His Excellency George Papanastasiou

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry

Cyprus

Giorgos Papanastasiou was born in Lefkosia on 10 September 1961. He is a Mechanical Engineer by profession. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Cyprus Higher Technology Institute, a BSc Mechanical Engineering from City University London and an MSc in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning from Kings College London. He worked for 26 years at BP from various senior management positions in the UK, in other European countries and in Cyprus, where he held the position of Country Head. During his career, he gained a wide range of experience in the energy industry (Oil &Gas), specifically in the Procurement and Supply Chain sectors (Supply & Logistics), Health, Safety & Environment, Technical Processes, Management, Sales & Marketing, Corporate Governance and Compliance. Giorgos Papanastasiou was appointed General Manager and Managing Director of VTT Vasiliko Ltd (VTTV), a subsidiary of the multinational VTTI B.V. based in the Netherlands, on 1 October 2011, where he led a flexible team of professionals for the construction of a terminal for energy storage and energy product management, which is currently operating in Vasiliko. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation (CYS) and of the Cyprus Certification Society (CYCert), Chairman of the Cyprus-Dutch Business Association of the Cyprus Chamber Of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB). He is married to Glykeria Michaelidou, they have a son, Ignatios and live in Lefkosia.

Session Overview

Sunday, 3 November

All Sessions

14:21

Strategic Conference ICC Hall 14:21 - 15:30

View Session

Increasing collaboration between the Global North and South for a successful transition

Solving climate change challenges and ensuring a successful energy transition will require increased collaboration between the Global North and the developing economies of the Global South, inclusive of financing, technology and clean energy skills. The energy transition will reshape the global industrial and competitive landscape. New centers of low-cost, low-carbon energy will emerge, and industries in which energy accounts for a sizable share of overall costs—for example, ammonia production, data centers, aluminum, pulp and paper, and steel manufacturing—could be leading candidates to relocate. Enhanced collaboration across these new value chains is essential, and governments and private sector across the North and South need to work together to ensure effective and sustainable integration. The Global North must take action to enable substantial de-risked investment across several critical fronts to ensure energy access and affordability in the Global South. How can governments and businesses catalyse socio-economic development, including integration of value chains, ensure access to technology and a skilled workforce, provide supportive international partnerships, create viable carbon markets and incentivise energy transition policies?

Attendee insights:

Gain insights into supporting mechanisms to increase collaboration between the Global North and the Global South to further tackle climate change challenges and what’s required for a just, orderly and equitable transition in the Global South.