Speakers 2011

Founder of The William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States of America William Jefferson Clinton was the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice – first in 1992 and then in 1996. Under his leadership, the country enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs. After leaving the White House,...

Prof. José AchacheThe Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

José Achache became the first Director of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat in 2005. Of French nationality, Prof. Achache began his career at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris as a Research Assistant and then as “Chargé de Recherche”. In 1989, he became a Professor, created the Department of Space Studies and was appointed Director of the Graduate School of Earth Sciences.In 1996, he joined the French Geological Survey (...

Achim SteinerUNEP Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

Acting on the nomination of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN General Assembly in 2006 unanimously elected Achim Steiner as the Executive Director of UNEP for a four-year term. He became the fifth Executive Director in UNEP's history. At its 83rd plenary meeting in 2010, the UN General Assembly, on the proposal of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, re-elected as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme...

Adel Abdelkader Ph.D, Regional Coordinator, UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA)-West Asia

Adel Abdel-Kader is currently the Officer of Charge of UNEP Regional Office for West Asia, and the Regional Coordinator of UNEP's Division of Early Warning Assessment. He is an expert in integrated environmental assessment and reporting, policy analysis, environmental information systems and knowledge management; coastal and marine environment, decision support, strategic planning and management, scenario development, and the use of remote...

Alessandro AnnoniInstitute for Environment & Sustainability

He has a degree in Physics from the University of Milan and worked in the private sector until 1996, managing companies specialising in GIS, earth observation and software development. He joined the JRC in 1997.Alessandro has more than 25 years experience in various environmental fields, working on spatial planning, spatial analysis, environmental modelling, geo-information and related technologies, remote sensing, image processing, system...

Cathrine ArmourEye on Earth

Originally from Australia, Cathrine has worked in the consulting, spatial and manufacturing industries across the Middle East, South East Asia, India and the UK. She holds responsibility for the delivering the vision, mission and objectives of Abu Dhabi Global Data Initiative (AGEDI) encompassing organisational development, local, regional and international partner engagement, operational management and developing the strategy and business plan...

Narayamoga SuruiPolitical Activist & Tribal Chief

Almir Narayamoga Surui, 32, an environmentalist, political activist and tribal chief, has been fighting to save both his Surui tribe and the Amazon rainforest for more than 15 years. His efforts are credited with almost single-handedly bringing his tribe back from the brink of extinction. His opposition to logging, mining, agricultural and other development interests in favour of more sustainable ventures in western Brazil has made him the...

Daniel EdelsonNational Geographic Society

Textbook author, software developer and educational researcher, Danny Edelson has dedicated his career to improving young people's understanding of the world they live in and their role in determining its future. In his position as vice president for education, he oversees National Geographic's outreach to educators and its efforts to improve geographic and geoscience education in the United States and abroad. This work includes the creation of...

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment and Sustainable Development, U.S. Department of State

became Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science on August 20, 2006. He is responsible for a broad suite of issues related to environmental protection and conservation, including: transboundary air quality, protection of the stratospheric ozone layer, international chemicals management, the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, persistent organic pollutants, environmental...

David Jhirad John Hopkins University

Former professor and researcher at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Brookhaven National Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Boston University and the University of Massachusetts; was special advisor on energy and climate and Vice President of Research and Evaluation at The Rockefeller Foundation and was Vice President for Science and Research at the World Resources Institute; served in the U.S. Department of Energy...

World Agroforestry Centre

From 1992 to 2002 Dr Garrity served as Regional Coordinator of the ICRAF Southeast Asia Programme, based in Bogor, Indonesia . He created the regional programme, and led the systems improvement research in the region to develop and evaluate agroforestry alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture. He worked extensively on the development of conservation-oriented agroforestry systems for sloping uplands. He has been active in the development of...

Dr. Gilberto CâmaraNational Institute for Space Research, Brazil

Dr. Gilberto Câmara (born 1956) is a researcher in the areas of Geoinformatics, Spatial Databases, and Environmental Modelling. He is General Director of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) for the period 2010 to 2013, on a second four-year mandate, and is internationally known for defending free access for geospatial data and software. Câmara set up the open access policy for the images from the CBERS China-Brazil Earth...

Dr. , DBEBritish Primatologist, Ethologist, Anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace

is the most famous chimpanzee expert in the world. A colleague of anthropologist Louis Leakey in Kenya in the late 1950s, she began studying the social organization of chimpanzees in 1960, in what is now Tanzania. She obtained her PhD from Cambridge in 1965, and in 1967 she established Tanzania's Gombe Stream Research Centre. Her research, based on extensive field work, is considered a milestone in the study of chimpanzees. Goodall...

Dr. Mark J. PlotkinAmazon Conservation Team

Dr. is a renowned ethnobotanist and social entrepreneur who has spent almost three decades studying traditional plant use with elder Shamans (traditional healers) of tropical America. As an ethnobotanist-a scientist who studies how, and why, societies have come to use plants for different purposes-Dr. Plotkin carried out the majority of his research with the Trio Indians of southern Suriname, a small rainforest country in...

