Innovation Week 2025: Renewables and Digitalisation for a Sustainable Energy Future

Francesco La Camera is the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). He took office on 4 April 2019 and brings more than thirty years of experience in the fields of climate, sustainability, and international cooperation. In his role, Mr. La Camera is responsible for leading the delivery of IRENA’s work programme and strategy in cooperation with the Agency’s Members. At a critical time for climate change and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, Mr. La Camera is tasked with redefining the structure and operations of the Agency in response to the urgent needs of its members. Under his leadership, the Agency has forged a series of new strategic partnerships with UN organisations including UNDP, UNFCCC and Green Climate Fund among others and Financial Institutions. A key priority of his tenure is to implement a more action-oriented approach to the Agency’s work. Previously, Mr. La Camera served as Director-General of Sustainable Development, Environmental Damage, EU and International Affairs at the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land & Sea since 2014. In this capacity, he developed cooperation and partnership agreements with a wide range of countries. As the national coordinator for climate, environment, resource efficiency and circular economy, he led the Italian delegation to UNFCCC’s COP 21 to 24 and the EU Presidency at COP 20. He was also responsible for the preparation and organisation of Italy’s G7 Environment Presidency in 2017.

Gauri Singh is the Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency. Ms. Singh brings more than 30 years of experience in policy, advocacy and project implementation within the field of renewable energy and sustainable development from India and the internationally.
Prior to joining IRENA, Ms. Singh worked within India’s federal government and at the apex level within provincial government. Federally, she was responsible for leading the development of the National Solar Mission of India policy in 2010, an early policy framework designed to drive solar power development across the country. At the Madhya Pradesh provincial Government, Ms. Singh steered rural development providing strategic planning and implementation guidance across the state for large initiatives. Her work involved poverty reduction and sustainable development within rural communities.
Previously, Ms. Singh was also Director of Country Support and Partnerships (CSP) at IRENA. She was responsible for regional and country level initiatives and for spearheading partnerships with regional energy and economic organisations.

Her Excellency Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany is a leader of national and international efforts to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy. Currently serving as the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), where she supports the Agency’s efforts in fast-tracking a just and inclusive global energy transition. In addition to her current role, Dr. Al-Hosany is also an active and prominent member of several key international, regional and local climate-focused boards and committees, including the COP28 UAE Advisory Committee, which convenes the expertise of climate and energy leaders from around the world; the American University of Sharjah (AUS) where she sits on the Board of Trustees; and as the Vice Chair for the Global Council of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany also sits on the advisory council of National Geographic magazine, the advisory board of the Payne Institute in the Colorado School of Mines, and the advisory panel for the Momentum for Change initiative of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Norela Constantinescu is Deputy Director at IRENA Innovation and Technology Center. Until May 2024 she was Head of Innovation Section with ENTSO-E, the European Network for Transmission System Operators for electricity for which she worked for 10 years, starting 2014. In the period June 2022 – March 2024 she was chair of the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Smart Network for Energy Transition. Previously she worked with European Commission DG Energy on low carbon technologies, wind and smart cities and communities. She is an energy engineer with post graduate studies in business administration and applied computer science.

Dr. Li Sheng, professorship senior engineer, National Master of Electric Power Industry Survey and Design, Recipient of the Special Allowance from the State Council, Director General of China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute (CREEI). Under the guidance of National Energy Administration (NEA), CREEI is the most renowned research institute on energy transition and renewable energy in China. As the Director General of CREEI, Dr. Li has more than 30 years of working experience in national strategy and planning, policy study and project engineering in the renewable energy sector. His work includes national planning of hydropower and pumped storage of China, studies on key technology of offshore wind, and the formulation of standards and guidelines in varies fields of renewable energy. Commissioned by NEA, he is currently leading technical research and study for the "15th Five-Year" national renewable energy planning. Dr. Li Sheng received his Ph.D degree in engineering from Tsinghua University.

