Jatin Nathwani

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research interests: engineering design and operation, optimization of safety and economics, planning for energy infrastructure, risk assessment, engineering code of practice, science and energy policy, data analytics research


Biography

Professor Nathwani is the founding Executive Director, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) at the University of Waterloo. As the inaugural Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy for Sustainable Energy (2007-2020), he has led research initiatives on accelerating energy transitions for a zero-carbon economy through systems assessments of technology, financing strategies, risk management and public policy.

Professor Nathwani, co-Directs with Prof Joachim Knebel (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany) the Global Change Initiative - Affordable Energy for Humanity (AE4H). The consortium comprises 150+ leading STEM and social science researchers, energy access thought leaders and practitioners from 50 institutions in 30 countries committed to eradicating energy poverty by 2030.

Prior to his appointment at the University in 2007, Professor Nathwani worked in a leadership capacity in the Canadian energy sector for 30 years. He brings a unique combination of academic perspectives with extensive experience in the business sector that includes corporate planning and strategy, energy sector restructuring, integrated power system planning, environmental and regulatory policy developments, and research program management.
Professor Nathwani serves on several Boards at the provincial and national levels and has appeared frequently in the media (print, TV, radio) and has over 100 publications related to energy policy, environment and risk management, including seven books. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, Canada.

Education

  • 1980, Other, P. Eng., Ontario
  • 1979, Doctorate, Chemical Engineering, University of Toronto
  • 1976, Master's, Chemical Engineering, University of Toronto
  • 1974, Bachelor's, Chemical Engineering, University of Toronto

Jatin Nathwani

Publications

Recent publications include:

  • Nathwani, J, Ramasra, R, The Post-COVID-19 Economy: Financing Canada’s Leadership in Sustainable Energy, Balsillie Papers Issue 01, BSIA, May 4, 2020

  • Nathwani, J, Kammen, D.M, “Affordable Energy for Humanity: A Global Movement to Support Universal Clean Energy Access,” Proceedings of the IEEE, 1-9, 2019

  • J. Nathwani, “Geothermal Energy Resources: An Antidote to the Unbridled Extraction of Fossil Fuels,” Journal of Engineering Sciences, v1, issue 1, pp 7-8, March 16, 2020

  • 'Regional Energy Hub’ for Achieving a Low-carbon Energy Transition,’ with Guler, B and E. Celebi, Energy Policy, v113, pp. 376-385, Feb 2018.

  • Nathwani, J. Ng, A., "A Cap and Invest” Strategy for Managing the Intergenerational Burdens of Financing Energy Transitions’, in Handbook of Green Finance: Energy Security and Sustainable Development, (eds.Jeffery Sachs, et al., Springer Verlag, Tokyo, Chapter 4, pp.63-80, July 2019

  • Nathwani et al., 'Quantifying security and resilience of Chinese coastal urban ecosystems,” Science of the Total Environment, https://D.O.I 10.1109/JPROC.2019.2918758672, 51-61, 2019

  • Linkov, I, et al., 'Changing the resilience paradigm’ Nature Climate Change, vol 4, pp. 407-409, June 2014, https://wise.uwaterloo.ca/documents/jatin-nathwani/documentsofinterest/naturecc14pdf

  • 'Enabling Sustainability in an Interconnected World:Innovative Uses of ICT for Greening Canada,’ Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), Science Advice in the Public Interest, Expert Panel Member, March/April 2014.
    https://wise.uwaterloo.ca/documents/jatin- nathwani/jn_books/cofcagreeninformationbookwebpdf

  • Nathwani, J, Blacstock, J., 'Equinox Blueprint Energy 2030- A technological roadmap for a lowcarbon, electrified future’ with J. Blackstock (lead authors), Waterloo Global Science Initiative (WGSI.org). https://wgsi.org/ and http://wgsi.org/energy-2030

  • Nathwani, J, 'Canada’s Low Carbon Electricity Advantage: Unlocking the Potential of Inter-Regional Trade,’ Chapter 6, in “Canada: Becoming a Sustainable Energy Superpower” R. Marceau(ed.), Canadian Academy of Engineering, pp. 97-122, May/June 2014.

Contact