Jasmine Boehm

Jasmine Boehm is a sustainability and diversity manager with almost 20 years of professional experience supporting private sector companies, regional governments, and international organizations. She has a long track record in developing and leading social innovation programs for multiple stakeholders worldwide, amongst others for UNDP Macedonia.

Matthias Helble

Matthias' research interests include health, international trade, and development economics. He has co-edited eleven books, including with Oxford University Press. Matthias' research has appeared in flagship publications of international organizations as well as in books and scientific journals. His work includes affiliations with the World Health Organization, Asian Development Bank and Asian Development Bank Institute, World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and the UN.

Evidence of the Impact of Energy Access on Wellbeing: Measuring the Immeasurable

While development literature often discusses the critical importance of electricity access and clean cooking to improve economic and social well-being, there has been little rigorous evidence of the specific nature and magnitude of these benefits. This presentation drew on impact evaluations from the Asia-Pacific region to explore the demonstrated impacts of energy access on income, education, women’s empowerment, inequality, and poverty alleviation in real-life settings.

Strengthening Co-Benefits of Health, Climate Change and Air Quality Improvement in Energy Investments in Asian Cities

Asia and the Pacific have the highest number of air pollution deaths in the world. The health effects were estimated to cost US$ 1.7 trillion in 2016, equivalent to 10% of the regions. Air pollution creates a massive economic burden for governments causing a loss of productive labor, thereby reducing output and incomes, and increased health care and welfare costs. The energy sector is a major source of pollution and therefore a target for efforts to improve air quality.

The Intersection of Climate, Energy, Health for the Hope of Lasting Peace

In 2017, the Marawi City Siege in Mindanao, Philippines led to months of military combat displacing many people and disrupting the city’s electricity and water supply. With national and international organizations offering support for the area’s rehabilitation, post-conflict, what kind of collaborative opportunities are there to rebuild the city and make considerable gains in Health and Well-being, Climate Action, Clean Energy, and Peace?

Mahabir Pun

Dr. Mahabir Pun is a well-known social entrepreneur. He has been involved for 27 years in rural community development projects covering many fields such as education, health, nature conservation, income generation, and tourism. He is widely known for introducing broadband Internet using WiFi technology and computer education in the remote Himalayan region. He has received many international awards including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.

Amit Jain

Amit is a solar engineer, with a Ph.D. in solar energy and Fulbright Scholarship from NREL, USA and Chevening Fellow at King’s College, London. He loves to shares real-life stories on how solar energy is transforming people’s lives across health, transport, water, and agriculture sector.

He works with the World Bank and is leading a $2 billion renewables portfolio in India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. He is leading the world’s largest energy access program in Bangladesh and solar program in India.