Enjoy our 2023 Thought Leader rankings on Climate Change, Carbon, Social Responsibility, Energy and Overall

At illuminem.com we take pride in calling ourselves the “home of sustainability” and in providing a global platform for renowned Thought Leaders to address & constructively debate the most pressing challenges of our time.

Renewable is driving the transition towards a sustainable energy future. With the rapid growth of solar, wind, and other clean energy technologies, renewables are becoming increasingly cost-competitive and providing reliable, low-carbon energy to communities around the world. Today, we are honored to recognize and thank the most-read experts and change-makers who are shaping the debate on the Renewables sector with topics such as Solar, Wind, Hydropower and other related topics on illuminem.com.

Please help us congratulate our TOP 10 Renawables Thought Leaders of the year!

1️⃣ Corrado Clini - Fmr. Minister of Environment, Italian Government & Visiting Professor, Tsinghua University  
Country: Italy
Latest Thought Piece: Judgments and misconceptions about the EU taxonomy​
Profile: Corrado Clini is one of the world's most renowned environmental experts and policy-makers. He served as Minister of Environment, Land and Sea of Italy from 2011 to 2013. Prior to that, he spent over two decades as the Director General of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea. During this time, he directed national programs on industry and the environment, energy and the environment, transport and the environment, and the research and development of new technologies for energy efficiency and conservation of natural resources. He was also the Co-Chairman of the G8 Task Force on Renewable Energy and Chairman of the Global Bioenergy Partnership. He is now a Visiting Professor at the Department for Environmental Sciences and Engineering of Tsinghua University.

2️⃣ Enrique Dans - Senior Advisor for Innovation and Digital Transformation, IE University & Professor, IE Business School
Country: Spain
Latest Thought Piece: Renewables are reducing emissions, so let’s ramp up the pace of change
Profile: Enrique Dans is Professor of Innovation at IE Business School in Madrid, and Senior Advisor for Innovation and Digital Transformation at IE University. Through his writing and speaking, Enrique has established himself as a global leading voice at the intersection of technological innovation and sustainability, providing insights and commentary on the latest trends and developments in the fields. He writes daily in Spanish on enriquedans.com, and in English on Medium. He has written two acclaimed books: “Todo va a cambiar” (2010) and “Living in the Future” (2019).

3️⃣ Clare Shine - Director & CEO, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
Country: United Kingdom
Latest Thought Piece: COP27: Here’s how to unlock Africa’s low-carbon future
Profile: Clare Shine is the Director & CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). As such, she is responsible for leading the organization's efforts to drive systemic change towards sustainable business practices and to build a more resilient future for society and the planet. Clare was also Vice President & Chief Program Officer of the Salzburg Global Seminar, an independent non-profit founded in 1947 to challenge current and future leaders to shape a better world, and where she remains as Senior Advisor.

4️⃣ Kaveh Zahedi - Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)
Country: Thailand
Latest Thought Piece: Considering energy security in the transition to a low carbon world
Profile: Kaveh Zahedi is Deputy Executive Secretary for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). In this capacity, he is responsible for advancing the ESCAP’s mission to promote sustainable economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific region. With over 25 years experience at the UN, he previously served as Regional Director & Representative for Asia Pacific, Climate Change Coordinator and Advisor at the UN Environment Programme.

5️⃣ Patrick Agese - Founder & CEO, PAM Africa
Country: United Kingdom
Latest Thought Piece: How many batteries are needed in Africa?
Profile: Dr. Patrick Agese is a visionary and an accomplished leader in the field of clean energy and sustainability. As the founder of PAM Africa, he has dedicated his career to promoting sustainable development and driving the adoption of clean energy technologies in Africa and beyond. With a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this space, Dr. Agese has been instrumental in advancing the cause of sustainability through his work at leading firms such as Costain, Anesco, Givaudan, and HGEN Capital. Patrick holds a PhD in Energy and Environmental Engineering from the University of Reading.

6️⃣ Jiang Lin - Nat Simons Presidential Chair in China Energy Policy, Berkeley Lab & Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley
Country: United States of America
Latest Thought Piece: A big payoff from US-China climate coordination
Profile: Dr. Jiang Lin is a leading energy and climate policy expert, serving as the Nat Simons Presidential Chair in China Energy Policy at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, a Staff Scientist in its Department of Electricity Market and Policy, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of California-Berkeley. His research focuses on topics such as non-CO2 GHGs, electricity markets, low-carbon economic transition, and appliance efficiency in China. He previously worked at the Energy Foundation China, where he grew it into a top international NGO for promoting clean energy and climate solutions. Dr. Lin holds a PhD in Demography from UC Berkeley, an MS in Population Studies, and a BS in Cybernetics Engineering from Xi'an Jiaotong University.

7️⃣ Jonathan Gifford - Editor in Chief, pv magazine & Founding Editor, pv magazine Australia
Country: Australia
Latest Thought Piece: Solar crossroad
Profile: Jonathan is a highly accomplished and respected figure in the renewable energy sector, particularly in the field of solar photovoltaics (PV). He is the global editor-in-chief of PV Magazine, and co-founder of PV Magazine Australia . He has consulted for various solar PV companies on PR / communications. He regularly hosts industry webinars, conferences and events including Intersolar Europe conference sessions, the Energy Transition Dialogue, the World Future Energy Summit, All Energy Australia and Energy Storage Europe.

8️⃣ Paul Rogers - Emeritus Professor, University of Bradford
Country: United Kingdom
Latest Thought Piece: Amid climate crisis gloom, new renewables technology brings a ray of hope
Profile: Paul Rogers is a highly respected academic and researcher in the field of peace studies. He is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University and an Honorary Fellow of the Joint Service Command and Staff College (JSCSC). He has extensive experience lecturing on topics related to international conflict, particularly in the Middle East and on the topic of paramilitary violence. He has a long-standing research interest in the intersection between socioeconomic marginalization, climate disruption, and security. Paul has written 30 books and over 150 papers and book chapters on these topics and his work has been widely published and translated into multiple languages. He is a regular commentator on international affairs and has been invited to contribute his writings to a series on "Pioneers" by Springer Nature.

9️⃣ Frederic Blanc-Brude - Director, EDHEC Infrastructure Institute & CEO, Scientific Infrastructure Institute
Country: Singapore
Latest Thought Piece: Investments in green energy infrastructure: an (over)performance that will last?
Profile: Frédéric Blanc-Brude is the CEO of Scientific Infra Pte, an ESMA-regulated index provider producing data used by investors in infrastructure equity and debt. He is also the Director of EDHECinfra, a research center for infrastructure finance. His research focuses on the asset pricing of illiquid assets and the modeling of cash flows in infrastructure projects. He holds a PhD in Finance from King's College London and has published papers in economics and finance journals, co-authored a book on the valuation of unlisted infrastructure equity and debt investments, and is a regular contributor to the press. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Alternative Investments and serves as a contributor to the G20 working group on long-term infrastructure investment.

🔟 Frederic Hauge - Head & Founder, Bellona Foundation
Country: Norway
Latest Thought Piece: COP27: Green hope growing in the desert
Profile: Frederic Hauge is a prominent environmental activist and advocate for sustainability. He is the Founder and Head of the Bellona Foundation, an environmental non-profit organization dedicated to promoting clean energy solutions and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With over three decades of experience in environmental activism and policy-making, Frederic has played a crucial role in shaping the conversation on sustainability and fighting for the preservation of the planet. He appeared on Time magazine's list of "Heroes of the Environment" in October 2007.

To stay updated on this category, please visit our dedicated Renewables page.

To publish on illuminem amongst our illuminem Thought Leaders contact us.