The Washington Foreign Law Society
in collaboration with the Luiss Alumni Network
has the pleasure to invite you to the following event:
Climate diplomacy in a changing world: opportunities for sustainable growth
Wednesday 15 April 2026
From 5:00 to 7:30 PM ET (including reception)
Location: 601 13th Street NW (Homer Building), Suite 700S - Eni
Please register below.
If you are not yet a member of the WFLS, please join here.
As countries confront the dual challenge of ensuring energy security while meeting decarbonization goals, effective climate diplomacy plays a key role in aligning national priorities with global commitments, fostering partnerships and mobilizing the political and financial capital needed to accelerate the energy transition. The discussion will highlight how technological advancements, public-private partnerships, and international cooperation can unlock new pathways for scaling clean energy solutions and achieving sustainable growth.
Panelists:
Francesco Corvaro, Special Envoy for Climate Change of Italy
Francesco Graziani, Counsellor for Climate & Energy, EU Delegation
Moderator: Michael Teodori, Board Member, WFLS
Introduction by: Alexandra Bochnakova, President of the WFLS
Francesco Corvaro, Special Envoy for Climate Change of Italy
Francesco Corvaro is the Special Envoy for Climate Change of the Italian Government and a Professor at the Università Politecnica delle Marche. Appointed in 2022, he represents Italy in high-level international climate negotiations, including UNFCCC processes, G7, and G20 working groups. He plays a key role in fostering multilateral dialogue and advancing Italy’s climate diplomacy, particularly within the Mediterranean and the European Union.
With a background in energy systems and environmental engineering, Professor Corvaro brings academic and technical expertise to global climate policy. He is committed to promoting sustainable development, resilience, and innovation through science-based and inclusive approaches. His work supports Italy’s leadership in the global transition toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
Francesco Graziani, Counsellor for Climate & Energy, EU Delegation
Francesco Maria joined the EU Delegation in Washington DC in November 2023 as the Counsellor for Energy and Climate.
Prior to his current posting in the U.S., he was Policy Assistant to the Director General at the
European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy in Brussels. He also held the position of Legal Officer for Renewables and Energy System Integration Policy at the European Commission.
Francesco Maria holds an LL.M. in International Trade Law from the Georgetown University Law Center and a Master’s Degree in Public Law from Luiss – Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali in Rome. He also studied in Helsinki, Finland through the ERASMUS programme. He carried out legal private practice in international law firms as a qualified attorney in New York and Italy before joining the European Commission.
Moderator: Michael Teodori
Michael is US Policy and Advocacy Specialist at Eni, Italy's largest energy company. Prior to joining Eni, Michael was a Congressional Liaison Officer at the US politics and Congressional affairs office of the Italian Embassy in Washington DC, where he focused on US-Italy relations. Michael was also a Schuman trainee at the European Parliament. In that capacity he worked at the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington, DC, as well as at the European Parliament Legal Service in Brussels. Michael previously also worked at LCA Studio Legale, a law firm based in Milan (Italy) where he was embedded in the corporate department.Michael holds a combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Pavia (Italy) and a joint M.A. in transatlantic affairs from the College of Europe (Bruges) and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (Medford, MA), where he specialized in EU and international law with a focus on privacy and digital policies. His most recent thesis was entitled “The CLOUD Act and the EU’s e-evidence proposal: A transatlantic perspective on extraterritoriality and conflicts of jurisdiction in the digital age.” He is a dual US-Italian citizen and speaks English, Italian, and French.
Alexandra Bochnakova. Alexandra is the President of the Washington Foreign Law Society. She is an international and corporate lawyer licensed in France and in the United States. Alexandra is currently working as Corporate Governance Director at Finca Impact Finance, Washington DC, a microfinance institution with over 10 subsidiaries in emerging nations.
Previously, she worked as Corporate Governance Director at Pierre Fabre Group, France, a pharmaceutical group with over one hundred subsidiaries in France and worldwide.
Prior to that, she was the founding partner of SELAS Bochnakova, a boutique law firm focused on international business transactions and cross-border matters. In parallel, she was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toulouse 1 Capitole and ESICAD Business School in Toulouse, France.
She holds an LL.M in International Business and Economic Law from Georgetown University (USA), a PhD in Comparative Law and a Master in Business Law from the Université de Toulouse 1, Capitole (France). She also has a Certificate in International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution from Georgetown University Law Center.