People

Founder and President
Dr Roger Achkar
Dr Roger Achkar is the founder and president of the Global Waste Cleaning Network (GWCN) and a renowned engineer and social scientist with a profound commitment to environmental sustainability. He holds advanced degrees in engineering, business, and social sciences from eminent institutions, including Harvard University, the University of Leicester, Cranfield University, and CentraleSupélec. Additionally, he is a distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Leadership.
He combines his technical expertise with strong leadership skills to drive impactful environmental initiatives. His work spans over two decades, during which he has collaborated with various stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and the private sector, to implement effective waste management, waste-to-energy, and both conventional and renewable energy strategies.
Dr Achkar has held a number of senior and managerial positions at multinational and regional organisations in the MENA region, and has forged a track record of success across multiple industries such as power generation, district energy and cooling, and e-business and marketing consulting. He is currently interested in the role that social science research plays in understanding and addressing the challenges and impacts of renewable and efficient energy systems, sustainable energy transition, and climate change.
Dr Achkar is the inventor of the Integrated Waste Opportunity Cost (IWOC) metric and the Digital Waste-to-Energy Protocol (DW2EP) framework—two pioneering innovations under GWCN that significantly advance the fields of waste valuation and decentralised energy recovery.
Dr Achkar’s contributions to the field are widely recognised, and he has been a keynote speaker at numerous international conferences and seminars. In addition to his professional achievements, Dr Achkar is dedicated to community engagement and promoting awareness about the importance of sustainable energy and waste management. His visionary approach and leadership have earned him several accolades and international awards.
In his role at GWCN, Dr Achkar contributes to the strategy of the network, coordinates partnerships with major NGOs and universities, ensures that the organisation maintains high social responsibility, provides guidance across academic and research programmes of the associated Environmental Network Research Centre, approves commitment of funds, leads sustainability and energy-related programmes and conferences, and supervises technology-based operations.
Speaking Engagements and Advisory Roles
- Keynote Speaker at the Global Summit on Green Energy and Sustainable Development, Paris, France — April 2026
- Invited Speaker at the 2nd Global Meet & Expo on Green Energy & Sustainable Technologies, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — November 2025
- Keynote Speaker at the Global Summit on Catalysis, Chemical Engineering, and Technology, Frankfurt, Germany — August 2025
- Renowned Speaker at the 2nd World Congress on Recycling & Waste Management, Zurich, Switzerland — June 2025
- Speaker at the 8th International Conference on Recycling and Waste Management, Rome, Italy — June 2025
- International Advisory Board Member at the 8th Multidisciplinary Symposium on Circular Economy and Urban Mining, Naples, Italy — May 2025
- Distinguished Keynote Speaker at the SOPE Waste Management Seminar, Mauritius — March 2025
- Chair and Keynote Speaker at the Global Summit on Recycling and Waste Management, Barcelona, Spain — March 2025
- Keynote Speaker at GREENENERGY2025, Dubai, UAE — March 2025
- Organizing Committee Member & Keynote Speaker at the Global Congress on Recycling and Waste Management, Rome, Italy — October 2024
- Keynote Speaker at the UrbanScapes Middle East Summit 2024, Dubai, UAE — June 2024
- Special Guest Speaker at the Annual GSP Find Your Legacy Summit, New York, USA — June 2024
- Keynote Speaker at the European NEV Industry Chain Conference 2024, Munich, Germany — May 2024
- Panel Moderator at the Lebanon International Solar Week 2024 — May 2024
- Speaker at the Leadership Summit of the Middle East Energy 2024, Dubai, UAE — April 2024
- Speaker at the Global Tech Summit 2023, Toronto, Canada — August 2023
- Panel Moderator at the Lebanon International Solar Week 2023 — June 2023
- Sole Keynote Speaker at the VISION 2050 Challenge Award Ceremony, Lima, Peru — April 2023
- Panelist at the 1st Investment Fair for Energy in Mali (SIEMA 2023), Mali — February 2023
