Before taking his current role in late 2023, José Carlos da Fonseca Júnior was a career diplomat for 40 years, having held posts in India, the U.S., Canada, Mozambique, the UAE, Chile and the Philippines. He also served as ambassador to Myanmar and held governmental roles at both the federal level and in the state of Espírito Santo. He is chair of the FAO Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industry and vice-chair of the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations. Fonseca also holds a role at Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá) as executive director, leading advocacy and international efforts.
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Daniel Weingart Barreto
Chief Executive Officer
Assessa Industria, Comercio e Exportacao Ltda.
Daniel Weingart Barreto is a chemist and chemical engineer with an MSc in organic chemistry, a DSc in natural products chemistry, and an MBA in management. He is a professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, teaching entrepreneurship to undergraduates. He also collaborates with the post-graduate programme in technology of chemical and biochemical processes at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Dr Barreto has published extensively and holds patents in organic fine chemistry, applied chemistry, materials science, cosmetic chemistry, and natural products chemistry.
With a background in teaching and science, Mette focuses on developing strong partnerships and initiatives that promote sustainable industrial practices and enhance resource efficiency, making a meaningful impact on sustainable industry development. Her experience builds on knowledge gained through the Kalundborg Symbiosis partnership which has worked collectively on the circular economy in industrial production for more than 50 years. Passionate about the green transition and environmental care, Mette is dedicated to driving change towards a more sustainable future. She is involved in the systemic export of industrial symbiosis to Brazil, in cooperation with AEDIN and the State of Rio.
Izabella Teixeira was minister of the environment of Brazil (2010-2016). She is member of the High-Level Advisory Board of UN-DESA and of the administrative council of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). Izabella won the UN Environment's "Champions of the Earth" in 2013 for her contribution to reducing deforestation in the Amazon. She also serves on the boards of international and national institutions, including as senior fellow of Arapyaú Institute, board member of the iFHC and member of the International Advisory Board at CEBRI.
Janez Potočnik (born 1958) is an economist graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. He was appointed head of the negotiating team for the accession of Slovenia to the EU and served as minister responsible for European Affairs. Between 2004 and 2014, he served in the European Commission, first as Commissioner responsible for science and research and then for environment. After the mandate he was appointed as a co-chair of UNEP IRP. Dr Potočnik is also a partner at SYSTEMIQ.
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Priscila Rocha
Director of Department of Sustainable Development
Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP)
Alongside her work at FIESP, Priscila Rocha is also global head of sustainability and ESG at Volkswagen Trucks & Bus. She has over 23 years’ experience in the area, having previously worked in companies in the pulp and paper sector (Fibria/ Suzano), chemical sector (3M) and the defense of collective interests (FIESP). She has a master’s in health, sustainability and environment from the School of Public Health at USP, chemical engineering from the Federal University of São Carlos and specialisation in business management and ESG from the University of Cambridge. Priscila is also a guest professor of the postgraduate course in ESG at Senac.
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Roberto Muniz
Director of Institutional Relations
Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI)
Roberto Muniz coordinates the activities of the superintendencies of legislative affairs, relations with the executive power, labour relations, infrastructure and sustainability. He has a bachelor's in civil engineering, with a specialisation in economic engineering, and is currently completing a master's in management for competitiveness in the field of sustainability at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV). He served as a senator of the republic and executive secretary of the Ministry of Cities. He was elected state deputy for two terms by Bahia and led departments such as agriculture, irrigation and agrarian reform, as well as labour and social action. He was also mayor and deputy mayor of Lauro de Freitas in Bahia. In the private sector, Roberto worked in the construction and infrastructure segment, including Goes Cohabita, Queiroz Galvão and Coesa.
Patricia Malnati is a public accountant and leads a family-owned SME dedicated to the industrialisation of rubber. She has served as director of the sustainability committee of the Latin American Society of Rubber Technology (SLTC) and vice-president of the environment and sustainability department of the Industrial Union of the Province of Buenos Aires (UIPBA). She is founder of the Women and Rubber Network, member of Red de Mujeres de la Industria Argentina (MIA), advisory member of G100 Resources and Talent Development, and vice-president of Red Pacto Global Argentina. She was elected as Best Company Director at the Recircle Awards 2022, a global event that recognises excellence and contribution to the tyre recycling sector, and Best Businesswoman 2024 at the WEF Women Economic Forum Argentina.
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Kari Herlevi
Programme Director, Circular Economy
Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund
Kari leads a team of circular economy experts responsible for Sitra’s internationally funded projects such as EU CERC, PSLifestyles and WCEF. His team aims to launch new impactful international initiatives in the circular economy also in the future. Prior to joining Sitra in 2015, Kari led Business Finland’s green growth programme related to the circular economy, with a funding volume of over 100 million euros. He has also worked on cleantech in Silicon Valley, California, and his long experience on sustainability issues also covers topics related to business strategies and internationalisation. Kari is keen to hear more about new collaboration opportunities internationally.
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Carlos Mauricio Cordero Vega
Director
Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica
Carlos is a geographer with an emphasis in territorial planning. He has a master’s in sustainable development and environmental management. His experience includes sustainability issues in the private sector and policy in the public sector. Currently, he leads the Sectoral Planning Secretariat at the ministry and is sectoral secretary of the Environment and Energy Sectoral Council.
