Enjoy our Thought Leaders of 2023 rankings on Carbon, Climate Change, ESG, Hydrogen, Mining and Metals, Power and Utilities, Renewables, 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.

Energy refers to the resources and forms of energy that are used to generate power, fuel transportation, and support various activities in society. It encompasses both the primary sources of energy, such as fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and renewable energy sources, as well as the energy carriers and end-use sectors. In the traditional energy system, fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas have been the dominant sources of energy. However, due to their significant environmental impacts, finite nature, and contribution to climate change, there is a growing need to transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.

Today, we are honored to recognize and thank the most-read experts and change-makers who are shaping the debate on the Energy sector with topics such as Renewables, Solar, Wind, Hydropower and other related topics on illuminem.com.

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

1️⃣ Michael Barnard - Chief Strategist at The Future Is Electric Strategy
Country: Canada
Latest Thought Piece: Aerospace and aviation is a space flush with sexy nonsense, but there’s solid work being done

Profile: Michael Barnard is Chief Strategist at The Future Is Electric Strategy (TFIE), Advisory Board member of electric aviation startup FLIMAX, and co-founder of distnc technologies. He spends his time projecting scenarios for decarbonization 40-80 years into the future, and assisting executives, Boards, and investors to pick wisely today. Whether it's refueling aviation, grid storage, vehicle-to-grid, or hydrogen demand, his work is based on fundamentals of physics, economics, and human nature, and informed by the decarbonization requirements and innovations of multiple domains. He previously served as Advisory Board Member at Electron aviation and as a Strategic Advisor at Agora Energy Technologies.

2️⃣ Nicola De Blasio - Senior Fellow at Harvard University

Country: United States of America

Latest Thought Piece: Green Hydrogen Industrial Value Chains: Geopolitical and Market Implications

Profile: Nicola leads Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center research on energy technology innovation and the transition to a low carbon economy. Nicola is an expert in navigating the challenges of strategic development toward sustainable commercial success. He serves as board member and adviser to various companies and startups and is also Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI). Previously, he was a Senior Research Scholar in the faculty of SIPA at Columbia University, Program Director of Technology and Innovation at the Center on Global Energy Policy, and Vice President and Head of R&D International Development at leading energy company ENI.

3️⃣ Alessandro Blasi - Senior Advisor at IEA

Country: France

Latest Thought Piece: It is time to get (more) serious about energy!

Profile: Alessandro Blasi is a strategic advisor to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director on various topics. He is in charge of assigned priority projects and maintaining relationships with the private sector. Before he co-lead work on IEA’s World Energy Investment Report and contributed as a senior analyst to the World Energy Outlook. Before joining the IEA, he worked in Italy's Prime Minister office, World Energy Council and Eni Group.

4️⃣ Noé van Hulst - Chair of International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

Country: France

Latest Thought Piece: How to Kick-start the North-West European Clean Hydrogen Market
Profile: Noé van Hulst is a globally renowned hydrogen expert. He currently serves as Special Advisor Hydrogen to the IEA, Hydrogen Advisor to infrastructure company Gasunie and Senior Fellow at Clingendael International Energy Programme. He has also been vice-Chair of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy, Dutch Ambassador to the OECD, Chairman of the IEA Governing Board, and Director-General for Energy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands.

5️⃣ Angela Wilkinson - CEO of World Energy Council

Country: England
Latest Thought Piece: Sharm Offensive?

Profile: Dr. Angela Wilkinson is the 6th Secretary General and CEO of the World Energy Council, a diverse community network of over 3,000 member organisations that has been instrumental in promoting better energy developments in over 100 countries for nearly 100 years. Dr Wilkinson has led the Council since 2019 as it defines, enables and accelerates successful energy transitions through its unique network, practical insights and leadership dialogues.

6️⃣ David McEwen - Director at Adaptive Capability

Country: Australia
Latest Thought Piece: Enough with ‘but China!’ - it’s the rest of us who need to catch up

Profile: David McEwen is a Director at Adaptive Capability, providing TCFD-aligned climate risk, and net-zero emissions (NZE) strategy, program and project management. He works with business people, designers and engineers to deliver impactful change and his book, Navigating the Adaptive Economy, was released in 2016.

7️⃣ Gerard Reid - Co-Founder of Alexa Capital 

Country: England
Latest Thought Piece: The 1,600 TWh Challenge: How Europe can survive without Russian Gas

Profile: Gerard Reid is a leading authority on energy and mobility and the co-host of "Redefining Energy", the #1 most listened to podcast on energy topics. He is also founding partner of Alexa Capital, Senior Fellow at the Institute of the Environment of the University of Minnesota and a member of the Global Future Council on Advanced Energy Technologies at the World Economic Forum.

8️⃣ Greg De Temmerman - Managing Director at Zenon Research

Country: England
Latest Thought Piece: Of Materials and Men
Profile: Greg De Temmerman is managing director of Zenon Research, a think tank studying the links between energy and the economy. He is also associate researcher at MINES ParisTech PSL. He is a physicist by training, specialised in plasma physics and materials science. From 2014-2020 he was coordinating scientist at the ITER Organization.

9️⃣ Mehmet Emin Birpinar - Deputy Minister of Environment, Government of Turkey 

Country: Turkey
Latest Thought Piece: Time to focus on solar energy

Profile: ​​Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Birpınar is the Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change for the Republic of Türkiye. Since 2015, Prof. Dr. Birpınar has been acting as Türkiye's Special Envoy for Climate Change. In addition, he was elected for the second time as Bureau President of the Convention on the Protection of the Mediterranean against pollution.

🔟 Johanna Schiele - Policy Officer at European Commission 

Country: Belgium
Latest Thought Piece: Zero-Emissions Shipping: Contracts-for-difference as incentives for the decarbonisation of international shipping

Profile: ​​Johanna Schiele is a McCloy Fellow and MPP scholar at Harvard Kennedy School, focusing on energy and climate regulation. She holds a BA in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Oxford and previously worked in energy market modelling at Aurora Energy Research and at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action.

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