Sean O’Beirne is an environmental consultant and has worked in the field for some 27 years. Sean began his career at the CSIR, where he did a masters in radar rainfall measurement before a sea change in his career saw him move into the emerging field of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Sean also benefitted from early exposure to post EIA implementation when he was seconded to the Hillside Smelter project as today’s equivalent of an environmental control officer. Sean started his own consulting company in 2000 and that is where he has been ever since. In 2003 he started working in Russia in combination with two Moscow based consultancies and has been lucky enough to travel to and work in many of the regions in that remarkable country with his most recent trip being to Chukotka where is completing an ESIA for a proposed copper mine. Sean has played a role in many of South Africa’s large scale infrastructure projects including Gautrain, Medupi, Kusile and Ingula, Nuclear 1, the AMD project, several bulk water projects, a number of production increases at Sasol Secunda and others. He has also worked on a number of aluminium smelter projects in the Middle East in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. For the last 5 years Sean has been a short-term consultant (STC) to the IFC and works in that capacity on public private partnership projects as well as a range of other direct investment projects across Africa.

Ben Gaffney is an Associate Operations Officer at the IFC where he coordinates the IFC’s Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) program for financial institutions in South Africa. The goal of the program is to improve environmental and social risk management practices of financial institutions through training and the development of best practice guidance documents and regulations. Key achievements of the program have been supporting National Treasury with developing the Financing a Sustainable Economy Technical Paper, re-developing the Responsible Investment and Ownership Guide for Pension Funds and conducting various training courses for financial institution professionals and environmental consultants.

He has extensive experience working with private equity firms operating in Africa to integrate sustainability considerations into their businesses to reduce risk and create value. He has a strong understanding of the application of the IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability; the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines; and the Equator Principles to businesses operating across a variety of sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He holds a master’s degree in Environmental Management from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Bates College, an American liberal arts college.

Alter Mavunda Mbele (Pr. Sci.Nat) obtained her Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2016 (Currently doing PhD with Global Climate Institute (GCI ) at Wits); BSc Honors Degree in Environmental Management from University of South Africa in 2010; National Diploma in Environmental Management from Tshwane University of Technology in 2005.

Alter Mavunda Mbele (Pr. Sci.Nat) is an Environmental Specialist for Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Environment, Social and Sustainability, Finance Operations. Her responsibilities involved ensuring alignment of projects financed by the Bank with the Bank’ Environmental and Social Safeguard Standards, and development/Implementation of the bank’s Environmental Social Management System (ESMS). Ensures that DBSA climate finance targets are align to the national INDC trajectory, ensures that DBSA enhances its capacity to embed climate mitigation and adaptation in financing transactions, and support national governments policy to mainstream climate considerations into project level investments.

Before joining the BDSA, She worked as a Study/Project Manager Environment and Society (Mining & Metals, Chemicals, Oil & Gas and Power Sector) for Advisian WorleyParsons Group Sub-Sahara-Africa; Environmental Officer for Xstrata Alloys, now Glencore Alloys Westen Mines in Rustenburg; Environmental Specialist for Johannesburg City Parks; Environmental Officer for Sedibeng Water Board and Environmental and Social Consultant for EnvironXcellence Services.

She is a Professional Environmental Scientist who has perfected the art of managing Environmental and Social projects in the South African and African Landscape within various sectors. She has been the leader and/or key participant of E&S Due Diligences of International Standards Compliance (Equator Principles III, IFC, European Investment Bank (EIB) Environmental & Social Sustainability Management, Development Bank of Southern Africa Environmental & Social Safeguard Standards, (DBSA ESSS) World Back EHS Guideline (general and Industry specific) and GIIP) for a variety of projects providing technical support to lenders and project developers from project concept, pre-feasibility, bankable feasibility, transacting, facility loan agreements, to construction and operation of projects.

Her Specialist knowledge includes environmental aspects of water, mineral residue facilities management within a large scale mining or industrial context, with emphasis on: water quality, environmental characterization and remediation, environmental sampling , acid rock drainage and metal leaching, hydrochemistry and/or geochemistry, environmental risk assessment, design and implementation of effective and efficient pollution prevention options, as well as active and passive pollution control strategies. She completed a Research Title: Impacts of Chrome mining activities on the Hex River water catchment: case study of Kroondal Chrome Mine in Rustenburg North West Province in South Africa.

Mr. Nazeer Jamal is Managing Director and Lead Environmental Specialist at Khweza Environmental Consulting. He has a B.Sc. (H) in Environmental Science majored in Economics, Geography & Environmental Management and over 10 years’ experience in all 3 spheres of government including the National DWS, the National DEA, the KZN EDTEA and the eThekwini Municipality. He was an active Environmental Management Inspector for the Green Scorpions for 9 years. He has been awarded as One of 200 Top Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian in 2011, as Climate Reality Leader by Climate Reality, and serves as Council Member of the KZN Climate Change and Sustainable Development Council. He is Chairman of Penny Appeal South Africa, an international humanitarian aid organization and is an avid landscape and travel photographer.