Speakers

Speech Title : Synergies between Desertification and Climate Change in the drylands of central-western Argentina. Future Scenarios

Elena Maria Abraham is a Principal Investigator Emeritus at CONICET and Emeritus Professor of Environmental Planning at Universidad de Congreso, Argentina. She has served as Director of IADIZA, Director of the CONICET Mendoza Scientific and Technological Center, and Secretary of the Environment for the Government of Mendoza. Dr. Abraham leads interdisciplinary research on drylands, desertification, and climate change adaptation, with a strong focus on integrated and participatory land-use planning in arid regions. She has authored over 200 scientific publications and has contributed extensively to territorial planning and land-use legislation in Argentina. An international expert with the UNCCD Science–Policy Interface, she is Co-Chair of DesertNet International and Scientific Coordinator of Argentina’s National Observatory of Land Degradation and Desertification. Her work has been internationally recognized, including an award from Brazil’s Ministry of Environment, and she is a member of the Argentine Academy of Environmental Sciences.

Speech Title : A Desirable Framework for Establishing Climate Change Policy

Dai Yeun Jeong is an environmental sociologist with extensive experience in climate change education, policy, and sustainable development. He currently serves as Director of the Asia Climate Change Education Center and is an Emeritus Professor of Environmental Sociology at Jeju National University, South Korea. He holds a BA and MA in Sociology from Korea University and a PhD in Environmental Sociology from The University of Queensland, Australia. Dai Yeun Jeong has held several distinguished roles, including President of the Asia-Pacific Sociological Association, Teaching Professor at the University of Sheffield (UK), and member of the Presidential Commission on Sustainable Development of the Republic of Korea. He has represented the South Korean government as a delegate to the UNFCCC and OECD environmental meetings and has worked closely with UNESCO’s World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves. An accomplished scholar, he has authored 13 books and over 60 academic research papers and has led more than 100 environment-related research projects funded by national and international organizations.

Speech Title : The Role of Carbon Markets in Driving Net Zero Transitions

Hemant Nandanpawar is a distinguished leader in clean energy, climate action, carbon markets, and sustainability with over 28 years of international experience across 30+ countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. He holds advanced degrees in Sustainable Business (Cambridge University), Energy Technology (MTech), Finance (MBA), and Industrial Engineering, and is a Qualified Energy Auditor. As a Climate Action sexpert & advisory leader, supporting private & government sector organisations for decarbonisation, carbon neutrality, sustainability and development & implantation of clean energy and GHG emission reduction projects, with support of climate & carbon finance. He has rich experience of working with International & Multilateral organisations at senior leadership roles, including, Senior Director at the Global Carbon Council (GCC), Doha-Qatar, Senior Climate Finance Specialist at Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila-Philippines, Methodologies Panel Expert at UNFCCC, Germany and Associate Partner at Ernst & Young, Philippines & India. His contributions have been recognized globally with awards & appreciations, major one includes Global Gold Award–Climate Mitigation (2024), Global Green Leadership Award (2018), and Excellence in Energy Management Award (2007). He has authored numerous papers and regularly contributes to international conferences & workshops, as a subject matter expert.

Speech Title : Go Truly Local™: Closing the Missing Link in Circular, Sustainable Community and Environmental Futures

Ms. Anthea Rossouw is a highly regarded social change management specialist, enterprise developer, stakeholder engagement practitioner, and philanthropist. Operating across South Africa and the South of England, her career focuses on solving complex socio-economic and environmental challenges by implementing sustainable local economies and a circular economy

Speech Title : Last-Mile Climate Finance: Delivering Sustainable Capital to Africa’s Smallholder Farmers Through Digital Innovation

Kumbirai Emmanuel Chimukupete is a Zimbabwean fintech and agritech strategist focused on advancing climate-resilient rural economies across Africa. He is the Founder of e-Mudhumeni, a climate-focused agrifintech platform that has delivered digital financial and data-driven services to over 20,000 smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. Kumbirai serves on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Financial Inclusion Thematic Committee on Rural Development and Finance, where he contributes to national strategies on inclusive finance and youth banking. With nearly a decade of experience in digital financial systems through Mugonat Systems, he has led over 300 financial technology implementations across Southern Africa, spanning digital wallets, core banking, loan management systems, and regulatory-integrated platforms. His work integrates satellite-based risk analytics, climate-smart credit models, and digital financial infrastructure to bridge the climate finance gap affecting smallholder farmers. Kumbirai is a strong advocate for last-mile capital delivery, sustainable rural industrialisation, and technology-enabled financial inclusion in frontier markets. He speaks internationally on agrifintech innovation, climate finance systems, and digital transformation for sustainable development.