As Division Director in the International Cooperation Department of National Energy Administration, China, Mr. LI Xiang is responsible for fostering China's energy cooperation with European, North American and Oceanian countries, as well as China's engagement with multiple multilateral cooperation platforms such as China's collaboration with IRENA. Mr. LI Xiang joined NEA in 2010 and has been involved in policy planning and implementation in various areas in the filed of energy transitions. Between 2016 and 2017, he served as a seconded expert from NEA to Energy Charter Secretariat, where he worked on China's energy investment environment analyses. Mr. LI Xiang holds a Master's degree in Mining Engineering.

Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva is a career diplomat and the coordinator for scientific and technological affairs at the Climate Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is also a member of the Technology Executive Committee of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Brazil's focal point to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He is the co-founder and executive coordinator of the São Paulo Innovation and Science Diplomacy School (InnSciD SP). Previously, he served as head of the Science, Technology & Innovation and Cooperation sector at the Brazilian Embassy in Berlin, as well as the STI sector at the Brazilian Embassy in New Delhi. He also worked as Deputy Head of the Information Society Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was Brazil’s representative to the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD). Before joining the Brazilian Foreign Service, he was Director of Customer Services for the Americas at Comptel Communications in São Paulo and Software Development Manager at Siemens AG in Munich, Germany. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering (2000) from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (USP), a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy (2009) from FFLCH-USP, and a master’s degree in Philosophy of Technology (2013), also from USP.

Mr. Sédiko Douka is the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation. He has been the ECOWAS Commissioner for Energy and Mines since 1st March 2018. Commissioner Sédiko Douka has successfully implemented several regional projects and programmes particularly the electricity interconnection of 13 ECOWAS Member States, effective functioning of the regional electricity market, coverage of regional energy demand from 45% to 53%, adoption of 18 Community texts including the mining code, petroleum code, hydrocarbon sector development policy, local content policy and corporate social responsibility in the geo-extractive sectors, among others. Mr. Douka brings more than 31 years of professional experience in the design, resource mobilisation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects, development and harmonisation of regional policies, strategies and initiatives as well as procurement in the transport, energy, telecommunications and water infrastructure and geo-extractive sectors. He also has an extensive knowledge of the procedures and rules of major development partners, an international experience of 20 years including three years in the United Nations System and 13 years at the ECOWAS Commission where he held the position of Director D2, prior to being appointed Commissioner.

Stéphane graduated in chemical sciences from the University of Mons. After 3 years in the pharmaceutical industry, in 1999 he joined the General Directorate of Natural Resources and the Environment of the SPW. He first worked on international negotiations, particularly on the development of market mechanisms in the implementation texts of the Kyoto Protocol. Subsequently, he coordinated for Belgium the European negotiations on the directive creating a system for trading greenhouse gas emission quotas. Finally, he implemented this directive in Wallonia during the first 3 periods of the system. He joined the Walloon Agency for Air and Climate at its inception in 2008. Finally, he became the Acting President of the Agency in 2015 and Acting General Inspector in 2024.

Ute Collier is currently Acting Director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi. She oversees IRENA’s work on renewable energy policy and finance, socio-economics of the energy transition, renewable energy statistics and resource assessment. Prior to joining IRENA in May 2021, she was Head of Energy at Practical Action, leading the development organisation’s work on renewable energy solutions in energy access settings. Previously, she worked at the International Energy Agency and the UK’s Climate Change Committee, as well as a number of public sector and non-governmental organisations earlier in her career.

As Director of Overseas Energy Infrastructure and International Policy on Carbon Neutrality in Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan, Mr. Yoshino manages the Ministry’s work on international cooperation for the development of energy infrastructure and related innovative technologies as well as international policy on carbon neutrality through METI’s and multilateral/bilateral strategies. Mr. Yoshino joined METI in 1995 and has been involved in policy planning and implementation in various areas such as energy, international trade, manufacturing industry and regional industrial development. Between 2015 and 2017, he served as Deputy Director, New and Renewable Energy Division, where he worked on biomass energy deployment and related technology development projects.