David Turk

Prior to his nomination as deputy secretary, David Turk was the  deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency, where he focused on helping countries around the world tackle their clean energy transitions. He also directed reports on the digitalization of energy systems, the future of clean hydrogen, and a project tracking progress on a wide range of clean energy technologies.

Regional Perspective

In his keynote address at the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) fourth Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS), India G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said his country’s G20 presidency would build on some of the successes of Indonesia, its predecessor, which had placed transition toward a low-carbon economy on top of the G20 agenda. Kant said India will push for innovative financing schemes as the transition is hinged on the availability and alignment of low-cost international finance to advance critical new technologies.

Michaela Browning

Michaela Browning joined Google in November 2021 as vice-president for government affairs and public policy for Asia and the Pacific. Prior to joining Google, she held a range of senior positions in the Australian government as a career diplomat, with over 27 years of experience focusing on the Asia–Pacific, international trade and investment, security, and economic development.

Sean Kidney

Sean  Kidney is the chief executive officer 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 and some 200 organizations involved in its development and governance; working with the central bank of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on how to grow green bonds; and supporting market development programs in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Nigeria, and East Africa.

Global Perspective

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed called for accelerated action as she addressed the fourth Southeast Asia Development Symposium held on 30 March. She urged Southeast Asian countries to go "further and farther" together in advancing their net-zero ambitions and stressed the need for international cooperation to speed the decarbonization of high-emitting sectors.

Amina Mohammed

Before becoming the United Nations (UN) deputy secretary-general in early 2017, Amina J. Mohammed was the Minister of Environment of Nigeria. Prior to this, she supported the UN Secretary-General as special adviser on post-2015 development planning, where she was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Opening Keynote

Indonesia Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, in her keynote address at the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) fourth Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS), said ASEAN, being the world’s fastest-growing economic region, will require more energy to sustain growth, but this need not result in more C02 emissions. She spoke of how ASEAN is committed to continually growing but is also determined to achieve its net-zero ambition by 2060 or earlier. She also detailed the initiatives Indonesia has taken to decarbonize.

Net Zero and Near Net Zero Energy Districts – Case Studies from China, India, and the U.S.

While first-cost typically governs single building development, entire new districts are able to reach net-zero or near-zero energy/emissions status through technology integration and design across multiple systems on a site. With project examples from China, India, and the United States, this presentation explored the technologies for efficiency, district energy systems, and ownership models that enable breakthrough energy performance.