Key Speakers

Nobuo Tanaka

The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan

Mr. Tanaka began his career in 1973 in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in Tokyo. He has extensive national government and international experience within METI, the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. and the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as Director for Science, Technology and Industry.

In the energy field, Mr. Tanaka has accumulated a variety of experiences. He was responsible for Japan’s involvement with the IEA and the G7 Energy Ministers’ Meeting during the second oil crisis. In the late 1980s, he participated in establishing the comprehensive energy policy of Japan and he also oversaw the implementation of Japan’s international nuclear energy policy and led negotiations of bilateral nuclear agreements. Mr. Tanaka worked on formulating international strategy as well as co-ordinating domestic environment policy and energy policy in the Kyoto COP 3 negotiation. He was Minister for Industry, Trade and Energy at the Embassy of Japan, Washington DC from 1998-2000. Nobuo Tanaka took over as Executive Director of the IEA on 1 September 2007.

Mr. Tanaka, a Japanese national, has a degree in Economics from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.