Keith W. Hipel is University Professor of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo where he is Coordinator of the Conflict Analysis Group. He is President of the Academy of Science within the Royal Society of Canada, Senior Fellow of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, Fellow of the Balsillie School of International Affairs, and Past-Chair of the Board of Governors of Renison University College. Keith thoroughly enjoys mentoring students and is a recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award, Faculty of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award, and the Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision from the University of Waterloo, as well as the 2011 Outstanding Engineering Educator Award from IEEE Canada. His major research interests are the development of conflict resolution, multiple criteria decision analysis, time series analysis and other decision-making methodologies for addressing challenging interdisciplinary system of systems engineering problems lying at the confluence of society, technology and the environment, with applications in water resources management, hydrology, environmental engineering, energy, and sustainable development.

Avishek Malla is social entrepreneur, with extensive hands-on experience in Renewable Energy in Nepal and International markets. His experience includes various roles in industry, government, and academia. He has been a pioneer in the development of solar Photovoltaic (PV) Nepal, he has introduced “Rent to Own” solar energy services in rural health, education and agriculture. He has also authored several solar PV related papers and publications and has been key member to developing national technical standards and policies on solar PV. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Diploma in Management from Kathmandu University and Postgraduate Diploma in Energy and Environment, Master’s degree in Renewable Energy from Murdoch University, Australia. He is gold medallist for academic excellence, awarded by former King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and currently Australian Endeavour Awards Ambassador for Nepal Education and Experience: MSc. Renewable Energy, Endeavour Awardee More than 10 years of experience in government, Acamedics, NGO and private sector. Core Expertise: Renewable energy technology Social Entreprise Current area of focus: Solar PV , production end use, Agriculture management Future areas of work that you are interested in pursuing Integrated Agro and energy business

Renewable energy scientist and European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) member and work-package coordinator, with about ten years of industrial and applied research related professional experience on an international scale. Holding a master degree in renewable energy and a B.Sc. in electrical engineering. Currently working as a renewable energy scientist at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the main focus of research is renewable energy storage systems development and hybrid Off-Grid Electricity systems.

Olaf’s background is in the areas of environmental and sustainable finance, with emphasis on sustainable credit risk management, socially responsible investment, social banking and the link between sustainability and financial performance of enterprises. His current research interests include financial risk and opportunities caused by climate change and environmental regulations. Previously, Olaf was managing partner at GOE in Zurich, Switzerland, developing credit risk management and sustainability rating systems, and was head of the sustainable finance group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich. He earned his Ph.D. from the Technical Faculty, University of Bielefeld, Germany and his M.A. from the Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim.

Paul’s research focuses on building sustainable communities by creating win-win opportunities for the environment and economy. He is particularly concerned with how local economic development strategies can achieve a sustainable future. Sustainable energy systems are an essential starting point, so he looks first at conservation and improving energy efficiency, then at renewable energy sources and smart grid networks as integral parts of community energy plans. Paul combines his strong research background with direct experience engaging local representatives from communities across Canada and overseas to envision and build local capacity, vitality and sustainability. Recently he has lead economic development seminars in Edmonton, Iqaluit, Inuvik, Fort McMurray, Halifax, Saskatoon, Stratford, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Quebec City and Whitehorse.

Eli Mitchell-Larson is a social entrepreneur and impact investor working at the intersection of technology and climate change. After training as a geochemist, Eli began his career at New Island Capital, a San Francisco-based impact investment firm. At New Island, Eli’s team deployed over $90 million across 14 deals, from utility-scale wind and solar assets, to an electric car components manufacturer, to large tracts of sustainably managed redwood timberland and organic farmland. In 2016 Eli joined SunFarmer, a social enterprise that designs, deploys, and finances pay-as-you-go solar water pumps in Nepal to help smallholder farmers increase their incomes. As COO, Eli led SunFarmer's efforts to expand into new markets, agricultural initiatives at SunFarmer Nepal, and operations of SunFarmer US. Eli now serves on the Board of Directors of SunFarmer Nepal. At Oxford, his research focuses on comparing strategies for reaching negative global carbon emissions and modeling the technology needs to achieve them. Eli grew up in Maine, USA, and holds a B.S. in Geology & Geophysics and Environmental Studies from Yale University.

