon Co. Ltd., a retail conglomerate in Japan. Aeon was the first retailer in Japan to commit to net zero by 2050 in 2018 and has always been the forerunner in the Sustainability field.

Guido Schmidt-Traub (Partner, Systemiq)

Dr. Guido Schmidt-Traub is Partner of Systemiq Ltd, the global system change company. He was Managing Partner from 2021-2024. His work focuses on finance, nature, green skills and value chain transformations, working with investors, companies, governments, and civil society organizations. Guido serves on several boards. Previously he was Executive Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, CEO of Paris-based CDC Climate Asset Management, Partner at South Pole Carbon Asset Management, Climate Change Advisor to Kofi Annan’s Africa Progress Panel, head of the UNDP MDG Support Team, and Associate Director of the UN Millennium Project. He holds a PhD in Economics from Wageningen University, an M.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University, and a Masters in Physical Chemistry from the Free University of Berlin.

Johan Rockström (Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK))

Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström is the Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Professor at the Institute of Earth and Environmental Science at Potsdam University and Professor in Water Systems and Global Sustainability at the University of Stockholm.

Rockström is an internationally recognized scientist on global sustainability issues, who led the development of the new Planetary Boundaries framework for human development in the current era of rapid global change at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. He is a leading scientist on global water resources, with about 25 years of experience from applied water research in tropical regions, and more than 150 research publications in fields ranging from applied land and water management to global sustainability.

In addition to his research endeavors, which have been widely used to guide policy, Rockström provides strategic scientific guidance and consults several governments and business networks. He acts as an advisor for sustainable development issues at noteworthy international meetings, such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC). Furthermore, he chairs or co-chairs the advisory board for the EAT Foundation, the Earth Commission, and the Earth League, is Chief Scientist of Conservation International, member of the European Investment Bank Advisory Group, and elected member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Photo: Jadranko Marjanovic
https://www.pik-potsdam.de/portal/members/johanro/portrait-gallery

Peter Bakker (CEO and President, WBCSD)

Peter Bakker is a distinguished business leader, who since 2012, has led the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) as the President & CEO. WBCSD is the premier global, CEO-led community of over 230 of the world’s leading sustainable businesses working collectively to accelerate the system transformations needed for a net zero, nature-positive, and equitable future. Prior to WBCSD, Peter was the CEO of TNT NV, the global transport, postal and logistics company.

TIME Magazine recently named Peter as one of the Top 100 Climate Leaders in Business. He was also a recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award (2009), the Sustainability Leadership Award (2010) and the Prix Voltaire International (2023). He received the royal order Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2018 in recognition of his long-lasting commitment to engaging business in tackling global sustainability issues.

Peter holds several corporate sustainability advisory board positions, including but not limited to, Director of GenZero, Commissioner of the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality, and Member of the Energy Transition Accelerator High-Level Consultative Group.

Yumiko Noda（Vice Chair, Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), Chairman and Representative Director, Veolia Japan GK）

Yumiko has an extensive career in the banking and consulting sectors, working in Tokyo, New York, London, and Singapore. Yumiko’s prior career includes Partner at PwC Japan, where she led the Infrastructure group, Deputy Mayor of Yokohama City, and Senior Fellow at Tsinghua University Japan Research Center. She has joined Veolia Japan as the President in 2017.

Yumiko has held various public roles, including a member of “Council for the Realization of the Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation” led by the Cabinet Office, “Governing Board of Circular Partners” led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as well as the Ministry of the Environment.

Since 2020, she has served as the Chair of the Committee on Environment at Keidanren, where she spearheads the movement toward a circular economy.

Yumiko holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Teruo Fujii (President, UTokyo)

Dr. Teruo Fujii is the 31st President of the University of Tokyo (UTokyo). Prior to taking the President’s office in April 2021, he was Executive Vice President in charge of finance and external relations for the university. He also served as the Director General of the Institute of Industrial Sciences (IIS) of the university from 2015 to 2018. He received his Ph.D. in engineering from UTokyo in 1993 and held research positions at IIS and RIKEN prior to becoming a professor of IIS in 2007.

Dr. Fujii was an advisor to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) from 2005 to 2007, co-director of LIMMS-CNRS/IIS, a joint research laboratory between CNRS of France, and IIS, from 2007 to 2014, and the President of the Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society (CBMS) from 2017 to 2019. From March 2021 to February 2024, he held the position of an Executive Member (part-time) of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan. Since 2019, he has served as the Chair of the Subdivision on Ocean Development of the Council for Science and Technology (MEXT).

Dr. Fujii’s research specializes in applied microfluidics systems and underwater technology.