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Event Background
EVENT
Environment and Social Community of Practice Seminar on Country Systems in Practice
Advancing Environment and Social Risk Management
Environment and Social Community of Practice Seminar on Country Systems in Practice
24 October

2025

TIME: 24 October 2025, 09:00 – 14:00 (GMT+8)

LOCATION: Beijing, China and Virtual

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REGISTER
DESCRIPTION

Co-organized by the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF), African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), New Development Bank (NDB), and World Bank, this seminar will bring together multilateral development bank (MDB) practitioners and development partners to share experiences and lessons learned, and explore practical approaches for advancing the use of country systems in environment and social risk management.

AUDIENCE

The seminar is tailored for ministry officials, financiers, and others who use country systems to manage environment and social (E&S) risks and MDB-funded project impacts, as well as development partners who apply Multilateral Finance Institution (MFI) E&S standards. This includes MFI participants in the MFI Working Group on Environment and Social Standards (WGESS) fall meeting in Beijing, hosted by AIIB.

FORMAT

The seminar is a one-day hybrid event, to be held at AIIB headquarters in Beijing and online via Zoom. It will consist of plenary and parallel sessions.

Speaker presentations will be in English, with simultaneous translation in Chinese. Presentations and related knowledge products will be uploaded on the MCDF JIGSAW platform.