Mary Jane Parmentier is Program Chair of the Master of Science in Global Technology and Development (GTD), and a Clinical Associate Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University. The GTD programs addresses global development and inequality, including access to the benefits of science and technology, as well as negative impacts.

Ian Rowlands has ongoing research activities associated with a number of different projects. He is a participant in the Energy Hub Management System project, which is deploying innovative smart grid technologies in homes and businesses in southern Ontario; his work focuses upon customer engagement with these technologies. He is a participant in the NSERC Smart Net-Zero Energy Buildings Strategic Research Network, examining the interactions between people (individually and as market participants) and advanced building technologies. He co-leads, ‘Unlocking the Potential of Smart Grids: A Partnership to Explore Policy Dimensions’, which brings together a number of researchers to investigate policy and other social dimensions of smart grids.

Associate Director, Global Programs & Initiatives, WISE Neil Craik is an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo with appointments to the Balsillie School of International Affairs and the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, where he teaches and researches in the fields of international and Canadian environmental law. His current research examines the role of procedural obligations in governance structures addressing transboundary and global commons environmental issues. Professor Craik has particular interests in the intersection of international and domestic environmental policy, climate and geoengineering governance and environmental impact assessment. He is the author of several books, including Climate Change Policy in North America: Designing Integration (UTP, 2013), and The International Law of Environmental Impact Assessment: Process Substance and Integration (CUP, 2008), in addition to numerous book chapters and journal articles. Since 2011, Professor Craik has served as the Director of the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development at the University of Waterloo.

Marie-Flore Leclercq is a Strategy and Commercial Analyst at ENGIE PowerCorner in France. "My experiences in Germany and India convinced me of the importance of listening to others and not assuming that I can copy/paste my understandings + My 2-year as a consultant for ENGIE Consulting matured my interest for developing new services and improved my competences in project management That’s when, educated an engineer, I turned to commercial and strategy in the note-yet-mature mini-grid industry Within ENGIE PowerCorner for over a year, I am responsible for the commercial side: How to offer to our users the best services while reaching our economics targets ? I currently having a focus on Income Generating Activities boosters through project-life If I were able not to sleep, I’ll spend my nights on Data Analytics to improve ENGIE PowerCorner business "

In addition to being the Chief Executive Officer of Mobisol Group, Thomas is both an Affordable Energy for Humanity Global Change Initiative Member and a WISE Senior Executive Fellow.

Makena is a Senior Associate at CLASP leading and managing research for the Low Energy Inclusive Appliances program (LEIA). LEIA is part of a wider effort, Efficiency for Access, a global coalition promoting energy efficiency as a potent catalyst in clean energy access efforts. The coalition programmes aim to scale up markets and reduce prices for super-efficient, off-and weak-grid appropriate products, support technological innovation, and improve sector coordination. Makena’s work generates data and insights to advice sector actors on how to accelerate the availability, affordability, efficiency, and performance of four near-to-market products (refrigerators, televisions, fans, and solar water pumps) and a variety of cross-cutting horizon and enabling technologies. She has over 7 years of diverse experience in the energy sector in both utility scale solutions and distributed renewables, having previously worked as an engineer in the United Kingdom’s Civil Nuclear Industry, in energy generation and utility scale distribution Prior to joining CLASP, Makena managed energy access theme prizes and other research effort on pro-poor energy solutions in developing countries. She has authored impact and baseline research on improved institution cookstoves and refrigeration for the rural poor, contributed to research efforts in solar home system market stimulation in Bangladesh, and helped scope energy for humanitarian needs.