Dr. Sylvia A. Earle Leading American Oceanographer and former Chief Scientist

Sylvia A. Earle (born 1935) is a leading American oceanographer and former chief scientist. Earle is a devout advocate of public education regarding the importance of the oceans as an essential environmental habitat.Sylvia A. Earle is a former chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a leading American oceanographer. She was among the first underwater explorers to make use of modern self-contained...

Elisabeth Maruma MremaCMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals), UNEP

Ms. Mrema served for many years as a career diplomat and senior environmental lawyer at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with a particular focus on international environmental law, compliance and enforcement of environmental conventions as well as international environmental negotiations. In 2007, Ms. Mrema received the first-ever UNEP-wide Best Manager of the Year Award, entitled the UNEP Baobab Staff Award, for exceptional...

Eric I. Van Praag A.GeoSUR Program

Mr. Eric van Praag currently coordinates the GeoSUR Program, a Latin American Spatial Data Infrastructure Initiative led by CAF – The Latin American Development Bank and the Pan-American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH). GeoSUR has established the first Latin American Network of geospatial data providers, in support of better project planning and decision making in the region. Mr. van Praag also serves as the Information Technology...

H.E Razan Khalifa Al MubarakSecretary General, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD)

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak joined the Environment Agency- Abu Dhabi (EAD) in May 2010. As Secretary General, she leads an organization responsible for championing environmental sustainability, conserving Abu Dhabi’s biodiversity, protecting groundwater and ensuring that the economic vision for Abu Dhabi is achieved in a way that protects our natural heritage and maintains a good quality of life for all, now and for the future. Razan is also the...

H.E. Mr. Sha ZukangDESA

Mr. Sha Zukang is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General heading the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), which is responsible for the follow-up to the major United Nations Summits and Conferences, and services the Second and Third Committees of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council as well as the vast majority of its functional commissions and expert bodies. He also convenes inter-agency coordinating mechanisms...

Harlan J. Onsrud GSDI

Harlan J. Onsrud is Professor of Spatial Information Science and Engineering at the University of Maine and a research scientist with the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA). He teaches courses in information systems law, cadastral and land information systems, environmental law and land development design. Dr. Onsrud’s research focuses on the analysis of legal, ethical, and institutional issues affecting the creation...

Helena Molin-ValdésDeputy Director UN-ISDR , Switzerland

Helena Molin-Valdés is currently the Deputy Director of the United Nations - International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Secretariat in Geneva, where she has co-ordinated a number of projects and tasks. She is also co-ordinating the Making Cities Resilient campaign 2010-2011. She was a key person from UNISDR in the development and negotiation of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2004-2005, she co-ordinated editing and production team of...

Institute for Liberty and Democracy

Mr. de Soto is currently President of the ILD —headquartered in Lima, Peru— considered by The Economist as one of the two most important think tanks in the world. Time magazine chose him as one of the five leading Latin American innovators of the century in its special May 1999 issue “Leaders for the New Millennium”, and included him among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004. Mr. de Soto was also listed as one of 15 innovators...

ESRI

A landscape architect by training, founded Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) in 1969 with a vision that computer mapping and analysis could make significant contributions to geographic planning and environmental science. A global pioneer in the development of innovative mapping and spatial analysis products for academic, public, and private uses, Dangermond has lead the geospatial revolution which has transformed...

Jan A. HartkeClinton Climate Initiative, Earth Council Alliance

Mr. Hartke joined the Clinton Climate Initiative in 2006, specializing in energy efficiency, clean energy, and agroforestry issues as they affect climate change and poverty reduction. Mr. Hartke led delegations for the Clinton Climate Initiative to Tokyo, Istanbul, Berlin, Dhaka, Cairo, Paris, Rome, Bogota, Melbourne, Seoul, London, Mexico City in addition to several major US cities as part of the C40 program to help the largest cities in the...

John E. ScanlonCITES

John E. Scanlon was appointed Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), one of the oldest and best known Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements, on 2nd May 2010. During his tenure, he has implemented a number of bold initiatives related to the use of new information and communication technologies to assist in efforts to conserve and sustainably use species found in the wild...

Julia Marton-LefèvreIUCN

IUCN the world’s largest conservation membership organisation, which brings together States, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, scientists and experts in a unique worldwide partnership. Prior to this, Julia was Rector of the University for Peace (UPEACE), Executive Director of LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) International, and Executive Director of the International Council for Science (ICSU). She is a member...

Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ushahidi Inc

is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ushahidi Inc, a non-profit tech company, born in Africa, which specializes in developing free and open source software for information collection, interactive mapping and data curation. Ushahidi builds tools for democratizing information, increasing transparency and lowering the barriers for individuals to share their stories.Juliana has worked in the telecommunications and data...