AGENDA
Speakers
Zhongjing Wang
Zhongjing Wang
Chief Executive Officer, MCDF
<p>Mr. Zhongjing Wang is the inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF). Before being appointed as CEO, he served as Head of the Interim Secretariat tasked with establishing the multilateral finance facility. Mr. Wang is a global leader and advocate for high quality connectivity infrastructure with a relentless focus on diversity, transparency, equality, innovation, and collaboration.</p> <p>Prior to joining the MCDF, Zhongjing served as the Director-General of the Center for Evaluation of the World Bank Loan Projects in the Chinese Ministry of Finance leading the cooperation between China and multilateral financial institutions and bilateral development partners with an annual lending portfolio of roughly $7 billion. He has served on the Board of multiple international organizations and financial mechanisms, including the Asian Development Bank, the New Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and Adaptation Fund. He was a council member of the Global Environmental Facility, Global Infrastructure Facility, and the Women Entrepreneurship Finance Initiative. Mr. Wang holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, a Certificate of International Tax Program from Harvard Law School and an LL.B from Peking University.</p>
Ajay Bhushan Pandey
Ajay Bhushan Pandey
Vice President, Investment Solutions, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
<p>Ajay Bhushan Pandey is Vice President, Investment Solutions. In this capacity, he provides leadership and oversees three key departments: the Sectors, Themes, and Finance Solutions Department (STF); the Sustainability and Fiduciary Solutions Department (SFD); and the Portfolio Management Department (PMD). Prior to joining AIIB in April 2025, he served in prominent leadership roles within the Government of India for over three decades. He played a pivotal role in shaping India’s digital and financial infrastructure through transformative initiatives such as Aadhaar, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), and the National Infrastructure Pipeline. His unique ability to integrate technology, policy, and infrastructure has enabled him to design and implement comprehensive strategies that combine innovative financial policies, legislative frameworks, and effective project management. As India’s Finance Secretary, he played a central role in shaping four national budgets and launching critical programs, including the National Monetisation Plan and the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development. His policies encouraged foreign and private investments, including sovereign wealth funds and pension funds, into infrastructure, green energy, and electric mobility. As the CEO of Aadhaar, Pandey expanded the platform to cover 1.2 billion Indians, significantly boosting financial inclusion and reducing leakages in government welfare programs. He also successfully defended Aadhaar’s legal and privacy frameworks before the Supreme Court of India, ensuring its continued role as a cornerstone of India’s digital identity ecosystem. As Chairperson of India’s National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), Pandey elevated auditing and accounting standards to global benchmarks, strengthening institutional trust and channeling sustainable investments into India’s economy. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, USA, and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India. Pandey is from India.</p>
Kamia Handayani
Kamia Handayani
Executive Vice President, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Perusahaa Listrik Negara (PLN) (Persero), Indonesia
<p>Kamia Handayani holds a Ph.D. in Energy and Climate Change at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. She currently serves as Executive Vice President for Energy Transition and Sustainability at PT PLN (Persero), Indonesia’s state-owned electricity company. Her expertise spans energy transition, power system modeling, ESG integration, carbon markets, and climate risk and adaptation. Since June 2025, she has also held the position of President Commissioner of PT Energy Management Indonesia.</p> <p>She represents PLN in various international forums, including as Head of the PLN Delegation to the HAPUA Working Group on Policy Studies and Commercial Development, strengthening regional collaboration among ASEAN power utilities. At the national level, she serves as Head of the Emission Control and Carbon Market Division at the Indonesian Renewable Energy Society (2022–2025) and Vice Head of the Energy Transition and Sustainability Division at the Indonesian Electrical Power Society (2022–present).</p> <p>Beyond her corporate and policy leadership, Kamia actively contributes to academic and policy dialogues on energy and climate change. She has published in high-impact journals, including Applied Energy and Energy Policy, and previously wrote opinion pieces for The Conversation and Energy Reporters. She has also participated in international initiatives, including the 4TU Resilience Engineering Fellowship, the ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project, and collaborations with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.</p>
David Williamson
David Williamson
Principal Environment and Social Specialist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
<p>David Williamson joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in early 2025 as Principal Environmental and Social (E&amp;S) Adviser in the Policy Department. This appointment followed 15 years at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London, where he served as Head of Operations in the Environment and Sustainability Department.</p> <p>He has been working on E&amp;S-related issues globally since the early 1990s in various positions and locations, with a consistent focus on risk and compliance associated with investments and transactions. In his current role, David leads the policy team within AIIB, with responsibilities that include the assessment and application of country systems.</p>
Jonathan Sevitz
Jonathan Sevitz
Associate Director, SLR South Africa
<p>Jonathan Sevitz is an Associate Director at SLR Consulting, based in South Africa. He has more than two decades of experience in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management across multiple industry sectors in Africa.</p> <p>He has worked extensively with investors, lenders, and their portfolio companies, leading ESG due diligence and post-investment monitoring programs. He supports clients in navigating regulatory and international ESG frameworks to enable sustainable investment decisions. He also develops practical management systems that ensure compliance, strengthen governance, and enhance risk management.</p> <p>Jonathan also has deep experience in designing risk assurance programmes that support regulatory compliance and operational resilience. Notably, he spent several years with a major global mining company, where he played a leading role in establishing a group-wide technical assurance program focused on major and catastrophic risk management.</p>
Rofikat Odetoro
Rofikat Odetoro
Director, Environmental Assessment Department, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria
