Expert Profile

Sci. Dpl. Glenn S. Banaguas is an Executive-in-Residence within the Global Fellowship Initiative of the GCSP. Glenn S. Banaguas is a multi-awarded prolific scientist, science diplomat, educator, and one of the leading experts on environment, climate change, and disaster risks in Asia. He analyzes conundrums brought by climate change/variability and extreme events using scientific models, mathematical simulations, and data and spatial statistics; applies participatory mechanisms; and recommends science-based policy solutions. He is the first and only Filipino individual awardee of the prestigious global award – the United Nations (UN) Sasakawa Laureate for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). He is the recipient of the Asia Leader Award for Sustainability Leadership. He is the youngest honoree of the most distinguished The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Laureate – the Nobel Prize of the Philippines, in the field of Environment Conservation and Science Diplomacy. He is also the recipient of Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) of the Philippines for Environmental Management conferred by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). He is a grantee of the United Kingdom’s The Royal Society, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative; a recipient of the Philippines’s Men and Women of Science, Outstanding Agro-Fishery Gold Awardee, AIESEC’s Outstanding Leadership Award, and other international awards. His work is recognized in ASEAN Champions for Biodiversity and Environmental Hero Award in the Philippines; ASEAN Risk Awards in Yogyakarta, Indonesia; and he was nominated at the Elliason Global Leadership Awards in New York and Harvard’s Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is part of the team that won The Rockefeller Foundation Food System Vision Prize - Special Mention Award. One of his research advocacy works was featured as one of the top 10 projects in “Gender Equality in Water Governance” in the world conferred by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the first Filipino who was awarded by the US Department of State for science and technology in the field of climate change and sustainable energy. He is also the first Filipino who was featured by “The Big Idea”, a US Mission to ASEAN platform that features people who have made significant contributions in South East Asia. He has been invited as a Keynote and Plenary Speaker in international and national conferences; has received grants from international organizations, government agencies, and development institutions; has led training and capacity development programs; has published articles in journals; and has organized webinars and webcasts. He has done various consultancy projects: Scientific Advisor, Hydro Fluoro Carbon (HFC) Life Cycle Management of the United Nations Development Programme (UNEP); Project Development Specialist for Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Projects of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Country Representative/Technical Consultant for the Design of the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in the Philippines of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); Team Leader, Senior Project Development Expert and Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Specialist of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). He is also the Advisor/Consultant of the different National Government Agencies (NGAs) of the Philippines in the area of climate change and disaster risks. And he handles Environmental Diplomacy, Climate Diplomacy, Disaster Diplomacy, and Science Diplomacy at the Foreign Service Institute, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). He is also the advisor of the private sector in the areas of environmental, social, and governance (ESG), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), Net Zero Emissions (NZE), and Low Carbon Diet Programs and sustainability projects. He is the Vice President of Korea’s Society of Open Innovation, Technology, Market, and Complexity (SOITMC); a Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Asia Pacific Network (APN); a Member of the Technical Panel of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development-Department of Science and Technology; former Member of the Technical Working Group on Climate Change and Disaster Risk, Commission on Higher Education. He is also the Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations (PCFR); a Fellow of the National Security Cluster; and the Executive Editor of the PCFR Journal.  He is also a columnist for one of the oldest and most outstanding national broadsheets in the Philippines, The Manila Times. He is the Climate Diplomat of the European Union (EU)-Asia Expert Panel for climate diplomacy and environmental security; the Founder and Chairman of the Asian Science Diplomats; the Chairman and President of the ASEAN Science and Technology Fellows (formerly U.S.-ASEAN Fellows for Science and Technology); and also the Vice President of the Board of Trustees of Statweather Institute, the humanitarian arm of Statweather, which has garnered the achievement of the #1 Climate Technology in the world by Environmental Business International (2018) and has also received distinction as the #1 Data Services Company in the world by Energy Risk. He is the Founder and President of the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute (ECCRI) which brings “science and policy” to the poorest communities and marginalized sectors in the country through cutting-edge research projects. He founded the Climate Smart and Disaster Resilient Philippines (formerly known as Climate Smart Philippines: Science for Service), which provides cutting-edge research, training, and capacity building to all the stakeholders in the country to combat climate change and disaster risks, which focuses on food security, sustainable energy, water sufficiency, human security, ecological and environmental stability, knowledge management and capacity development, and climate-smart infrastructures and services. Glenn is the Founder of two highly recognized ASEAN events: a. ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly (ASEAN Science Diplomacy Program, now Asian Science Diplomacy), a training and capacity building for Outstanding Scientists and Engineers in South East Asia, which helps the scientists not only on how science will be communicated to all levels of stakeholders but also to train the scientists to work with decision-makers from Executive and Legislative Branches to broaden their perspectives on how science and policy can interact to improve decision-making.; and b. Climate Smart and Disaster Resilient ASEAN bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, scholars, government agencies, non-government organizations, and other stakeholders to share their experiences and research results on aspects of climate change and disaster risks in South East Asia. This provides trans-disciplinary platforms for relevant stakeholders to present and discuss innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered in the field of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management. He studied Climate Change and Energy at Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard University and took Sustainability Leadership from the Center of Environmental Law and Policy, Yale University. He also took Applied Remote Sensing Technology from the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA).