Ezgi Canpolat
Social Dimensions of Climate Change & AI for Social Good – Eastern & Southern Africa World Bank
Dr. Ezgi Canpolat leads the Social Dimensions of Climate Change portfolio for Eastern and Southern Africa at the World Bank, where she shapes inclusive climate governance across just transition, carbon markets, and green mineral value chains. A cultural anthropologist by training, she brings 15 years of experience at the intersection of climate justice, gender equity, and systems innovation. Her work has influenced national policies and multilateral programs in over 20 countries, from driving gender-smart energy transitions in Indonesia to co-creating carbon market frameworks in Zambia and inclusive mining governance strategies in the DRC. Ezgi is also the founder of Just Transitions Labs, a nonprofit accelerating justice-driven innovation across climate and AI. She has served as a Rockefeller Bellagio Fellow and Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, and is widely recognized for translating field experience into high-level policy, finance, and technology solutions. Her thought leadership has been featured in the Washington Post, World Economic Forum, and major climate finance platforms.
2026 Agenda Sessions
Can partnerships pave the way for Africa’s communities to benefit from Africa’s critical minerals?
Africa is currently at the centre of a geopolitical scramble for transition minerals. It creates a once in a lifetime opportunity for the growth of Africa’s communities through long term value addition and investment into communities and infrastructure… However, this outcome is far from certain. There is a reality where the riches of Africa’s critical minerals end up in the hands of a small group of people, many of which are outside of Africa, and communities never see true beneficiation. This session explores the transformative potential of strategic partnerships in ensuring that Africa’s communities derive meaningful and lasting benefits from the continent’s vast reserves of critical minerals
Wednesday 11 February 13:50 - 14:35 Ngorongoro Crater Stage (CTICC1 - Level 2)
Communities and indigenous people
Critical minerals
Africa is currently at the centre of a geopolitical scramble for transition minerals. It creates a once in a lifetime opportunity for the growth of Africa’s communities through long term value addition and investment into communities and infrastructure… However, this outcome is far from certain. There is a reality where the riches of Africa’s critical minerals end up in the hands of a small group of people, many of which are outside of Africa, and communities never see true beneficiation. This session explores the transformative potential of strategic partnerships in ensuring that Africa’s communities derive meaningful and lasting benefits from the continent’s vast reserves of critical minerals
Ngorongoro Crater Stage (CTICC1 - Level 2) Africa/Johannesburg
-Logo_CMYK_1.jpg?width=1000&height=500&ext=.jpg){kind=logo}
_1.png?ext=.png){kind=logo}
_mi25-weblogo.png?ext=.png)