<p>Rofikat Odetoro is the Director of the Environmental Impact Assessment Department at the Federal Ministry of Environment in Nigeria. She has more than 30 years of experience in diverse areas of environmental practice. She has reviewed over 5,000 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, served as the National Safeguard Specialist for the Fadama Project, and was the pioneer Project Coordinator of the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental, and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project supported by World Bank. She is a Fellow of the Nigerian Environmental Society and is happily married with children.</p>
Roman Novozhilov
Roman Novozhilov
Head of ESG, New Development Bank
<p>Roman Novozhilov is the Head of the ESG Division at the New Development Bank (NDB). He has over 20 years of global experience in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management.</p> <p>He joined the Shanghai-based NDB in 2017 to establish its ESG Division and is responsible for integrating ESG considerations into the Bank’s credit and equity products, as well as delivering ESG advisory services to clients. Before joining NDB, he worked with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Washington, D.C., Johannesburg, and Hong Kong, where he managed ESG risks across IFC’s investment portfolio. Earlier in his career, he held various roles in sustainability policy research at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.</p> <p>Mr. Novozhilov holds a Ph.D. from American University in Washington, D.C., and an M.A. from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. He is a Chartered Alternative Assets Analyst (CAIA) and Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA).</p>
Rajiv Srivastava
Rajiv Srivastava
Former Executive Director, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited
<p>Dr. R. K. Srivastava is a seasoned professional with over four decades of experience in managing environmental and social (E&amp;S) issues across diverse geographies. He earned his Master’s degree in 1981 and a Ph.D. from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany and Lucknow University in 1986. In recognition of his outstanding research contributions, he received the Young Scientist (Botanist) Award from the Indian Botanical Society in 1983.</p> <p>After retiring in June 2019 as Chief General Manager In-Charge (Executive Director) and Head of Environment and Social Management at POWERGRID, a Maharatna CPSU, Dr. Srivastava has been associated with the World Bank as an Environmental and Social Consultant for India and Central Asia.</p> <p>He has extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of global E&amp;S management practices, having worked in India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Fiji. His areas of expertise include impact assessment, risk management, policy formulation, stakeholder engagement, and implementation of environmental and social safeguard measures. Dr. Srivastava has collaborated with major multilateral agencies including the World Bank, ADB, IFC, DFID, JBIC, KfW, and AIIB, supporting the implementation of safeguard policies in the transmission and infrastructure sectors.</p>
Una Meades
Una Meades
Lead Environmental and Social Specialist, World Bank
Bruce Dunn
Bruce Dunn
Director, Policy and Technical Services, Office of Safeguards, Asian Development Bank
<p>Bruce Dunn is the Director of Policy and Technical Services in the Office of Safeguards at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). With over 25 years of experience in environmental policy, impact assessment, and&nbsp;biodiversity conservation, he led the&nbsp;development of ADB’s new Environmental and Social Framework (ESF).</p> <p>He oversees policy compliance, knowledge sharing, and capacity-building initiatives. Previously, he served as Chief of ADB’s Environment Thematic Group, where he launched the Healthy Oceans Action Plan and led regional environmental cooperation programs and projects.</p>
Sanjay Upadhyay
Sanjay Upadhyay
Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
<p>Sanjay Upadhyay is a designated Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court of India. He is the Founder of India’s first environmental law firm, the Enviro Legal Defence Firm, and also established its charitable arm, the Environment Law and Development Foundation. Sanjay has been practicing environment and development law since 1993.</p> <p>He was an India Visiting Fellow at the Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, in 1996, and a legal intern at the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund in San Francisco. He began his professional career at the World Wide Fund for Nature–India (WWF-India) at the Centre for Environmental Law.</p> <p>Sanjay has served as an environmental and development law expert for several international, multilateral, national, and state institutions, including the World Bank, IUCN, FAO, UNDP, AFD, DFID, ILO, SDC, IC, IIED, ODI, WWF, Greenpeace, HBF, TERI, WINROCK, MOEF, MOPR, MOTA, MNRE, IIFM, ICFRE, IEG, WII, IIPA, NIRD, the University of Cambridge, and Duke University, among others.</p> <p>His expertise spans environmental and development law, with a particular focus on natural resource management, infrastructure development, environmental governance, forestry, wildlife conservation, biodiversity, marine and coastal ecosystems, renewable energy, climate policy, environmental impact assessment, water resource management, decentralization, and tribal self-rule.</p> <p>Sanjay is also the Founding Editor of India’s first environmental quarterly, <em>Paryavidhi</em>, and is passionate about Sufi and therapeutic music.</p>
Robert Hansor
Robert Hansor
Director, Deloitte
<p>Robert Hansor is an environmental and sustainability specialist with over 20 years of experience in finance, infrastructure, and corporate ESG risk management. He is currently with Deloitte and has previously held leadership roles at Huawei, LRQA, and ERM, where he advised on environmental and social risk assessment, sustainable supply chains, and decarbonization strategies.</p> <p>He has worked with private sector companies as well as multilateral development banks on environmental and social safeguard systems, including the evaluation of health, safety, and labour conditions in large infrastructure, manufacturing projects, and supply chains.</p> <p>Robert currently leads the development of the ESG ROI Model, a quantitative tool that links E&amp;S risk management with financial outcomes. His work focuses on demonstrating how stronger environmental and social systems improve project bankability and investment resilience<em>.</em></p>
Martin McKee
Martin McKee
Head of Environmental and Social Policy, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
<p>Martin McKee is the Head of Policy in the Environmental and Sustainability Department at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He recently oversaw the update of the Bank’s Environmental and Social Policy and previously played a key role in developing EBRD’s methodology for alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement. He has also managed the Bank’s sustainability reporting for several years.</p> <p>Martin has more than 20 years of experience in environmental and social appraisal and monitoring across multiple sectors. Before joining EBRD, he helped establish the Business Principles Unit at the Export Credits Guarantee Department (now UK Export Finance). He holds MEng and BA degrees in Engineering from the University of Cambridge.</p>
