Australia’s former Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has been appointed President Designate of the International Hydropower Association. He will take up the Presidency from 31 October 2023 at the opening session of the World Hydropower Congress in Bali.

On his appointment Mr Turnbull said:

“The stakes have never been higher. The world is on a catastrophic path to a 2.7 degrees Celsius increase in global warming. This is far beyond the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit that was agreed by the international community as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Renewables are key to addressing this challenge. We do not need new technologies; we have the tools to do the job now. It is a matter of political will and choice.

Hydropower is the largest renewable and has the additional advantage of backing up solar and wind when the sun doesn’t shine and wind doesn’t blow. So I am delighted to be taking up this role.”

Mr Turnbull replaces Roger Gill who has held the position since 2019. A long-standing Board member of IHA, Mr Gill is a company director for Pacific Hydro, a renewable energy development company owned by State Power Investment Corporation of China (SPIC). Congratulating the new President, Mr Gill commented:

“It has been my pleasure to oversee IHA’s transformation over the past four years into an external-facing, values-based, advocacy organisation to advance sustainable hydropower, with members operating in over 100 countries around the world. The challenge is to reach beyond the sector to help all stakeholders understand how sustainable hydropower can support the renewable energy systems of the 21st century. With Malcolm's personal commitment to sector, I can’t think of a better leader to drive this forward.”

Malcolm Turnbull has had international careers in law, business and the media before entering politics at the age of 50.

As Prime Minister for Australia, he announced the construction of Snowy Hydro 2.0, the biggest pumped hydro scheme in the southern hemisphere. Since leaving politics, Mr Turnbull has resumed his business career. He is a senior adviser to KKR and an investor in, and adviser to, many Australian technology businesses. He is Chair of the Green Hydrogen Organisation and was Co-Chair of the IHA-hosted International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower. Mr Turnbull speaks and writes on a range of issues including cyber security, geopolitics and renewable energy.

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