Philip Manyi Omenge is a PhD Candidate at Egerton University, Njoro Kenya, pursuing a doctoral degree programme in Natural Resources and Peace. His PhD research focuses on application of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) procedures for renewable energy projects in Kenya. More specifically the research evaluates the effectiveness of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Tool in identifying and preventing potential conflicts for renewable energy projects in Kenya. The aim of the research is to identify areas of ESIA Tool application that underpin poor conflict identification and prevention for renewable energy projects and provide recommendations to policy makers and practitioners to address the inadequacies. Mr. Omenge is also a Mentee of the International Support Network for African Development (ISNAD-Africa). He is one of the Mentees under the Mentoring for Research Programme (MRP) in the 2018-2019 Cohort. He is being mentored by Professor Jatin Nathwani of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), University of Waterloo, Canada. Mr. Omenge has over fourteen years of experience in Impact Assessments. He is a Registered and Licensed Lead Environmental Impact Assessment/Audit Expert by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Kenya, a Lead Member of the Environmental Institute of Kenya (EIK) and a Senior Lead Consultant at Sigtuna Consultancy in Kenya. Mr Omenge has handled various Impact Assessment Projects including East Africa’s largest Industrial Solar System installed at Krystalline Salt Limited, Gongoni Kenya. The project is the first of its kind in Kenya and in East Africa. Mr Omenge holds a Master of Science Degree with a Specialization in Rural Development Studies from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Uppsala, Sweden and a Bachelors of Science Degree in Natural Resources Management from Egerton University, Njoro Kenya.

Grace Mbungu is a Fellow and Ph.D. candidate at the IASS Potsdam since May 2016. Her Ph.D., research focuses on the social dynamics of energy transitions. More specifically, she focuses on identifying and contextualizing the factors that hinder or support the adoption and sustainable use of clean, safe, efficient, and affordable cooking technologies and fuels. At the IASS, she supports the energy team as well as the KLASICA Alliance. She has BA with honors in Political Science and Women´s Studies as well as a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a focus on human rights and international development from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA. Before joining the IASS, Grace worked as a junior researcher at DIALOGIK: Institute for Communication and Cooperation Research in Stuttgart, Germany. Earlier, Grace had worked at Jubilee USA Network, in Washington DC; as a teaching and research assistant at the Political Science Department, a program assistant at the Women´s Center, and as a peer mentor and facilitator at the Women´s Studies Program at Bowling Green State University. She is also actively involved with human rights and social justice issues and has volunteered at numerous organizations in Kenya, the USA, and Germany.

I am an energy specialist working on global energy-environment issues for more than 30 years. I am a Professor of Energy Economics and Policy and currently, I am the Director of the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University, Leicester (UK). I specialise in multi-disciplinary, applied energy research covering engineering, economic, regulatory and environmental perspectives. I mainly focus on applied, interdisciplinary research on developing economies, with a special emphasis on energy and environmental issues in South and South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. I have extensively worked on energy access issues in developing countries over the past decade and successfully led a large applied research project on off-grid electrification in South Asia. I have also provided advice on mini-grid-based electricity access to donor agencies. I have also worked on energy sector management issues such as energy sector regulation and restructuring in developing countries, and policy issues related to reconciling energy security and climate changes, and energy pricing issues.

Principal Research Scientist with experience in research, consulting, supervising, teaching and leading/coordinating at different levels in the field of Energy & Environment, Energy Access and Sustainability Transition. Expertise: •Energy and Environment Planning, Policy, Economics, Modeling and Management •Renewable energy system modelling, planning; power system planning •Sustainable Energy Access, EnergyPlus for Development, Energy and Poverty •Sustainability Transitions, Technology and Sustainability; Modelling and Statistics

Kristy Dixon is a Marketing Communications, Project Management and Remote Teams leader at Pollinate Group in Canada. - Who I am and what motivates me: Growing up on a farm in South Australia I quickly learned the importance of energy and water. Today, after a few years in California, I live in Calgary and work remote for Pollinate Group. I enjoy time in the mountains and keeping up with technology. I’m motivated by people who get things done, teams who experiment, and equipping women to lead communities out of poverty. - Education and professional history: More than 16 years in communications and marketing with the majority of my career in a water utility and start-ups. I currently sit on the Board of Directors for IABC Calgary and hold a Masters in Project Management (University of Adelaide) and Bachelor of Communications (University of South Australia). - Areas of expertise: Strategic communications, lean marketing, branding, customer experience and project management.  - Current projects: Applying our women entrepreneurship model from Nepal to India, marketing to the BoP, and increasing global participation in our fellowship programs for students, professionals and executives. - Future areas of work interested in pursuing: scaling social impact projects in new markets, water-energy-food nexus, digital transformation for energy efficiency.

