Ivo Walinga is a participant in the 2025 European Leadership Accelerator hosted by the Atlantic Council’s Millennium Leadership Program. He serves as the China programme officer at the International Energy Agency in Paris, where he advances strategic engagement with China on energy and climate issues. Previously, he held diplomatic roles at the European Union delegations in Mongolia and Russia, focusing on natural resources, energy policy, and scientific cooperation. At the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, he provided high-level policy advice on the energy sector in Russia and Eurasia, working with Central Asian governments to integrate renewables and digital infrastructure into Silk Road trade routes. With over five years of experience in energy and development across Asia, Walinga has contributed to carbon market development, coal phase-out strategies, and clean technology adoption at institutions such as Peking University, Asia House, and the International Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy Institute in Wuhan. He has also advised global energy companies, including Europe’s largest renewable energy generator, Statkraft, on strategic investments for a zero-carbon future. Walinga holds degrees in international energy policy (Sciences Po Paris), Chinese studies (Peking University), and Russian studies (Oxford).