Meet Christiana Figueres
Christiana Figueres is a Costa Rican citizen, an internationally recognised leader on global climate change and former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
About Christiana
Christiana is best known for her role as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2010-2016.
What is Christiana doing to regenerate the planet?
Assuming responsibility for the international climate change negotiations after the failed Copenhagen conference of 2009, Christiana was determined to lead the process to a universally agreed regulatory framework. Her efforts culminated in the historical Paris Agreement of 2015. Throughout her time with the UN Christiana brought together national and sub national governments, corporations and activists, financial institutions and communities of faith, think tanks and technology providers, NGOs and parliamentarians, to jointly deliver the unprecedented climate change agreement. For this incredible achievement she has been credited with forging a new brand of collaborative diplomacy.
Since then Christiana has continued to accelerate the global response to climate change. Today she is the co-founder of Global Optimism, co-host of the podcast “Outrage & Optimism” and is the co-author of the recently published book, “The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis".
Actions you can take to engage with her work:
- Watch her TED Talk
- Subscribe to the Outrage & Optimism podcast
- Read her book The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis
- Join Count Us In and start tackling the climate crisis
- Join The Climate Pledge for business
Collective responses
Change what we measure and incentivise
This response asks us to broaden our metrics of success; to move away from a narrow economic focus, and to make visible and measurable other aspects of our lives that we care about and would like to see improved.
Embed Indigenous wisdom
This response requires us to listen and learn from Indigenous cultures around the world - then integrate these learnings.
Upgrade democracy
This response urges us to tap into the exciting participatory democracy movements and experiments that are taking place at a national or local level around the world.
Educating girls & empowering women
This response encourages us to activate our agency, skills and resources to support girls’ education and elevate women with opportunities for growth, employment and leadership.
Give Rights To Nature
This response requires our legal systems to acknowledge that we are dependent on, and in partnership with, nature - and to evolve by granting personhood rights to ecosystems so that they may be protected under law.
