My name is
Rosilena Lindo Riggs, and from a very young age, I knew I wanted to contribute
to the well-being of humanity. When I was eight years old, during a summer
vacation, my grandmother Dioselina and I sat down to talk about what I wanted
to become when I grew up. At that moment, I dreamed of becoming an engineer who
could design spaces that would enable humanity to study, generate knowledge,
and protect nature. Beyond that, I dreamed of working for the United Nations,
contributing to the Panama Canal, speaking four languages, traveling the world,
and creating opportunities for women to become leaders in every field they
pursued. I thank God for allowing me to turn those childhood dreams into
reality.
My father is a
civil engineer, which deeply influenced my decision to pursue the same career
at the Technological University of Panama (UTP). However, it was when one of my
Hydraulics professors mentioned the opportunity to collaborate on the
installation of the NASA Node in Panama that the world of energy began to
captivate me. My first responsibility in that project was to study the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Good Practice Guidance for
developing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventories in Panama and later gather the data
required to calculate emissions in the energy and agricultural sectors. It was
at that precise moment that I fell in love with the energy sector—not only
because of its impact on the economies of countries, cities, and communities,
but also because of its potential to transform a development model historically
driven by fossil fuels while generating knowledge, policies, and decisions that
improve people’s lives and contribute to the health of our planet.
As I analyzed
Panama’s energy data, I realized I needed to strengthen my technical and policy
skills. Supported by scholarships from DAAD and InWEnt, I moved to Berlin to
study Sustainable Energy Policy, followed by a Master’s degree in Technology
and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (Renewable Energy) at
the Cologne University of Applied Sciences in Germany. In addition, I earned a
Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the Autonomous University of San
Luis Potosí in Mexico. These academic experiences, together with the network of
colleagues and mentors I have built over the past 22 years, profoundly
transformed my life.
My professional
journey has been equally remarkable. After returning from Germany, I joined the
Panama Canal Expansion project, where I worked on quality control and quality
assurance for the hydraulic surfaces of the Pacific-side locks. It was an
extraordinary opportunity to apply engineering knowledge in practice while
being surrounded by a highly skilled team characterized not only by technical
excellence, but also by immense human warmth. There, I met one of my mentors,
Eng. Samuel Cohen, who not only taught me the importance of quality in concrete
repair, but also encouraged me to return to the fields I am most passionate
about: energy and climate.
While working at
the Canal, I was offered the position of National Director of Climate Change at
the former National Environmental Authority. Alongside a visionary team, we
transformed that institution into what is now the Ministry of Environment,
incorporating climate change into Panama’s General Environmental Law for the
first time, with concrete responsibilities for mitigation and adaptation. Over
four years, while leading a team of 34 professionals, we developed Panama’s
first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), led the Coalition for
Rainforest Nations, and participated in the negotiations that ultimately
integrated forests into the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, we fostered an
environment in which climate negotiations were no longer viewed solely as an
“environmental issue” for Panama, but rather as a platform to negotiate a
national development agenda centered on people and inclusive of the voices of
Indigenous communities.
Later, I joined
the Climate Change team at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. There, I served as a
Senior Energy Specialist and Project Manager for the initiative “Development of
Solar Water Heating Markets in Panama.” This role allowed me to collaborate
more deeply across the Latin American and Caribbean region in analyzing and
implementing the energy transition, while recognizing that each country and
sub-region faces unique circumstances and challenges. I learned that designing
public policies for decarbonization requires including every voice, while
paying particular attention to the vulnerabilities and needs of historically
underrepresented populations.
As part of my
work at UNEP supporting countries in their energy transition efforts, we
organized a high-level breakfast meeting in 2019 with energy representatives
from all presidential candidates in Panama. During the event, we presented the
implications of advancing the energy transition within the framework of the
study “Zero Carbon Latin America: A Pathway for the Net
Decarbonization of the Regional Economy by Mid-Century.” Our
objective was to plant a seed in the minds of future energy leaders so they could
move decisively toward creating the enabling conditions for an economy powered
by renewable energy.
Of all the
participants, only one demonstrated a profound interest in the information
presented. That individual later became the Secretary of Energy and, several
months afterward, invited me to join his team as Panama’s Undersecretary of
Energy. I remain deeply grateful for both the opportunity and the trust he
placed in me by giving me the freedom to return to public service—this time,
not from the environmental trenches, but through an energy-centered lens.
Before receiving
that invitation, my UNEP team and I had already begun developing the report “Energy
Transition as an Engine for Economic Recovery from COVID-19 in Panama.” The
report positioned the Energy Transition Agenda as the cornerstone of an
interministerial policy approach linking energy, climate, and economic
development goals. During this same period, I led the development of the Solar
Thermal Energy Action Plan and its corresponding regulatory framework. In
addition, I initiated the market analysis for distributed solar generation, a
tool now used by financial institutions to design financing mechanisms that
promote residential, industrial, and commercial photovoltaic generation.
My time at UNEP
was a masterclass in collaboration and multilateral coordination among
governments, international organizations, and the private sector. That
experience fundamentally reshaped my understanding of how public policy can and
should be built in Panama.
Becoming the
first woman to hold a top decision-making position in Panama’s energy
sector—first as Undersecretary and later as Secretary of Energy—was both an
honor and a deeply challenging experience. Many of those challenges were
overcome through the power of sorority and solidarity among women. The active
networks of women at the national, regional, and global levels to which I
belong provided invaluable support in advancing Panama’s energy transition
agenda, while also fostering meaningful technical discussions on how to achieve
it through gender mainstreaming. Inspired by this global sisterhood, I began
creating spaces to give back some of what I have received throughout my
professional journey.
