Kusum Lata is a professional in the field of climate change working on policies, strategies, capacity building. Presently, she is a well-known expert on economic diversification and just transition of the workforce while she leads the support to international negotiations on the impact of the mitigation policies. She has written technical papers for international negotiations, research papers in reputed journals and chapters in books in the area of her progressive career. She spent the first fifteen years of her career working in India on developing technology for bio-methanation (waste to energy) and biomass gasification and shares two patents through her research. She completed her doctorate in the field of waste to energy and published many research papers in reputed journals for her doctoral degree research work. Later, she also established herself as qualified technical lead assessor and undertook more than fifty audits in the duration of five years with UNFCCC for accrediting organizations for validating and verifying carbon emission reduction projects. She enjoys working on projects which directly impact the life of people especially in developing countries, which inspired her to work over six months in Togo, Africa to support development and implementation of projects like efficient cook stoves, waste management etc.
Christoph Schwarte is a qualified German lawyer with over 20 years of practical experience in different arenas of international environmental law. He is the executive director of Legal Response International (LRI) - a London based charity that provides free legal support to developing countries and civil society observer organisations in connection with the international climate negotiations. Christoph was a member of the International Law Association’s Committee that developed legal principles related to climate change (adopted in 2014) and has been actively involved in the international climate negotiation for many years. He has co-authored a guide book on the Paris Agreement and regularly advises on climate law. Previously, Christoph served with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) as an Associate Officer (P-2) and worked at the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD).
Dr Moustapha Kamal Gueye is Coordinator, Green Jobs Programme, at the International Labour Organization. Previously, he served as Head, Green Economy Advisory Services at the United Nations Environment Programme and as a Senior Programme Manager at the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development in Geneva. Earlier, he spent twelve years across Asia working at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan. He currently serves in the Steering Group of the Green Economy Coalition and the Advisory Committee of GEO for Business. Kamal holds a Ph.D. from Nagoya University, Japan; DEA and LL.M from Dakar University; and Executive Certificates from the World Bank Institute; Columbia University; Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development, Japan; and Integrated Research and Action for Development, India.
Climate 2.0 is a ClimaComms initiative focused on creating informal and innovative conversation spaces on climate change, bringing together diverse actors from policymakers and practitioners to those working in different fields. Climate 2.0 dialogues aim to foster holistic discussions on urgent global challenges and synergetic solutions. By bridging gaps between sectors, stakeholder groups, and perspectives, Climate 2.0 seeks to create an inclusive and equitable dialogue on our shared future.
This Climate 2.0 dialogue on “Technology, Innovation, and the Future of Ethical Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka” aims to explore how a tech-forward entrepreneurial ecosystem can serve as a key enabler to accelerate ethical business growth, foster innovation for sustainability, and support the country’s transition towards a green and equitable economy. Through ClimaComms, SLYCAN Trust acts as a facilitator of dialogue and collaboration, helping bridge digital innovation with sustainable and climate-friendly entrepreneurship.
Accordingly, this dialogue will explore how a tech-forward business environment could be actively leveraged to build a resilient, equitable, and diversified entrepreneurial landscape.
