Dr. René Van Berkel is a leading expert and practitioner in resource efficiency, cleaner production, circular economy, industrial ecology, and sustainable consumption and production.
Dr. René Van Berkel is a leading expert and practitioner in resource efficiency, cleaner production, circular economy, industrial ecology, and sustainable consumption and production. He is currently a faculty member at the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University (Thailand), contributing to its graduate programme on Social Innovation and Sustainability and conducting research on business and innovation for the circular economy. He also supports the adoption of circular economy practices in business as the founding co-convenor of the ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance and as a consultant to the EU SWITCH Asia programme and UN Global Compact.
He held several senior positions with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). From 2017 to 2023, he served as Head of the Regional Office in India, overseeing a wide technical cooperation portfolio on cleantech innovation, energy and resource efficiency, and manufacturing excellence. Previously, he was Chief Technical Advisor for Indonesia’s National Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Programme and led the global UNIDO-UNEP RECP programme as Unit Chief (2008–2015), contributing to the establishment of the Climate Technology Centre and Network.
Earlier in his career, as Professor of Cleaner Production at Curtin University (Australia), he led a programme focused on industrial symbiosis, eco-efficiency, and sustainable resource processing. At the University of Amsterdam, he contributed extensively to launching the UNIDO/UNEP National Cleaner Production Centres initiative.
Dr. Van Berkel is a Dutch national and holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences from the University of Amsterdam and a Master’s in Environmental Hygiene from Wageningen University.
He joined the Panel in May 2025 for a 1-year engagement period, before being considered for full membership by May 2026 (as per IRP standard procedures).