Vanessa Gray
Head
Environment and Emergency Telecommunications Division
ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau’s (BDT)
Vanessa coordinates the BDT's work on the circular economy and green digital transformation, which includes monitoring ICT industry emissions, energy use and climate commitments from tech companies, and supporting countries in tracking ICT sector GHG emissions. This includes the publication of the Greening Digital Companies Report, which benchmarks the world’s largest tech companies in terms of key sustainability indicators and commitments.
In the area of circular economy, Vanessa manages the work on e-waste policies and data. This includes technical assistance and capacity building in countries and the publication of the Global and Regional E-waste Monitors. Her role is to build public-private partnerships, develop projects and strengthen the role of ITU in terms of e-waste coordination, for example with the E-waste Coalition, the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership, and with the private sector.
Vanessa is a member of the Circular Economy Resource Information System (CE-RISE) Advisory Board, ITU focal point for the UN Environment Management Group, and technical focal point on climate for the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Network.
Michael Minges
Research Lead, Digital Inclusion Benchmark
World Benchmarking Alliance
Michael is the Digital Inclusion Research Lead, guiding the methodology, evaluation and ranking of digital companies. His experience includes consultancy assignments with international intergovernmental organizations, benchmarking countries in areas such as digital development, e-government and e-commerce. He previously worked at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) heading the market research unit. He also worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a computer analyst. He has authored numerous reports on digital development and has an MBA in Information Systems Technology from George Washington University in Washington DC.
Xueying Katrin Wu
Climate & Energy Campaigner
Greenpeace East Asia
Katrin is a climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace East where she leads campaign strategy design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluating. She has been engaging with global tech companies and manufacturing suppliers on climate commitment, their 100% renewable energy target, renewable energy sourcing and most recently, the supply chain campaign. She leads various research on topics regarding corporate climate commitment and renewable energy sourcing.
Lucía Monforte
Environmental Lead at Telefónica S.A.
Lucía Monforte is a senior environmental specialist, with over 15 years of experience in environmental sustainability. She has worked on issues related to environmental management systems, environmental legislation, environmental training, environmental and sustainability reporting and calculation of the organisation's carbon footprint and has participated in industry working groups and professional associations which deal with environment and sustainability.
She currently works in the Global Sustainability Office (ESG) of Telefónica, helping to define corporate environmental strategies, such as the Climate Action Plan, the carbon offsetting plan, the biodiversity strategy or the definition of an internal carbon price; she also participates in the ESG reporting of Telefónica and in the responses to investors and analysts.
She holds a degree in agricultural engineering and her educational background includes a Master´s degree in Business Environmental Management and a Diploma in Sustainable Transformation.
Ahmed Haddad
Technical Advisor
French National Regulation Authority (ARCEP)
Dr. Ahmed Haddad is a technical advisor at the French National Regulation Authority (ARCEP). He is a Telecommunication's engineer with a PhD in Computer Science Telecom ParisTech in France. Within Arcep, Ahmed is responsible for conducting prospective analyzes linked to ICT evolution and technological innovations of Digital (including network cloudification, integration of artificial intelligence into telecoms, etc.), he also contributes to the work of Arcep on sustainable digital technology by ensuring the management of certain initiatives and more generally providing technical expertise support on methodologies and standards for measuring the environmental impact of digital technology. He leads and manages the work of the Committee of Technical Experts on mobile networks and co-leads with ADEME the Committee of Technical Experts on measuring the environmental impact of digital technology.
Björn-Sören Gigler
Head of Data Economy and Blockchain
GIZ
He is Deputy Head of the Digital Transformation Cluster at the GIZ. He is currently coordinating the Data Economy and Blockchain flagship programs at the GIZ and is working closely with the EU, partner countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia and EU-Member States on the Digital and Green Twin Transition Team Europe Initiative.
