• WPC 2024
  • March 18-22, 2024

Paula Kovarsky

Raízen

Chief Strategy, Vice-President for M&A, Sustainability

Paula Kovarsky has vast experience in the energy field, built up over a career spanning over more than 20 years, with a unique and diverse combination of skills that combine global and local experiences, in industry and capital markets. She is currently vice president/Chief Strategy Officer of Raizen, being responsible for Strategy, New Business Development, M&A and Sustainability. She is also a Board Member of 3R-Petroleum and CLP International. Paula was the first woman to earn an associate position at Itaú BBA, where she was Senior Vice-President, responsible for the bank's research area for 9 years, consolidating her financial career. She promoted the repositioning of Cosan in the Brazilian capital market, implementing the best practices of transparency and stakeholder management in the company and its subsidiaries, in addition to leading the creation of the New York office, extending the work to international shareholders, promoting company engagement with top American universities, as well as with international class entities. She led the entire development of the Cosan Group's ESG strategy, promoting cultural change and educating C-level executives and controlling shareholders, leading the company to a prominent and reference position in this agenda, evidenced by its participation in the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) and for the continuous evolution of the company's classification in the most diverse indices, in addition to developing the framework that enabled the issuance of Rumo's first green bond. She has a degree in mechanical and production engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ). In addition, she has an MBA in corporate finance from Ibmec.

Sessions With Paula Kovarsky

Thursday, 21 March

  • 10:30am - 12:00pm (CST) / 21/mar/2024 03:30 pm - 21/mar/2024 05:00 pm

    Decarbonization Pathways

    Session 2: Decarbonization Pathways

    10:30 AM: Session Introduction - Kurt Barrow, Head of Oil Markets, Midstream & Downstream Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights

    10:35 AM: Decarbonizing the petrochemical sector: How can sugarcane help address its climate commitments? - Paula Kovarsky, Vice-President for M&A, Sustainability and Chief Strategy, Raízen.

    10:55 AM: Renewable Naphtha Supply Dynamics from "By-Product" to 'Co-Product' - Stephen Li, Consulting Director, Biofuels, S&P Global Commodity Insights

    11:10 AM: Taking stock of global EV adoption: What’s working and what are the obstacles? - Jeff Meyer, Director, Energy and Mobility, S&P Global Commodity Insights. 

    The global EV market is expanding, led by earlier adopters swayed by environmental considerations, the “cool factor” of the vehicles, and government incentives. Yet some incumbent automakers have signaled caution about broader consumer acceptance, and stakeholders are increasingly aware of the lingering challenges of affordability and ease of public charging. This session will address questions including

    In which markets is EV adoption leading and lagging – and why? What are the prospects for EVs in both advanced and developing markets? How acute will battery raw material supply challenges be, and how will companies navigate the geopolitics of battery supply chains?

    11:25 AM: Clean Hydrogen and Chemicals: How will technology and policy impact markets? - Brian Murphy, Senior Analyst, Hydrogen and Low Carbon Fuels, S&P Global Commodity Insights.

    Hydrogen is a key component of the chemicals ecosystem, operating as both a feedstock and byproduct revenue stream. Globally, interest in clean hydrogen is now translating into clear policy in the form of new regulations and subsidies that will have downstream effects on chemicals markets. In this session, we will discuss the role of hydrogen in the refinery and beyond, how new technologies and policies are driving clean hydrogen market development, and potential effects on global chemicals markets in the coming years.

    11:40 AM: Q&A