Adedoyin Adeleke is the Founder and Executive Director of the International Support Network for African Development (ISNAD-Africa), Ibadan, Nigeria and he is currently pursuing a doctoral degree within the UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable Development, Deaprtment of Energy at the Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy. At ISNAD-Africa, he initiated the Mentoring for Research Programme, a globally-acknowledged programme that helps research students in African universities receive technical support (co-supervision) from global researchers and professionals in world-class institutions and organisations across the globe. Adedoyin has been named in the first ever “40 Under 40 Solar” List of the US-based Pennwell Corporation’s Renewable Energy World. Adedoyin holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; a programme he completed with a scholarship from the Federal Government of Nigeria. Also funded with a MacArthur Foundation Grant Scholarship, he completed a multidisciplinary master’s degree programme in Energy studies (Renewable Energy) at the Nigeria’s Premier University, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. As his dissertation, he conducted a multidisciplinary research on the “Sustainability of Solar Mini-Grids in Nigeria”. As his doctoral research programme, he is currently working on the development of an Impact Evaluation Framework of Energy Projects to assess how kWh (energy access) impacts economic and social development in Africa.

Khanjan Mehta is the inaugural Vice Provost for Creative Inquiry and Director of the Mountaintop Initiative at Lehigh University. Mehta champions the creation of learning environments and ecosystems where students, faculty, and external partners come together to increase their capacities for independent inquiry, take intellectual risks and learn from failure, recognize problems and opportunities and effect constructive and sustainable change. In a previous avatar, Mehta was the Founding Director of the Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program, Assistant Professor of Engineering Design, and Affiliate Professor of International Affairs at Penn State. Mehta serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Technology and Society Magazine and Contributing Editor for the Engineering 4 Change portal. His latest book, Solving Problems that Matter (and Getting Paid for It), takes a deep dive into STEM careers in social innovation and global sustainable development.

National President, Energy & Fuel Users’ Association of India Associations Indian Institution of Plant Engineers Relations Society of India National Institute of Non Destructive Testing Institution of Engineers (Mechanical Engineering) Madras Management Association Institution of Industrial Engineers Indian Institute of Plant Engineers

Marvin Tumusiime is a Program Officer at ENVenture in Uganda. Who you are and what motivates you: A passionate global community of energy access researchers and practioners continues to peak my interest every day. Identifying and connecting more holistic approaches to energy access are crucial. I am motivated by the sustainable economic opportunities that continue to arise from energy access whether it is a1 KG bag of briquettes or an electric car. I am also motivated by versatile and passionate team of colleagues around me. Your educational and professional history: I completed my MSc in Energy Studies at the University of Dundee, Scotland (2014/15) and prior to that, I did my BA (Hons) in Finance at HELP University in Malaysia. I am currently the Program Officer at ENVenture, a social enterprise that incubates clean energy enterprises in the last mile through financing, capacity building and mobile technology. Prior to that I have worked in business development, project management and logistics Your core areas of expertise and experience: My work allows me to exercise my expertise which lies in impact analysis, research, project management and story telling. Your current areas of focus / current projects: Currently, I'm focussed on aggregating our organisation's country wide market research data collected by our deployed volunteers that collect information on clean energy uptake in rural Uganda. I am taking lead on developing, analysing and communicating impact data generated by the activities of the projects run by ENVenture. Current projects include mass competitive cookstove dissemination, researching social value creation from energy with partners and story telling that provokes thought leadership Future areas of work that you are interested in pursuing: Continued policy reforms that push for energy access through mindset, policy and value addition .

Clark A. Miller leads the grassroots energy innovation research team at Arizona State University, which focuses on long-term development of scalable, sustainable off-grid energy solutions for communities that create social value, alleviate poverty, and promote thriving. He is the Director of the Center for Energy and Society and Professor and Associate Director of the School for the Future of Innovation in Society.

Saurabh Biswas is a Grassroots Energy Innovation Laboratory PhD Student at Arizona State University in the USA. Full time applied researcher studying complex phenomena at the intersection of poverty, energy systems and initiatives for sustainable futures in marginalized communities. Designing collaborative projects for Energy Thriving, with civil society groups, small business and non-profits. Part time instigator of collective action for sustainability with partner communities and social enterprises in South America and Asia. Interests: Project design for sustainable futures, Grassroots energy innovation, Practitioner-Academia collaborations, Action research for sustainability in marginalized communities.

