As a wetland ecologist, Marcel Silvius has worked on a wide range of issues related to natural resources management, climate change, integrated water management, sustainable development and livelihoods, for over 30 years.  

He pioneered peatland, mangrove and shorebird studies in South-east Asia and contributed to the establishment of several national parks and large-scale ecosystem restoration projects in Indonesia, Russia, China and Africa. 

He played a major role in establishing the global conservation organization, Wetlands International, leading the development of global programs and supporting the establishment of offices and projects in Asia (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand), Europe (EU, Russia, Ukraine) and Africa (Senegal, Mali, Kenya). Much of his work focused on combining socio-economic development with conservation and restoration of natural capital, seeking win-win solutions for development, poverty reduction and biodiversity. A key element in his work has been the piloting of carbon finance in the landscape and forestry sector, especially with private sector.  

In 2017, he joined GGGI to lead in Indonesia GGGI’s largest country program with a major focus on sustainable landscapes, forests, mangrove restoration, including projects on carbon pricing and related MRV, as well as development of renewable energy, e-mobility and promotion of green city development.  On 1 July 2023, Marcel joined the rapidly growing Philippines program as Country Representative, to lead GGGI’s support to the Philippines’ green economic transition. As GGGI Subregional Director SE Asia he also provides support to GGGI’s expanding programs in the Mekong Region as well as Indonesia with projects focused on nature-based solutions to pressing climate and economic issues.  

Marcel is a graduate in biology at the State University of Utrecht and studied Nature Management at the Agricultural University of Wageningen, Netherlands. Marcel is passionate about exploring and photographing the rich diversity of SE Asia’s’ culture and nature. 

Mr. Prateek Kumar is the Head of Sustainable Finance (APAC region) of Ambire Global with over 14 years of experience in implementing projects related to sustainable finance taxonomy development and implementation, plastic waste management, SDG implementation, policy advocacy and sustainable livelihoods.

He is currently managing projects for Ambire Global in Asia Pacific region, including sustainable finance taxonomy development and implementation projects in Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Australia, Fiji, Cambodia, Singapore and Hong Kong. He is also managing projects for multilaterals and corporates in India on plastic waste value chain, specifically focusing on marine and riverine waste management.

Previously, he worked In United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as Partnership Lead, implementing projects in SDG coordination centre, plastic waste management and women empowerment, working closely with National/State Governments, private sector, multilaterals and community organizations.

He has completed his Masters in Engineering Studies from University of Auckland, New Zealand, eMasters in Climate Finance and Sustainability from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-K)  and Bachelors of Engineering in Biotechnology.

He brings over 23 years of global work experience in Biofuels. He had previously worked for ED&F Man in London and in the Philippines, where he set up and managed a joint venture with Shell Philippines for Biofuels supplies and distribution. He then worked in the trading teams for Bunge in UK and Singapore, Vitol (Singapore) and Trafigura (Singapore) before setting up ALCOM in Jan 2020.

Alcom specialises in Carbon removals through Biochar having successfully commissioned 2 plants in Philippines- Nueva Ecija and Mindoro, the company also specialises in various low carbon/renewable energy streams including Green Methanol, Hydrogen and Biofuels where they are involved in collection, processing(pre-treatment) and distribution of feedstocks for biofuels production.

Prateek holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Economics and Specialist Master’s MSc in Energy, Trade & Finance from Bayes Business School London, UK (Formerly Cass Business School).

Mr. Bastillo is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Small Business Guarantee and Finance Corporation (SBCorp), also known as the Small Business Corporation, a government-owned and controlled corporation mandated to provide financing and other services to the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises. Prior to this post, he was Vice President for Innovation and Advocacy, and concurrently the Official Spokesperson of SBCorp.

Prior to his executive posts at SBCorp, Mr. Bastillo was one of the country’s recognized management experts, with more than 29 years of experience in management consultancy work in the business, government, non-government, grassroots and international development sectors in the Philippines and other countries.

His work in the Philippines spanned across all over the country, from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi, involving more than 170 organizations, programs, and companies.

Mr. Bastillo was an Associate Professor at the Asian Institute of Management from 1993 to 2000, where he was the Director of the Master in Development Management Program. He also had more than 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur and a business executive from 1985 to 2021.

Mr. Bastillo graduated from the University of the Philippines at Los Banos in 1982 with a BS degree in Agricultural Economics, cum laude, and from the Asian Institute of Management in 1988, with a Master in Business Management degree. He also has a Diploma in Agribusiness Management in 1984 from UPLB-TLRC.

Tom Enger is Head of Strategy for Alcom Carbon Markets, a global carbon removals project and technology developer. Tom is a global expert in environmental & commodities markets, with 25 years’ of experience developing trading platforms, exchange-traded contracts and pricing benchmarks with Climate Impact X carbon credit exchange, Singapore Exchange and S&P Global. He has a Masters degree from Oxford University, and an MBA from the National University of Singapore.