Previously, he was Senior Digital Innovation Specialist at the Digital Innovation and Blockchain Unit in DG Connect in the European Commission (2018-2021). He was also Senior Innovation and Digital Economy Policy Advisor at the European Investment Bank (2016-18) providing advice on enhancing access to finance for disruptive technologies investment programs. From 1997-2016, Sören worked at the World Bank at the Innovation Labs and the Governance Global Practice as Digital Innovation Program Coordinator, Senior Governance Specialist and Economist.
Mr. Gigler holds a Ph.D. in International Development from the London School of Economics, a M.S. in Economics from the University of Munich and a M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University. He is the author of Development as Freedom in a Digital Age (World Bank 2015) and editor Closing the Feedback Loop: Can Technology address the Accountability Gap?’ books and has published several articles on digital innovations, information poverty, digital for development and open government.
Adina Braha-Honciuc
Director Sustainability Policy
European Government Affairs
Microsoft
Adina Braha-Honciuc is part of Microsoft's European Government Affairs team, focusing on Sustainability and Environment Policy, working with governments on areas such as Carbon Reduction and Carbon Removal, Energy Policy, Biodiversity, Waste and Water policy. She has been with Microsoft for 11 years, working on different digital policy issues. Adina holds an Economics degree from Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and a Master's degree in International Business from BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo.
Colin SewardSenior DirectorSustainability Technology & Data
Cisco
Colin Seward is a Senior Director in the Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) in Cisco based in the U.K. Colin’s team works cross-functionally looking at the Technology and Data needed to help drive the strategy and execution of Cisco’s Net Zero commitment. Prior to his current role he was global lead for Cisco on Cisco sharing lessons learnt from inside Cisco IT with customers and partners and led work to transform the IT workforce. As part of this role, he led Sustainability in Cisco IT and created the IT Sustainability Framework. From 2016 to 2020 he was CIO for EMEAR in Cisco representing all the IT functions in that region and responsible for developing the local relationship with executives and business stakeholders. Colin has also been Global IT Service Owner for several different IT functions including Network Services, End User Devices, Communication and Collaboration tools, Cloud Productivity, and Application Development. Colin’s teams have been recipients for various awards including Computerworld Honors Laureate; CITE Award; Stevie International Business Award, Information Week Elite 100 Award; and IT Project of the Year
Colin has been a member of the Cisco U.K. & Ireland Board and has been an advisor on various industry forums. He joined Cisco from Accenture in April 2000 and earned his degree and doctorate at Cambridge University in England and was co-founder for MIJA Ltd
Seth Ayers
Senior Program Officer
The World Bank
Co-Lead for the Digital for Climate Business Line in the Digital Development Global Practice at the World Bank. His focus is on reducing emissions from the digital sector while also strengthening the resilience of digital infrastructure and systems. His work also includes leveraging digital technologies to accelerate climate action.
Luis Costa
Head of Climate
World Benchmarking Alliance
Luis is an engineer turned researcher interested in the topics of climate impacts and energy transitions. His climate-impact-related work expands over a wide range of topics such as damages from sea-level rise and heat tolerance in urban areas. On the energy side, he conducted integrated assessments using energy models to inform administrations on net-zero pathways, opportunities and trade-offs entailed in the transition. Luis is fond of quantitative modelling and writing having contributed with several peer-reviewed publications and policy briefs on the topics of climate change and decarbonisation.
Rosie McDonald
Climate Change Officer
nternational Telecommunication Union
Rosie McDonald is an E-waste Data Associate Officer within the ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. She supports ITU's efforts in green digital transformation and the circular economy by providing research, tools and technical assistance to address environmental challenges related to climate change and e-waste. Prior to ITU, she worked on hazardous waste at UNEP and as a modeller for the UK national greenhouse gas inventory. Within a higher education setting, she has experience of working in STEM outreach and teaching environmental statistics and GIS. She holds a PhD in Environment Sciences and an MSc in Environmental Protection and Management
