Published on May 22, 2013
This lecture is organised by the Centre for International Environmental Studies
http://graduateinstitute.ch/cies
The UN General Assembly elected Achim Steiner in 2006 (a German and Brazilian national) as the fifth Executive Director of UNEP, and in 2010, it re-elected him for another four-year term. He served as Director-General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi (2009-2011).
Before joining UNEP, Mr Steiner was Director-General of IUCN (2001 — 2006), and prior to that Secretary-General of the World Commission on Dams (1998 – 2001). His professional career has included assignments with governmental, non-governmental and international organisations in different parts of the world. He worked both at grassroots level as well as at the highest levels of international policy-making to address the interface between environmental sustainability, social equity and economic development.
His educational background includes studies in development economics and political science, as well as regional planning, international development and environment policy at the Universities of Oxford, London and the German Development Institute. He serves on a number of international advisory boards, including the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED).
Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice
Transition Studies 