Climate Classroom @COP28 – Inclusive Humanitarian Energy

Joelle HANGI is a refugee in Kenya, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She works as an Inclusivity Lead of the GPA Coordination Unit at UNITAR. Her background cuts across energy, development, research, and communication in displacement settings. Her research interests include the nexus between humanitarian and development aid and how best they can be used to address the energy needs of displaced persons effectively. Before joining the GPA CU, she worked in different capacities, including research projects, communication strategies and project development with originations and institutions such as the UNHCR Africa Office, Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre, the University of Geneva’s Human Rights Department, and the Refugee Led Research Hub amongst others with a focus on improving and enabling refugee inclusion, agency, autonomy, and rights.

Mark GIBSON is the Team Lead of the Coordination Unit for the Global Platform for Action (GPA) on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings at UNITAR. Mark joined the GPA in August 2018 and has been managing the GPA’s work on decarbonising the humanitarian response, including the development of standard lease and power purchase agreements, de-risking solutions for long term agreements and the Decarbonising Humanitarian Energy Multi-Partner Trust Fund. Prior to joining the GPA, Mark spent 18 months with UNHCR Tanzania where, among other things, he developed the Energy and Environmental Strategy for the countries three refugee camps. Before which, Mark spent over 20 years providing private sector support to a broad spectrum of energy and environmental projects in Europe, Africa, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Mark has a Honors Degree in Environmental Studies and Master’s Degrees in Marine Resource Management and Environmental Law.