The greatest
challenge during my tenure as Undersecretary was developing an inclusive
methodology for the design, approval, and implementation of the National Energy
Transition Strategies in the midst of a pandemic, when in-person engagement was
severely limited. Nevertheless, the private sector, international cooperation
agencies, civil society organizations, and public institutions demonstrated a
remarkable willingness to support the Secretariat of Energy in building a
representative governance model capable of generating trust in our public
policy instruments.
The key was
ensuring traceability—making certain that everyone who participated could see
their ideas, recommendations, and needs reflected in the final policies,
whether in the Universal Access to Energy Strategy, the National Distributed
Generation Strategy, the National Energy Efficiency Strategy, or the
Interconnected Grid System Innovation Strategy, among others.
As a former
public servant, I continue to be inspired by the extraordinary level of
engagement demonstrated by all the individuals and institutions involved in
this process. One of my greatest lessons has been that leading the
transformation toward sustainability requires more than commitment alone; it
requires working with gratitude. I remain deeply grateful to the people who
contributed more than 16,500 person-hours to co-design pathways with the
Secretariat of Energy to help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 in Panama.
Finally, as
Secretary of Energy, my greatest challenge was racing against time. My tenure
lasted only seven months and took place in the middle of an election cycle,
which weakened the political momentum behind the new public policy initiatives
we were advancing and ultimately prevented us from moving forward with the
presentation of the Energy Transition Bill.
Through that
experience, I learned that if one seeks to lead a legislative reform affecting
a sector valued at more than $6 billion, the effort must begin during the first
year of an administration. I also learned that, although the energy sector
remains heavily male-dominated, the development of the “Women and Energy
Nexus” Roadmap became the initiative that engaged the
largest number of stakeholders. In Panama, both men and women are ready to
build a sector grounded in equality and inclusion.
I also came to
understand that people are often more accustomed to conventional leadership
profiles. Being a woman—young, without gray hair, and of a different
complexion—required a considerable investment of time and effort to build
credibility and trust. I had to demonstrate that, TOGETHER, representatives
from across and beyond the sector could create actions that benefit both
ordinary citizens and major business leaders alike.
Among the many
contributions I consider especially meaningful, I remember with great pride the
development of the National Distributed Generation Strategy. This was the first
national energy strategy I began shaping after joining the Secretariat of Energy.
It was developed with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB),
which provided the technical assistance necessary for its implementation.
However, during the early co-creation stages, it took time to define a policy
scope ambitious enough to accelerate the rapid growth of a market projected to
reach $2 billion in the short term.
Today, I
celebrate with great satisfaction that Panama’s installed distributed
generation capacity has grown from approximately 30 MW to more than 200 MW. If
the actions outlined in the strategy are fully implemented, the country is
expected to experience exponential growth over the next two years.
Another
initiative I remember with particular satisfaction is the Energy Transition
Communication Strategy. In the midst of profound transformations within the
energy sector, the importance of providing society with clear, accessible, and
timely information—communicated in a language that reflects people’s cultural
realities—is often underestimated.
One of the
experiences I cherish most from my professional journey was designing and
implementing a photovoltaic solar energy training program for women in the
Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca. That experience transformed my life completely. Witnessing
the personal growth, confidence, and remarkable capacity-building process of 85
rural women was profoundly rewarding—especially hearing them share their own
stories of resilience while becoming living role models within their
communities.
After one of the
training sessions, I was particularly struck by the talent and clarity of a
participant named Lilibeth Jiménez. I invited her to share her story of
resilience at a climate change event in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. During that
trip, she spoke to me about the achievements of the “Solar Champions”
(Campeonas Solares) program and shared a reflection that fundamentally
transformed my understanding of the energy transition. She told me: “The program
lacked psychological support to help manage the cultural impact of gaining
access to electricity and becoming women who generate income within the
community.”
Her words made me
realize that the energy transition transcends technology, economics, and
productivity. As policymakers, we do not simply promote development; we also
intervene—sometimes profoundly—in the cultural dynamics of our societies. This
is an area that deserves far deeper reflection and much more careful study.
Our societies
must deepen their understanding of gender equality. Beyond being a fundamental
human right, it is essential for building peaceful societies, fully developing
human potential, and achieving sustainable development. For this reason, I
encourage today’s youth to expand their collaboration networks not only with
women, but with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, always
remembering that talent has no ethnicity, no face, and no gender. Gender
equality is not solely a women’s issue; it is a global development imperative.
As part of my
legacy, I aspire to continue contributing to a future in which the economies of
my country, Latin America, and the world are sustained by renewable energy. I
dream of a new global status quo in which more than 80% of the energy we
consume comes from sources capable of regenerating without harming natural
resources. But above all, I dream of a world where people can breathe with the
certainty of clean and healthy air.
I will continue
building bridges—between governments, the private sector, international
cooperation organizations, communities, and diverse talents. I will continue
working with determination so that young people have greater opportunities than
I did, and so that women of all ethnicities and ages find in the energy and
environmental sectors a meaningful space in which to grow and thrive
professionally.
All of this while we continue, together, to protect and care for our common home.
Note: The story is written by its protagonist.
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