Lily Odarno joins Clean Air Task Force as Director of Energy, Development and Climate in Africa
Washington, D.C – Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is pleased to announce that Lily Odarno has joined the organization as Director of Energy, Development and Climate in Africa, leading the launch of a new program to address the dual needs of expanding affordable energy in developing economies and creating a global decarbonized energy system.
In this new role, Lily will focus on reframing the global energy access debate to better clarify the relationship between development needs and global climate goals, and to calibrate international efforts to the actual needs of developing nations. She will initially focus on sub-Saharan Africa.
“It’s critical to both the planet and its people that we reconcile the growing energy demands of developing economies with the imperative to decarbonize the global energy system,” said Armon Cohen, CATF Executive Director. “CATF is committed to tackling this challenge, and we’re thrilled to have Lily Odarno join us to lead that effort.”
Lily joins CATF from the World Resources Institute (WRI), where she managed WRI’s energy access policy and planning engagements in Africa. She previously worked with the UNEP DTU Partnership, under the former Clean Energy Development Program. She holds a PhD in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware. Read Lily’s full bio here.
“Bold, pragmatic and inclusive actions are needed to navigate the pressing challenges of energy poverty, rapid urbanization and climate change in developing economies,” said Lily Odarno. “Africa can, and must take the lead in shaping an energy future that improves the lives of its people, holds promise for its growing economies and sets the stage for eventual decarbonization. I am very excited to join CATF to lead this charge.
