Archive for the ‘featured’ Category
Shimada
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Kunihiko (Kuni) Shimada is Principal International Policy Coordinator and Principal International Negotiator at the Ministry of the Environment Japan, and is in charge of establishing negotiation strategies for the UNFCCC. At the UNFCCC process, he has been working as a lead negotiator of the Japanese delegation for future issues, technology, adaptation and compliance, as well as servicing as a co-chair of the AWGLCA Contact Group on Development and Transfer of Technologies and Chair on Various Mechanisms for mitigation as well as a member of the Expert Group on Technology Transfer (EGTT) and Compliance Committee. Kuni has been elected as the chair of the Compliance Committee for the two year term in 2010 and 2011. Moreover, Kuni has chaired several international groups, including OECD/IEA Annex I Expert Group on UNFCCC as well as served as an international expert on issues related to compliance, adaptation, energy, technology, financial mechanisms and carbon markets through his continuous and active roles played in climate change negotiations since 1997.
Prior to the current positions, Kuni worked for the UN as one of the lead mediators for international peace and security issues as well as negotiator for a wide range of issues, including human rights, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development and involved in negotiation/mediation for Kosovo, East Timor (currently Timore-Leste), and many other cases.
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Bremauntz
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Adrián Fernández Bremauntz is a Biologist with an MSc in Environmental Technology from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London, UK and a PhD in Environmental Science from the same Institution. As a visiting fellow, he carried out post-doctorate research work at the Harvard School of Public Health with support from the McNamara Fellowships Program of the World Bank. Dr. Fernández has experience as consultant for both the private and public sector, including the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Program. He is author and co-author of several articles and books. He has been occasional lecturer and guest instructor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Since 1995, Dr. Fernández has occupied senior positions at the National Environment Institute or INE (an Agency within the Environment Secretariat in México). Firstly as General Director for Environmental Management and Information (1995-2000), where he coordinating the preparation of the first country reports on Environmental Indicators, the first Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry and seven Air Quality Programs for the major cities around the country. During this period, he was responsible for the creation of the National Center for Environmental Research and Training (CENICA), the best equipped laboratory in Latin America to carry out pollution exposure studies. He chaired four US-México border working groups under the Border XXI bilateral program (air pollution, environmental information, environmental health, and pollution prevention). The US EPA awarded him the Bronze Medal for Commendable Service in pro of the Environment.
Then, as General Director for Research on Urban, Regional and Global Pollution (2001-2005) he coordinated the preparation of the National Greenhouse Gases Inventories & National Communications to the Climate Change Convention, helping México to become the only developing country that has submitted four of these National Reports to the UN Framework Convention. Regarding urban pollution, following his pioneering research work of the early 1990s, his team at INE carried out the first comprehensive assessment of the potential health benefits associated with commuters´ modal shift from midi-buses and buses to metro and bus rapid transit systems in Mexico City.
He served as member of the Bureau representing Latin America at the UN Commission for Sustainable Development. For nearly a decade he represented Mexico at the OECD´s Environmental Performance of Countries work-group. Since 2001, he has been an active member of the Climate Change Expert Group of the OECD as well as a senior member of the Mexican Delegation attending Conferences of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He has been author and co-author of several books and peer reviewed articles mainly in the field of air quality management and climate change.
In March 2005 he was appointed President of INE. Under his leadership, INE has expanded his role to become the leading advisory institution on environmental matters for both houses of Congress as well as for the Office of the President of México.
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Kilani
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Dr John Kilani recently joined the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC) as Director of the Sustainable Development Mechanisms (SDM) Programme. He joined the UNFCCC from Qatar Petroleum, bringing with him over 28 years of professional working experience. Dr Kilani holds a PhD degree in Industrial Wastewater Treatment from the University of Birmingham, UK.
Since 1980, Dr Kilani had gathered extensive experience lecturing in Universities in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa before venturing into the private sector in 1994 (South African Mining Industry from 1994 to 2005 and Qatar Petroleum from 2005 to 2008).
Dr Kilani’s professional highlights include:
- In 1993, he became the first black Professor of Civil Engineering and Dean of an Engineering Faculty in South Africa, at the University of Durban Westville, where he established a Master’s Degree Programme in Water and Wastewater management.
- 1994 to 2002 – Starting as Environmental Adviser and rising to the position of Senior Executive at the South African Chamber of Mines, he assisted the South African mining industry in developing policies and strategies in the areas of Safety, Health, Environment, HIV-AIDS, and Community Development.
- 2002 to 2005 – Joined Anglovaal Mining Company as Vice-President, Sustainable Development with the responsibility of leading the Department charged with implementing HSE and sustainable development programmes in all the mines owned by the Company in 4 different African Countries.
- 1998 to 2008 – Active involvement in climate change negotiations as part of the South African delegation and most recently as part of the delegation of Qatar.
- In 2001, Dr Kilani was elected, at Marrakech, to serve in the United Nations CDM Executive Board, after assisting in the climate change negotiations of the rules of the Kyoto Mechanisms. He served as a full member of the CDM Executive Board for 5 years until December 2006, and was the Chairman of the Board for one year during this period.
During his illustrious carrier Dr Kilani also held some high profile appointments, such as, non Executive Director in the Board of Johannesburg Water, the biggest Water Utility in Africa; member and chairman of the first Provincial Environmental Council in South Africa (the Mpumalanga Environmental Council); and member of the Gauteng Development Tribunal.
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