Energy Finance: Fostering Low-Carbon Investments

Brendan O’Donnell is a Fellow at Ecologic Institute. His research focuses on post-carbon finance and the development of instruments and policies that integrate private and public sector priorities to support medium- and long-term investments in sustainability; increasing the visibility and accessibility of sustainable urban development for diverse communities in the definitional, decision-making, and implementation processes; and the future of environmentalism, particularly how art and other cultural influences inform the concept of nature and inspire environmental policy. He speaks English and German fluently, has a working knowledge of Italian, and is learning Portuguese. Prior to joining Ecologic Institute, Brendan worked as a journalist, researcher, and editor for over 10 years in the US and Germany. He co-authored multiple chapters in Low-carbon Energy Security from a European Perspective, published by Elsevier in 2016, and is co-editor and contributing author for the forthcoming Arctic Summer College Yearbook: An Interdisciplinary Look into Arctic Sustainable Development from Springer Nature. He studied comparative literary theory at Freie Universität Berlin (Germany) and Università Ca’ Foscari in Venice (Italy). He lives in Washington, DC, and Berlin.

Melis Tusiray (moderator). Until recently, Melis Tusiray was the Director of Programs at American Friends of Bucerius, where she oversaw program activities in the areas of global governance and international law. She focuses on social impact and entrepreneurship, with specialities in the areas of sustainability, energy, women’s issues, and international affairs, and is now working in the office of a private investor. Melis is a former Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow, specializing in public-private partnerships and stakeholder engagement in the areas of corporate sustainability and sustainable development, and was a participant in American Council on Germany’s Energy Tours. Previously she served in Washington, DC at the US Department of State, and as a Managing Editor for the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. She has degrees from UCLA and Georgetown, and is the founder of the organization Hey Ladies, which focuses on women’s issues in the workplace.