Elisa Xiao
Elisa Xiao
Principal Environment and Social Specialist, New Development Bank
<p>Dr. Elisa Xiao is a Principal Environmental and Social Professional in the ESG Department of the New Development Bank (NDB). She brings 25 years of experience in environmental and social impact assessment and risk management across both corporate and project levels in the public and private sectors.</p> <p>She specializes in key industries including transportation, renewable energy, infrastructure, mining, and oil and gas. Elisa has developed a project footprint that spans over 30 countries worldwide, assisting her clients in managing complex environmental and social challenges across diverse regulatory and cultural contexts, with a particular focus on Asia, Africa, and South America. She has extensive project experience in addressing unique environmental and social challenges and stakeholder dynamics, ensuring that projects not only comply with local regulations but also adhere to international best practices.</p>
Juliana Franco Ramos
Juliana Franco Ramos
Environment and Social Specialist, New Development Bank
<p>Juliana Franco Ramos is an Environmental and Social Specialist at the New Development Bank (NDB), with over a decade of experience in environmental and social due diligence, safeguard implementation, and sustainable infrastructure development. She supports the implementation of NDB’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) through project-level due diligence and supervision across member countries, focusing on the practical application of safeguards, strengthening country systems, and promoting sustainable and inclusive development outcomes.</p> <p>Her background includes work with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Brazil and with international foundations and non-profit organizations in the United States, where she contributed to programs enhancing environmental and social performance. Juliana holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in international development, and a professional specialization in&nbsp;business and society&nbsp;from Harvard Business School Online.</p>
Kisa Mfalila
Kisa Mfalila
Senior Advisor to the CEO, Environmental, Social, and Governance, MCDF
<p>Kisa Mfalila joined the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) Secretariat in February 2025 as Senior Advisor to the CEO, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).&nbsp;</p> <p>Kisa leads MCDF’s engagement with International Financial Institutions and other partners to advance environmental and social standards (ESS) and strengthen MCDF’s position in the ESS community.&nbsp;</p> <p>Kisa joined MCDF from AIIB, where she worked as an adviser on enhancing the quality of investments for both sovereign and non-sovereign-backed financing. Before joining AIIB, Kisa served as the Lead Environment and Climate Specialist for Asia and the Pacific at the International Fund for Agricultural Development, based in New Delhi, India.&nbsp;</p> <p>She also held senior environmental specialist roles at the World Bank and African Development Bank. With extensive experience in designing and implementing investment operations—including large and complex infrastructure projects—she has played a key role in managing environment and climate risks in infrastructure investments across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.&nbsp;</p> <p>Kisa holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. A Tanzanian national, Kisa has also lived in South Africa, Tunisia, and the United States. In her free time, she enjoys creative arts.&nbsp;</p>
Nianshan Zhang
Nianshan Zhang
Head of Office of Safeguards, Asian Development Bank
<p>Nianshan Zhang is the Head of the Office of Safeguards (OSFG) at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He leads the ADB team for the joint capacity-building program and brings several years of multilateral development bank (MDB) experience in senior management positions.</p> <p>Nianshan led the establishment of OSFG at ADB, ensuring a sustainable organizational structure with adequate staffing and resources to meet both current and future needs. He began his career as a transport specialist and has served as Deputy Country Director and Regional Director at ADB. He has extensive experience in addressing the practical challenges of implementing ADB’s safeguard requirements, including in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS).</p> <p>Mr. Zhang successfully guided the modernization of ADB’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and secured its approval for implementation in 2026.</p>
Yanning Wang
Yanning Wang
Director General, Sustainability and Fiduciary Solutions Department, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
<p>Yanning Wang is the Director General of the Sustainability and Fiduciary Solutions Department (SFD) at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The department supports all operational safeguards and fiduciary needs for both sovereign and non-sovereign AIIB operations to ensure that Bank-financed projects deliver meaningful outcomes and impacts. He ensures that AIIB operations are adequately resourced and staffed with qualified specialists to cover environmental, social, procurement, and financial management aspects, and that AIIB policies and standards in these areas are fully observed across all operations.</p> <p>Before his appointment to SFD, Mr. Wang served as Assistant Corporate Secretary of AIIB. He brings extensive experience in managing environmental, social, and fiduciary risks from his previous roles as Director in the Government of China, where he oversaw a large portfolio of multilateral development bank-financed activities in the country, and through his work with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He served as Operations Advisor for the East Asia and Pacific Region at the World Bank, leading quality assurance for operational delivery and implementation support for investment activities, and as a member of the Board of Executive Directors at ADB. During his tenure with the Government of China, he led the development of several East Asia regional financial integration initiatives in response to the 1997 and 2008 financial crises.</p> <p>Mr. Wang holds a Master’s degree in Economics from McGill University and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Nanjing University. He is from the People’s Republic of China.</p>
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ORGANIZING PARTNERS

Jointly organized by MCDF, the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Finance Corporation, New Development Bank, and World Bank.

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CONTACT

If you would like to learn more about the seminar, please contact MCDF staff Kisa Mfalila (kisa.mfalila@themcdf.org)and Jenny Lou Fernandez (jenny.fernandez@themcdf.org).