Idowu Kunlere

PEOPLE

IDOWU KUNLERE

Project Assistant, Island Policy Lab

Kunlere is an Energy, Circular Economy, and Sustainability Professional with extensive experience providing cutting-edge advisory services and technical support to multinationals, businesses, and public organizations to help drive sustainable business growth in Nigeria. In addition, he is an Environmental Compliance Specialist with Nigeria’s federal environmental watchdog, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, where he helps to enforce federal environmental laws and multilateral environmental agreements to which Nigeria is a signatory. Kunlere has led several projects in Nigeria’s Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, Iron and Steel, Quarry and Mining, and Power and Energy sectors on emissions prevention and control, climate change, environmental and social impact assessment, ESG, environmental audit, circular economy, energy justice, energy transition, regulatory compliance frameworks, and policy implementation. He also co-founded Wastesmart Initiative, a research and resource support and capacity-building platform that drives sustainability by democratizing access to clean technologies, insights, and opportunities.

Kunlere holds a Master’s in Public Administration (Specialization: Environmental Policy) from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore; a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management from Technical University Dresden, Germany; an M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria; and a B.Sc. Microbiology from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Kunlere is a multiple-award winner; amongst others, he is an ENPEE Scholar, UNEP/UNESCO/BMU Fellow, DAAD Scholarship Nominee, Future Leaders Connect Finalist, YALI West Africa fellow, and EXCEED fellow. He has also co-published peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed scientific publications and written several vital reports, reviews, and articles. In addition, he has delivered key papers at leading international scientific conferences in Nigeria and across five continents.

Kunlere is currently a Ph.D. student in the Energy and Environmental Policy program at the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration, University of Delaware, USA, where he is a member of the Island Policy Lab, helping find solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems associated with energy transition, including unintended socioeconomic and environmental impacts, in developed and emerging economies. His ongoing research focuses on strengthening the global green product market by identifying, developing, and optimizing innovative circular economy pathways that harness untapped market demands, consumer preferences, and supply chains.

 ikunlere@udel.edu