Forum: Women Leading the Global Energy Transition

In May 2017, Christine Lins co-founded GWNET, the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition, which aims at empowering women in the sustainable energy sector. From July 2011 until April 2018, Christine was working as Executive Secretary of REN21, the Renewable Energy Policy Network of the 21st Century, headquartered at the United Nations Environment Programme in Paris/France. Between 2001 and 2011, Ms. Lins served as Secretary-General of the European Renewable Energy Council in Brussels. Previously, she worked in a regional energy agency in Austria promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

Christine is also on the Board of Directors of ISES.

Dr. Rashi Gupta, fondly known as “Batterywali of India”, is the pioneer of manufacturing of Advanced Lithium Batteries in India along with the “Worlds Smartest Lithium Battery”. She is the Founder & Managing Director of Vision Mechatronics Private Ltd, leading it towards a name to reckon for in the field of Robotics, Renewable Energy & Energy Storage. A Women Entrepreneur who has been fearless & ferocious in creating a brand for herself & the company in these male-dominated fields. She holds degrees of BE, MBA, LLM, & PhD to her title. She is a committee member of Bureau of Indian Standards for Batteries, Energy Storage and E-Mobility. She is also Member of International ElectroTechnical Commission. She is also a committee member of National Energy Storage Committee- FICCI, CleanTech Business Club- Chair of Task Force- Energy Storage & Smart Energy, Chairperson-Womens India CBC, CBC Vice Chair India.

Monica Oliphant, is Past President of ISES and an Adj. A/Professor at 3 Australian Universities. She was employed for 18 years in the electricity supply industry but now runs her own consultancy. She has received several awards in recognition for her work in renewable energy and has served on a number of Australian Federal and State Australian Government Energy Related Committees. Currently, she is working to develop community-owned solar and energy efficiency projects together with local governments.

Petra has more than 20 years of experience in managing international technical cooperation programmes and networks for inclusive and sustainable industrial development. She has vast experience in resource efficiency, sustainable energy, eco-industrial parks and performance-based circular economy business models. She has worked with governments, the private sector, NGOs and academia in more than 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe.

In her current position at UNIDO, she promotes the uptake of frontier energy technologies in developing and transition countries. She develops new business and cooperation models to impulse the transfer of low-carbon technologies for productive use and poverty alleviation. Recently, she designed and initiated UNIDO’s Global Partnership for Green Hydrogen Application in Industry.

She studied economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and environmental management at the University of London.

Irene is Senior Advisor at GWNET and her main area of expertise is economic and social development, women’s rights issues, environment, energy, and development cooperation. She directed the international department of the Austrian Ministry for the Environment, was Austria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, IAEA, UNIDO, and CTBTO in Vienna, and headed the UNIDO Office in New York. She was Director-General for Austria’s development policy and cooperation before assuming the ambassadorship for Austria in China and Mongolia (2012 to 2017), followed by Brazil and Suriname (2017 until March 2021). She retired in April 2021 and continues to advocate for gender equality in the sustainable energy sector and to teach, lecture, and publish widely.

As Director of the Knowledge, Policy, and Finance Centre (KPFC), Dr. Rabia Ferroukhi oversees the Agency's work on a range of renewable energy policy issues including design, socio-economic benefits, and integrated resource management. Dr. Ferroukhi joined IRENA in 2011 and has over 20 years of experience in the fields of energy, development, and environment.

She worked in both public and private sectors, including with governments in the Middle East and North Africa, energy companies in the Mediterranean region and the GCC, and international institutions. Dr. Ferroukhi holds a Master's in Applied Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from the American University in Washington DC.