- Speaker at the European Economic and Social Committee Hearing: “The Oceans and their Future”, Brussels, Belgium — November 2022
- Panelist at the Middle East Clean Energy 2022 Conference, Lebanon — September 2022
- Speaker at the Plastic in Circular Economy Conference: Production – Processing – Secondary Usage, Almaty, Kazakhstan — February 2022
- Speaker at the Addressing Sustainable Development Goals Conference, Mapua University, Manila, Philippines — September 2021
Publications and Contributions to Research
- Expert Reviewer of parts of the book "Ocean Literacy: The Foundation for the Success of the Ocean Decade" — published in Springer, June 2025
- White Paper titled "The Digital Waste-to-Energy Protocol (DW2EP)" published on GWCN Website — May 2025
- White Paper titled "Integrated Waste Opportunity Cost (IWOC): Evaluating the Environmental and Economic Impact of Waste Management and Resource Recovery" published on GWCN Website — May 2025
- Peer Reviewer of the Article "Competences of Agricultural Extension Agents in Dissemination of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Misungwi District, Tanzania", published in Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics and Sociology — March 2025
- Opinion Article titled "The Nuclear Renaissance: A Path to Sustainable Energy Independence", published in E+E Leader — March 2025
- Article titled "Navigating the UK’s Sustainable Energy Transition and Net Zero Goals", published in Sustainability News — February 2025
- Weekly Newsletter launched on LinkedIn titled "Energy & Sustainability" — January 2024
- Article titled "Les réglementations environnementales internationales … socle de durabilité du développement mondial", published in Africa Green Magazine — January 2023
- Reseearch Paper titled "The Experience of HR Practices and Processes in Organisations in Lebanon", published in Figshare — November 2019
Media Features and Advocacy Roles
- Advocate for the ASEAN Smart Energy & Energy Storage Expo 2026, Bangkok, Thailand — March 2026
- Endorser of the International Conference and Expo on Waste Management Strategies, New Delhi, India — January 2025
- Champion for the Asia-Pacific Hydrogen 2025 Summit & Exhibition, Sydney, Australia — November 2025
- Endorser of the Eastern Mediterranean Conference & Exhibition, Limassol, Cyprus — October 2025
- Advocate for the 3rd World Recycling Convention, Barcelona, Spain — October 2025
- Endorser for the 3rd International Summit on Non-Renewable and Renewable Energy, Frankfurt, Germany — September 2025
- Advocate of CARE – The Climate Action Renewable Energy Expo, New Delhi, India — September 2025
- Advocate for the Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan — June 2025
- Endorser for the World Carbon Capture & Climate Summit 2025, Dubai, UAE — May 2025
- Advocate for the World Utilities Congress, Abu Dhabi, UAE — May 2025
- Champion for the Middle East Energy 2025 event, Dubai, UAE — April 2025
- Featured on the Associated Press website in the article “Dr. Roger Achkar: Pioneering Environmental Conservation” — March 2025
- Interview Feature in Global Times Now magazine — February 2025
- Interview Feature in Entrepreneur Mirror magazine — January 2025
- Interview Feature in Business Magazine UAE — January 2025
- Brand Ambassador for the Future Power Expo 2024, Riyadh, KSA — November 2024
- Featured under “Alumni through the Ages” on the University of Leicester website — February 2023
- Featured under “Success Stories” on the website of L’Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (USJ) — January 2023
- Interview on Radio Liban Libre, Al Nashra el elmiya program in Lebanon about Global Climate Change — September 2022
- Interview on OTV, Noqta Fasle program in Lebanon about Global Climate Change — September 2022
Awards and Honours
- Winner of the SEAL 2025 Sustainability Leader Award, USA — April 2025
- Awarded the Certificate of Excellence in Reviewing, Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics and Sociology — March 2025
- Conferred Fellowship Status with the Institute of Leadership, UK — January 2025
- Silver Award Winner at the International Business Awards 2024 as Thought Leader of the Year — August 2024
- Recipient of the Global Sustainability Partnership (GSP) Legacy Award by WOCPSCN, New York, USA — June 2024
- Winner of the 2024 Global Recognition Award — May 2024
- Awarded the Highly Commended Certificate, Dr. Mark Sims Memorial for Public Service Award 2023, University of Leicester, UK — May 2023