Prof. Dr. Martina Schäfer has been active since 2010 in the Scientific Board of the Center for Technology and Society.

Sara is currently working with the New Global: Co-creating Frugal and Reverse Innovations in Complex Global Systems.

Iana is the Director of Programs for Engineering for Change, LLC (E4C) in New York City, a global alliance of engineering organizations and community of 1,000,000+ individuals dedicated to promoting sustainable and accessible technology-based solutions for underserved communities. She is focused on the design and development of new products and programming in emerging markets, social innovation and sustainable design. In this role, she has guided the development of business strategy, digital platform and partnerships with organizations involved in developing and deploying essential technologies. Iana has over 10 years of experience in academic, research and nonprofit sectors focusing on the intersection of engineering design, business development and social responsibility. Her unique professional background has enabled her to be a knowledge broker and global connector with networks extending across science, technology, education, and global development sectors. Iana is an active agent for social change, with a proven record of creative problem solving, bridging diverse communities and employing lean business methods to advance social justice.

Rob is a senior scientist, focused on the relationships between energy, social welfare, and environmental change in developing countries. He first became interested in these themes while working as a teacher in the U.S. Peace Corps in northwestern Kenya. He joined SEI-US in September 2015, after a decade as an academic researcher and university instructor. Rob's current research focuses mainly on biomass energy, ranging from traditional energy carriers like wood and charcoal to advanced liquid biofuels. His work on household energy includes ongoing projects on improved wood-burning stove dissemination in Honduras in partnership with Proyecto Mirado (a local NGO), multi-scalar assessments of woodfuel sustainability sponsored by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, and an improved stove intervention in India supported by a grant from the U.S. EPA. Rob is also interested in social impact assessment and life-cycle approaches to help understand the implications of increased reliance on non-traditional forms of bioenergy in both developed and developing nations. His research has explored oilseed crops and eucalyptus plantations in Brazil as well as forest-based bioenergy in the southern U.S. Rob has a B.S. in physics from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley.

Aneri is the Founder and Executive Director of ENVenture, a social enterprise that enables rural communities to become distributors for energy access technologies. She has over seven years of experience developing energy access programs in Asia and Africa, building networks and stakeholder engagement, as well as working with international organizations. Currently, she consults for Facebook’s energy access program and previously was an Energy Access Officer at the United Nations Foundation working for the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Her expertise is on market-led development and innovation for sustainable technologies, and marketing the same technologies for last-mile communities.

Roberto Hernández was born in Coquimbo, Chile, on April 5, 1939. He received the Bachelor degree in teaching of history, geography and civic education, specialization in anthropology, from the University of Chile, Santiago, Chile, and the M.Sc. degree in rural development from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela. He was a Professor of Anthropology with the University of Chile. He was an Associate Professor of Rural Sociology and Social Sciences Methodology with the University Simón Rodríguez, Venezuela, and currently is a Joint Professor of Anthropology with the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Chile (2006–2013). Mr. Hernández is a Member of the Latin American Association of Anthropology (ALA) and the Society of Applied Anthropology of the Unites States.

David Mozersky directs the research program on energy and conflicts at the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the Univeristy of California, Berkeley. Prior to this, he was a Director of Investments at Humanity United, a private foundation working on building peace and advancing human freedom. He joined Humanity United in 2008, when he initiated and led a two-year conflict prevention project to help northern and southern Sudanese officials prepare for negotiations surrounding South Sudan’s anticipated independence. During 2010 and 2011, David worked with the African Union as part of the international mediation team brokering talks between Sudan and South Sudan. Prior to Humanity United, David spent six years with the International Crisis Group, where he held several positions in the Africa program—including the Horn of Africa project director, leading programs on Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia-Eritrea, and Somalia. David has been involved in conflict-prevention and resolution efforts since 2001, has written extensively about peacemaking efforts in East Africa, and has testified or presented before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the Canadian Parliament, and South Sudanese Parliament. David has a strong interest in natural resource management and the overlap between climate change and conflict. From 2011 – 13 he led an initiative to build a “green” development framework in South Sudan, working in partnership with UC-Berkeley, local and international governments, and socially minded impact investors. David holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, and a master of arts degree in political science and international relations from the University of Toronto.

