Ezra's Round Table: Semida Silveira (Cornell Systems)

Description

Who leads the energy transition towards net-zero emissions? – The EU is a contender!

With a target of at least 55% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030 (compared to 1990), legislation to ensure climate neutrality by 2050, and an aspirational goal to achieve negative emissions thereafter, the EU is bound for a low-carbon energy future. This seminar will focus on the European Union, looking into some of the policies used to orchestrate the energy transition and build a low-carbon economy. Past achievements and strategies are reviewed, and new opportunities are identified together with industrial and economic challenges, controversies, and the backdrop of geopolitical disputes.

Bio:
Semida Silveira joined the Systems Engineering program at Cornell University as its first Professor of Practice in January 2022.

Silveira comes to Cornell from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm where she is a professor in energy systems planning. Between 2007 and 2019, she led the Energy and Climate Studies (ECS) group at the Department of Energy Technology with a focus on energy and sustainable development.

Professor Silveira has a professional degree as an engineer architect from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil and a Ph.D. in regional planning from KTH, with a focus on development and sustainability. Previously, she worked as a sustainability expert at the Swedish Energy Agency and as an energy and climate program manager at the Stockholm Environment Institute. Her most recent activities include bioenergy and climate change policy work, energy and development, energy efficiency in industries, urban sustainability, promotion of Swedish knowledge and technologies, and international business cooperation with corporate responsibility.

Professor Silveira won the Jaboti Literature Prize 2001 in Brazil in the category physical sciences, technology and informatics for her book “Electricity for Sustainable Development”, published in Portuguese. She is also the author of dozens of scientific articles, popular science articles and books including an anthology of the Swedish energy development, “Building sustainable energy systems—Swedish experiences”, and the book "Bioenergy—realizing the potential".

She has done research at MIT, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the University of Tübingen and the University of Stockholm, and advised in various committees and board of directors of Swedish companies.

In the early 1990s, Silveira launched the first master's program with a sustainability focus at KTH (Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure)—this was also the first program in English aimed at global recruitment at KTH. The program is still running. More recently, together with the department of industrial economy, Professor Silveira developed a new profile and courses for engineer students at KTH with a focus on energy and climate policy design and implementation, as well as management from multiple stakeholder perspectives.

Professor Silveira has developed and managed projects in collaboration with academics, multilateral organizations, policy makers and the private sector in both industrialized and developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.