Connecting global and regional efforts for circular trade systems

Giuliana Morrone combines journalism with business expertise and doesn't treat ESG as merely the sum of the environmental, human and governance practices adopted by companies. She has a long history of interacting with leaders from all sectors in Brazil and abroad, covering the most varied topics including presidential elections, corruption scandals, environmental tragedies and social movements. Her experience, broad outlook and ability to connect the dots between different fields are essential for approaching the subject from a systemic perspective. With an MBA in ESG from PUC Rio, Giuliana has rewritten her own professional journey and authored the book ‘Myths and Truths about ESG’.

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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.

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Giuliana Morrone combines journalism with business expertise and doesn't treat ESG as merely the sum of the environmental, human and governance practices adopted by companies. She has a long history of interacting with leaders from all sectors in Brazil and abroad, covering the most varied topics including presidential elections, corruption scandals, environmental tragedies and social movements. Her experience, broad outlook and ability to connect the dots between different fields are essential for approaching the subject from a systemic perspective. With an MBA in ESG from PUC Rio, Giuliana has rewritten her own professional journey and authored the book ‘Myths and Truths about ESG’.

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With over 20 years of experience in trade, Tatiana Prazeres has worked in government, the private sector, international organisations and academia in Brasilia, São Paulo, Geneva and Beijing. She was a senior advisor to the director-general of the World Trade Organization in Geneva between 2013-2018. While living in China in 2019-2021, she was a senior fellow at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE). In 2022, she was the head director of the Department of Trade and International Relations at the Federation of Industries of São Paulo (FIESP). A career government official, she holds a PhD in international relations and a master’s in law. In 2014, she was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

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Emmanuel Chaponniere is in charge of the Projects Directorate of EIB which is composed of sector specialists. He is responsible for project appraisal including technical, economic, environmental and social issues, and the monitoring of project implementation, as well as for sector studies and policy – including the EIB’s climate, environmental and social policies. Prior to the EIB, he held various positions as a water sector specialist and waste expert in Europe and Africa. Chaponniere graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (France) and has a master’s in water management from the Ecole Nationale du Génie Rural des Eaux et Forêts (France).

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Leonardo Lahud leads the trade and investment portfolio of the Productivity, Trade and Innovation Sector at IDB in Brazil. Previously, he served in the Brazilian government, where he was deputy secretary of foreign trade, deputy executive secretary of the Foreign Trade Chamber, and deputy secretary of international affairs and development of the Ministry of Planning and Budget. He holds a master's in international trade and investment law from the World Trade Institute, linked to the University of Bern (Switzerland), a postgraduate degree in international relations from the University of Brasilia, and a law degree from the Federal Fluminense University.

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Rafael Cervone is a textile engineer and 1st vice president of the Federation of the Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP). Working with the textile sector since 1990, he is a board member of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), President Emeritus of Sinditêxtil-SP and ABIT (Brazilian Association of Textile and Apparel Industry). He was a member of the Global Business Forum for the G20, B20, and contributed to “Industrial Transformation & Innovation”, “Future of Work” and “Future of Industry and Digital Transformation”, and the ILO Group – “Dialogues on the Future of Work and Combating Slave Labor”.

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Jeet Kar leads sustainable trade and global plastics policy at the World Economic Forum, also coordinating the WEF's role as an observer to the discussions around an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. He has previously held positions at the United Nations and the OECD, working on sustainable trade policies and development cooperation. Jeet holds a master's in economics from Sciences Po Paris, and speaks English, French and Spanish.

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Pavan works for a global leader in impact data and analytics, harnessing the power of impact economics, technology and AI to uncover a business's full value contribution to the world. A scientist by education, a banker by profession and an environmental economist by passion, he previously led the UN’s Green Economy Initiative and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study. His groundbreaking work has been recognised through several awards including the Blue Planet Prize (2016), the Tyler Prize (2020) and the EAERE European Practitioner Achievement Award in Applying Environmental Economics (2024).

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Matthew Fraser is a recognised expert in the circular economy, with over a decade of experience advising governments on measurement and strategy. At Circle Economy, he leads initiatives that provide policymakers with data-driven insights to assess circularity performance and identify high-impact opportunities for sustainable resource management. Matthew specialises in translating complex resource flows into actionable strategies, supporting governments in integrating circular principles into policy and investment decisions.

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Career diplomat at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Liisa is passionate about sustainable development. Currently, she focuses on sustainable trade, the circular economy, dispute settlement, trade rules and trade in goods at the WTO. Her previous positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland include deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Finland in Vietnam and regional manager for Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Earlier, she worked at UNICEF Brazil, UN Women Brazil and Southern Cone, and Akava, the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland.

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Al-Hamndou Dorsouma leads AfDB’s efforts on climate change in Africa, including policy and finance, building climate resilience and low carbon opportunities into the bank’s investments, as well as supporting the bank’s engagement in the green transition and the circular economy. Dr Dorsouma’s academic background is in geography and environmental management. He also worked for other international organisations, namely the Observatory of Sahara and Sahel (OSS) in Tunis as environment and climate change officer and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva as senior programme manager for resource mobilisation and development partnerships.

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Giuliana Morrone combines journalism with business expertise and doesn't treat ESG as merely the sum of the environmental, human and governance practices adopted by companies. She has a long history of interacting with leaders from all sectors in Brazil and abroad, covering the most varied topics including presidential elections, corruption scandals, environmental tragedies and social movements. Her experience, broad outlook and ability to connect the dots between different fields are essential for approaching the subject from a systemic perspective. With an MBA in ESG from PUC Rio, Giuliana has rewritten her own professional journey and authored the book ‘Myths and Truths about ESG’.

Read full bio