Dr. Zerriffi’s research is at the intersection of technology, energy and the environment, with a particular focus on rural areas of the developing world. Much of his research focuses on institutional factors impacting the diffusion of new technology, determinants and patterns of household energy choice and welfare implications of rural energy use. Prior to joining the UBC Faculty, Dr. Zerriffi was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, Stanford University. Dr. Zerriffi holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in Engineering and Public Policy. Current Research · the role of institutions in the deployment and diffusion of small-scale energy technologies · business models used to provide distributed electricity to rural areas in Brazil, Cambodia and China · environmental effectiveness of rural renewable energy programs · survey analyses on household time budgets and on determinants of household electricity consumption

Rob Doubleday has been Executive Director of CSaP since September 2012. Previously Rob established CSaP's research programme. His research interests include the role of science, evidence and expertise in contemporary societies, in particular the relationship between scientific advice, public policy and democracy. His research develops collaborative methods of working with scientists and engineers on the public policy dimensions of their research. In 2010 Rob spent a year on secondment to the Government Office for Science, working on policies to promote engagement between academia and government. Prior to this Rob was the principal investigator of a three-year Wellcome Trust funded project that studied the policy and public dimensions of nanotechnologies. He has published widely on expert advice and public policy, public engagement with emerging technologies, and on public policy dimensions of scientific knowledge. Rob's recent publications include 'Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Whitehall' (CSaP/Alliance for Useful Evidence, 2013).

Astrid has been shaping the approach to policy change across Practical Action, building capacity in the regions and providing leadership in all areas of engagement. Astrid and her team are working closely with country and regional offices and expanding alliances and networking to improve policies and practices at national levels. Main areas of her work include championing of evidence and learning to support the organisation’s knowledge work and developing a strong case for technology justice. Astrid has been working in the development sector for 20 years, in roles spanning project administration and management of emergency and development projects in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, and Sudan. Prior to joining Practical Action Astrid worked for HelpAge International with a focus on learning, research and policy change. Astrid has an educational background in English Literature, Russian and Agriculture Economics (MA, Giessen University) and a post-graduate development studies qualification from the Centre of Advanced Training in Agriculture (SLE, Humboldt-University Berlin).

In collaboration with the Summit's Content Curator, I lead the content development of WGSI's summit series and cultivate strategic partnerships to advance the organization's mandate. I also oversee day-to-day operations, board reporting and stakeholder relations.

Since 1992 Stefan Hirschberg is Head of the Systems/Safety Analysis Section in the Paul Scherrer Institut. He coordinates the activities at PSI on “Comprehensive Assessment of Energy Systems” (GaBE), covering environmental, risk-related and economic aspects. As a part of these activities he manages a number of projects for the Swiss energy and environmental authorities, and for the Swiss and foreign utilities as well as other industries. He is also responsible for a variety of PSI’s contributions to international programs addressing the environmental, risk and economic implications of energy systems. In addition, the Systems/Safety Analysis Section has activities in the area of Risk Assessment, with main emphasis on Human Reliability Analysis (HRA). This includes a long-term research program and on-call tasks for the Swiss nuclear safety authority and plant operators. Dr. Hirschberg’s main research interests currently include: Environmental Impact and External Cost Assessment, Comparative Risk Assessment, Sustainability Assessment and Development of Integrated Tools for Decision Support. S. Hirschberg has about 150 publications in reactor and neutron physics, reliability and risk assessment and comparative assessment of energy systems. He has been a member of numerous advisory, consultant and expert groups supporting national and international organizations, and is since 1990 a member of Principal Working Group No. 5 on Risk Assessment of OECD/NEA. He was member of technical committees of many international conferences and organiser/chairman of numerous technical sessions. He lectures at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) on “Reliability and Risks of Complex Systems” and at ETHZ and EPFL on energy systems analysis. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management.

Dr. Simron Jit Singh is a social/human ecologist and works on theoretical, analytical and empirical aspects of society-nature interactions within the framework of sustainability science and the development discourse. His main focus is in understanding the metabolism of local rural systems and their long-term dynamics using biophysical variables such as material and energy flows, land use, and time-use. He has undertaken extensive fieldwork among the pastoral nomadic community, the Van Gujjars of the Central Indian Himalayas and the Nicobarese of the Nicobar Islands, India. He teaches sustainability concepts and methods to Masters of Development Practice (MDP) students.

