Ajay Mathur
Director-General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and a member of the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, India
Ajay Mathur, Director-General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change, India
Principal Appointments
- Director General, The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), 2016-present
- Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Government of India, 2006-2012, 2013-2016
- Director, interim Secretariat, Green Climate Fund, 2012-2013
- President, Suzlon Energy Limited, 2004-2006
- Team Leader, Climate Change, The World Bank, 2000-2003
- Director, Energy & Environment Engineering, TERI, 1995-2000
Experience & Skills
- Public policy initiatives to promote energy efficiency
Initiated a number of innovative regulatory and market-based initiatives to promote energy efficiency in India, including: a mechanism to promote industrial energy efficiency in energy-intensive industries; a super-efficient equipment programme to accelerate the development and deployment of super-efficient (50% better performance than best today) appliances; star labeling of appliances; development and deployment of energy conservation building code; and corporate average fuel consumption standards for cars.
- Public policy initiatives to promote renewable energy
Associated with design and development of the Indian renewable-energy programme, including Renewable Energy Policy, National Solar Mission, and the wind-energy policy; Convened committee to review certification and quality-assurance requirements for wind-energy systems; assessed fiscal incentives for renewables; supported development of policy and programmatic frameworks in several Asian and African countries for promoting renewables as part of World-Bank financing packages.
- Financing of climate-friendly projects
Coordinated the development of the architecture and business model for the Green Climate Fund; Initiated private-equity and CDM-based equity financing in renewable-energy and energy-efficiency projects in the private sector; Initiated a Partial Risk Guaranty Fund to provide risk-insurance to financial institutions who provide lending to energy-efficiency projects based on a performance-contracting business model; Established a Government-funded Venture Capital Fund for Energy Efficiency to provide risk equity to innovative energy-efficiency projects; Initiated inclusion of climate-change adaptation in World Bank-financed projects, and supported the preparation and scale-up of World Bank financing for renewable-energy and energy-efficiency projects
- Climate change negotiations
Have been the lead Indian negotiator on technology development and transfer, and have been a key negotiator in the development of the Technology Mechanism of the UNFCCC, including the design of the Climate Technology Center and Network; Was Indian spokesperson at the Paris climate negotiations
- Clean energy technology innovation
Have promoted needs-based technology innovation, structured around a public-private Climate Innovation Center which facilitates innovation by private organizations for publicly-identified applications and needs, and enables public support for the development and early introduction of the new technology
- Global Environment Issues
As a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change. have contributed to the development and implementation of the National action Plan on Climate Change, and on the integration of climate concerns in the design of the national Five-Year Plan; Developed ODS Phaseout Plans for India and for Nepal; Initiated CFC production phaseout plan for Russia; Led preparation of HPMPs for four South Asian countries; Led development of Cimate-Change Adaptation Framework and Climate Change-Biodiversity Linkage for the World Bank; Support development and review of Indian Climate Change, Biodiversity, and ODS Phaseout projects
- Human and institutional management and development
Lead the 1200-person, multi-location TERI, and coordinate its research-to-products agenda; Have created three organizations from scratch – the Green Climate Fund (in the multilateral sector), the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (in the public sector) and SenergyGlobal Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of Suzlon Energy Ltd, in the private sector), all of which have been pioneers in their respective areas. Have created external recognition of their importance and contribution, and developed internal systems and processes, as well as mentored the staff recruited for jobs which have not existed earlier; Strengthened TERI and the Climate Change Team in the World Bank, and focused on development of needs-based outputs.
Honorary Commitments
- Member, Prime Ministers Council on Climate Change
- Member, Indian National Resource Panel
- Co-chair, Energy Transitions Commission
- Chair, Energy Engineering Sectional Committee, Indian National Academy of Engineering
- Member, Board of Directors, Centre for Science & Technology Policy
- Member, Advisory Committee of the National Disaster Management Authority
Recognition
- Chevalier d’ Ordre Nationale du Merit, Republic of France, 2013
- Global Energy Efficiency Visionary Award, Alliance to Save Energy, 2010
- Fellow, Indian National Academy of Engineering, 2010
- Lead Author of IPCC, which was the joint recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
- Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Illinois, 2002
Employment Record
- TERI, 1986-2000, 2016-present
- Government of India, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, 2006-2012, 2013-2016
- Green Climate Fund, 2012-present
- Consultant, Planning Commission, Government of India, 2012
- Suzlon Energy Limited, 2004-2006
- The World Bank, 2000-2003
- University of Illinois, 1979-86
Educational Details
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Illinois, 1986
- Master of Science, University of Illinois, 1981
- Bachelor of Engineering, University of Roorkee, 1979