ICEM 2025 – Plenary Speaker
Date: Thursday 05 June 2025
Time: 14.00 – 15.40
Place: Sala dei Giganti
Speaker Profile
Dong Zhao holds a Ph.D. in Climate System and Global Change. He currently, serves as the General Manager of Beijing Globe MetRoute Technology, a corporation primarily focused on offering customised weather and climate services to the maritime, aviation, and energy sectors globally, with an emphasis on impact-based early warning, climate change mitigation and adaptation. Additionally, he acts as the Executive Deputy Director at the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Key Laboratory for Aviation Meteorology, where he promotes innovation and enhancing productivity through partnerships between research institutions and enterprises, and facilitates the integration of meteorology and aviation.
Previously, he was a researcher at the CMA Public Meteorological Service Center and the National Climate Center. From June 2014 to June 2015, Zhao was a Humphrey Fellow at the University of California, Davis, in the field of natural resources, environmental policy, and climate change.
Zhao is recognised as an active leader with a passion for providing innovative and impact-based weather and climate services to the transportation & energy sectors. He has received several influential awards from the China Meteorological Administration, the Chinese Meteorological Society, the China Meteorological Service Association, and several energy sectors. In 2022, Zhao won the Fengyun Meteorological Talents Award from the China Meteorological Service Association, and in 2023, he received the Innovative Work Award from the CMA for his forward-looking practices in meteorological services.
Topic: Meteorological Services for Energy: From Early Warning to Smart Operation
Dr. Zhao will introduce the energy meteorological service framework established by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), along with the best practices in three crucial areas: (1) the assessment of wind and solar energy resources and power forecasting, which have played a pivotal role in propelling the rapid growth of renewable energy in China; (2) multiple impact – based early warnings for safeguarding energy and power safety; and (3) integrated services for intelligent operation of energy enterprises, enabling weather-driven decision-making for optimising production scheduling, resource allocation, and other operational processes.
Dr. Zhao will further share his profound insights into the key success factors for creating user-satisfying services. Additionally, he will put forward his forward-looking ideas regarding the future of energy meteorological services in a digital age significantly influenced by climate change. The presentation will particularly highlight how the CMA’s energy meteorological service team seamlessly integrates meteorology as a vital production factor throughout the entire value chain of energy production and power supply. Central to this discourse is the concept of “Rooted in meteorology, but beyond meteorology”, which emphasises the team’s efforts to leverage meteorological expertise in expanding its impact across energy sectors.