Dr. Witold- Roger Poganietz is currently the Head of Energy Research for the 'Institute of Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS)' at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. His expertise include: bioenergy; wastes and residuals to energy (mainly focusing on Europe and South America), energy systems development in Brazil and Chile incl. energy accessibility; the German energy transition, implementation of renewable energies (incl. waste and residuals) in energy systems; socio-technical scenario development, and sustainability assessment.

Davi is conducting his doctoral research at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), under the supervision of Dr. Witold-Roger Poganietz and Professor Dr. Armin Grunwald, who are also partners of the Global Change Initiative. Davi’s research aims to analyse whether and under which conditions renewable energies may improve living standards and reduce poverty in rural areas, in a sustainable and long-term planning. As case study, the Brazilian state of Ceará is being used, which has one of the biggest potential for solar and wind energy and at the same time is one of the poorest Brazilian states. Regarding the situation in Ceará, the state already achieved universal electricity access by grid extension to supply basic needs. Currently, a challenge is the enhancement of rural families’ awareness of the use of electricity to ameliorate living conditions. Additionally, improvement of electricity supply, capability of human resources, market organization and funding are important to support and develop productive chains. The provision of better means of cooking is also necessary, since unhealthy cooking conditions (i.e. traditional cook stoves based on biomass without chimneys and kitchens poorly ventilated) are normally used in rural areas of the state. The main expected outcome of the research is the provision of sound information to be considered by stakeholders, such as policymakers, scientific community and leaderships of ONG’s and rural communities, regarding how renewable energies may improve living standards and help people overcome poverty in rural areas. To achieve the expected outcome, context energy scenarios, by using Cross-Impact Balance Analysis (CIB), are going to be constructed. The results may also be applied for similar rural areas around the world.

John Holmes is the co-leader of the 'Smart Villages' project which aims to provide policy makers, donors and development agencies concerned with rural energy access with new insights on the real barriers to energy access in villages in developing countries – technological, financial and political – and how they can be overcome. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, concerned with enhancing the use of science in environmental policy making, and an independent consultant. He has a first degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College London, and an MBA from Brunel University. The early part of his career was in technology assessment and research management relating to the development of clean coal technologies. He subsequently moved to the nuclear industry as the director responsible for the science and, subsequently, the engineering of the UK’s radioactive waste disposal programme. A further move to the Environment Agency, the environmental regulator for England and Wales, as Head of its Science Programme preceded his joining the University of Oxford in 2004. He has also filled the role of Secretary to the EASAC Energy Programme.

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Armin Grunwald is Head of the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at KIT. He is also Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Technology at the Institute of Philosophy, and Head of the Office of Technology Assessment (TAB) at the German Bundestag in Berlin. His research interests include: the theory and methodology of technology assessment, theory and methodology of sustainable development, and ethics of technology, in particular for new and emerging technologies such as nanotechnology.

Prof. Dr. Chabay's work is centered on understanding the interplay between knowledge production and systems, learning processes, and individual and collective actions at multiple temporal and spatial scales and governance levels. This is also the mandate of the International Alliance on Knowledge, Learning, and Societal Change (KLSCproject.org), which he chairs. KLSC encompasses the examination of both individual and collective behavior change and as emergent and facilitated change. Prof. Dr. Chabay's particular focus in this framework is on understanding decision making and behavioral change through the lenses of modeling and narratives as analytical and affective components respectively of decision making on complex systems issues and using the understanding in facilitating or catalyzing societal transitions to sustainable practices.

Dean of the Department of Economic & Social Sciences (University of Stuttgart) Full Professor and Chair of Environmental Sociology and Technology Assessment of Stuttgart University Director of the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for investigating communication and participation processes in environmental policy making Director of the Stuttgart Research Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies at the University of Stuttgart (ZIRIUS) Research Interests: - Risk governance (assessment, perception, management, communication) - Sustainable development (concept, social science perspective) - Public participation (theory and practical application) - Technology assessment and foresight (Methodology, conceptual issues, case studies) - Public responses to technological change (attitude research, modernization theory)