Webinar "Empowering the private sector for climate change action"

Tanzeed Alam, Managing Director at Earth Matters Consulting, Climate Change Convener at EU GCC Clean Energy Technology Network
For over 15 years Tanzeed Alam has promoted positive change on climate change, energy and environmental conservation across three continents within government, industry, businesses and communities.Tanzeed has recently led the work on the Zayed Sustainability Prize, a major global sustainability prize, awarded by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He has helped to develop Masdar’s report on renewable energy desalination and the Government of Dubai’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. He also assisted the WWF UAE with a study understanding private sector engagement with a Sustainable Blue Economy in the UAE. Tanzeed is a regular expert reviewer and writer for important government policy documents, with experience working on the DPSIR methodology for the EAD State of the Environment Report 2017.

Previously, Tanzeed directed the WWF Climate Change, Energy, Sustainability and Policy work in the UAE and GCC region, representing WWF at UNFCCC and IRENA conferences. He led a team to develop UAE’s Climate Change Adaptation, communications and Data MRV strategies for the National Climate Change Plan 2017-2050. He worked on studies on green economy, climate change risks, and led the team that worked with the UAE government to develop energy efficiency standards for lighting and vehicles. He also led the award winning ‘Heroes of the UAE’ awareness campaigns about climate change and sustainable living. Previously, Tanzeed was Science Policy Advisor for Energy & Climate Change at the UK’s independent scientific academy, the Royal Society, coordinating scientific reviews of the Stern Review on Economics of Climate Change, IPCC reports, studies on Sustainable Biofuels, Radioactive Waste Management and Energy Policy. He also worked with a think tank in the UK ‘Carbon Sense’, helping businesses develop strategies and plans to address climate change.
Tanzeed has a post graduate MSc in Conservation from University College London and a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Edinburgh. 

Ibrahim N. Al-Zu’bi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding
Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Majid Al Futtaim-Holding. In his current role, Ibrahim oversees the group-wide Sustainability strategy of Majid Al Futtaim and is in charge of raising the company’s Sustainability Profile in the Middle East and globally. One of Ibrahim’s top priorities is to develop and drive ‘Net positive’ sustainability strategy across the company’s different business units. Ibrahim joined Majid Al Futtaim Properties in 2011 as the Head of Sustainability for Majid Al Futtaim Properties where he played a pivotal role in driving sustainable real-estate practices across the business, leading our properties business toward regional and international amongst both governing bodies and our industry peers.

Ibrahim brings over twenty years of experience in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. He is currently a Board member of the Emirates Green Building Council, Vice Chair of the Corporate Advisory Board of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), Member of the Advisory board of Dubai Real Estate Institute – Government of Dubai and UAE representative in the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction – a COP21 initiative. Ibrahim is a Senior Associate at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He is also the Vice Chair of the UN Global Compact UAE network and the UAE Council of Climate Change and Environment launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum - UAE’s Prime Minister. In addition, he represents Majid Al Futtaim in the Private Sector Advisory Council for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is a member of the Global Council for SDG13. Ibrahim also served as the Senior Advisor –Sustainability for the Dubai Land Department, Government of Dubai. 
Selected as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Europe and the Middle East by Center for Sustainability and Excellence in the US, he has taken sustainability and CSR initiatives to another level in the Middle East and internationally through awareness campaigns for environmental issues, climate change and education programmes, as well as private sector engagement.

Author of How to ‘Net’ Positive, Ibrahim outlines how Majid Al Futtaim embarked on its Net Positive journey and also provides a conceptual and practical blueprint to help companies start their Net Positive journey. He is also an official ambassador and education representative for the Honourable Al Gore Climate Reality initiative. Ibrahim is the West Asia Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) UNESCO Youth Xchange Project.

Stephanie Weckend, Programme Officer, Knowledge, KPFC, IRENA
Stephanie Weckend is the Programme Officer, Knowledge at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Since January 2014, she has been working in IRENA’s Knowledge, Policy and Finance Unit where she leads programmatic activities on private sector engagement, including IRENA’s Coalition for Action, a network of leading private sector, research and civil society stakeholders in the renewable energy sector. Her activities also include assessing environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies, including working on life-cycle and end-of-life management options.

Previously, Ms. Weckend was employed at the Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Montreal, Canada where she was the Managing Director of the Regional Office Quebec & Eastern Canada. In this position, she led the Chamber’s team on the environment and climate and worked on political and economic related issues related to renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change. Stephanie Weckend has a Bachelors in Political Sciences from Sciences Po Paris and two Masters, one in Finance and Strategy from Sciences Po Paris and one in Environmental Studies from McGill University with a focus on Environmental Assessment.

Stephan Gobert, Senior Strategy Manager, ENGIE Middle East, South & Central Asia and Turkey
Stephan Gobert has been in the GCC region for over 15 years and has gained experience in sustainability, foresight development, consultancy and international strategy in leading firms in the energy and industry sectors. Stephan holds currently various functions at the energy giant ENGIE, refining the zero-carbon transition strategy, the digital transformation and scouting for innovation. Sustainablist, entrepreneur minded and innovator, stephan is heading the strategy, digital and innovation activities at ENGIE in the Middle East South and Central Asia and Turkey since 2017. He is board member of the Clean Energy Business Council, co-founder of the Future Mobility club and is an active member of various non-for-profit organizations and foundations. Stephan holds an M.Sc. from ECAM (Engineering school in Brussels).