Director of The Access Initiative

Since joining WRI in June 2005, Lalanath has been focusing on helping over 150 civil society groups in over 40 countries assess the status of access to information, public participation and access to justice in their countries. Through these assessments, TAI partners identify gaps in access laws, practices and institutions and undertake activities that will change the situation on the ground.

Lelei LelauluFoundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific

Lelei LeLaulu is a development entrepreneur working at the confluence of climate change, tourism, food security and renewable energy. A coordinator of the Oceania Sustainable Tourism Alliance, Lelei is also Executive Director of the Small Island Developing States Climate Change Alliance of the Earth Council and President of the renewable energy company, Sustainable Solutions in the Dominican Republic. He is Chairman of the Foundation for the...

ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau

was elected Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau by the Plenipotentiary Conference 2006 in Antalya, Turkey. He took office on 1 January 2007. On 7 October 2010 he was re-elected for a second term by the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, and began his second term on 1 January 2011. During his time in office he has raised awareness of the significance of the standardisation work of ITU...

, Ph.D. Global Footprint Network

Mathis is co-creator of the Ecological Footprint and has worked on sustainability issues for government agencies, NGOs and businesses on all continents. Mathis previously served as the director of the Sustainability Program at Redefining Progress in Oakland, California, and ran the Centro de Estudios para la Sustentabilidad in Xalapa, Mexico. Mathis has authored or contributed to over 50 peer-reviewed papers, numerous articles and reports and...

Global Environment Facility

Mrs. , a French national, is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairperson of the GEF since August 2006.She was appointed by a unanimous decision of the GEF Council on June 2006. During her tenure and following its fourth replenishment at a level of $3.13 billion, she has undertaken a revitalization of the GEF organization to make it a more effective, responsive and results– based institution. In November 2008, Mrs. Barbut was...

Mr. Thani Al-ZeyoudiInternational Renewable Energy Agency, Directorate of Energy and Climate Change at UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Thani Al-Zeyoudi is the Department Head of the International Renewable Energy Agency "IRENA" within the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs – The Directorate of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on secondment basis. Thani is also the Focal Point of the UAE on issues related to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). He has supported the joint efforts of the Government of the United Arab Emirates and effectively participated throughout the...

AFED

An architect by training, is publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia (Environment & Development), the leading pan-Arab magazine on sustainable development and Secretary General of Arab Forum for Environment & Development (AFED). He has a varied experience, ranging from designing for multi-nationals like General Motors and lecturing on corporate architecture at the American University of Beirut, to advising various...

Paul Cheung UNSD

Professor Paul Cheung is the Director of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations in New York. In this role, he facilitates the development of the global statistical system and coordinates the work of the United Nations Statistical Commission. He oversees a programme of work that includes the development of international statistical standards, the dissemination of global...

DEWA

Peter holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Management and a PhD in Forestry and Forest Product Techniques. He brings to UNEP more than 20 years experience as an environmental scientist, project manager and strategist with the US Government, academia, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and, currently, the private sector where he collaborated closely with the US space agency NASA. As a scientist, Peter has gained international recognition and...

Philippe Cousteau, Jr.Chief Ocean Correspondent for Animal Planet and Planet Green, co Founder of EarthEcho International and Azure Worldwide

Philippe Cousteau , Jr - Explorer, Social Entrepreneur and Environmental Advocate Philippe Cousteau is the 31-year-old son of Jan and Philippe Cousteau Sr., and the grandson of Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau. As a member of the legendary family, Philippe is continuing the work of his father through EarthEcho International (www.earthecho.org), the non-profit organisation he founded with his sister and mother and of which he serves as President....

Prof. EEA

Professor is Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, on secondment from University College London. Previous appointments have included Centre Director at UK Natural Environment Research Council, Professor at Warwick University, Institute Director FZ, Jülich and Senior Scientist in the Canadian Federal Government. She has published more than 200 scientific papers, articles and books in marine science, ecosystem...

VP Global Sustainability Programs

, a British national, became Director of the Environment and Social Development Department at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in January 2004. Prior to this appointment, she was Principal Specialist in the Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman of IFC/MIGA. She managed the Ombudsman function, investigating and offering conflict resolution to complaints filed in relation to the private sector activities of IFC and...

Google Earth Outreach and Earth Engine Google, Inc.

is a computer scientist and longtime software professional. At Google, she conceived and leads the Google Earth Outreach program, which supports nonprofits, communities and indigenous peoples around the world in applying Google's mapping tools to the world's pressing problems in areas such as environmental conservation, human rights and creating a sustainable society. Her personal work using Google Earth was instrumental...

Rick FedrizziU.S. Green Building Council

Rick Fedrizzi was named President and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2004, after a distinguished 25-year career at United Technologies subsidiary Carrier Corporation. He was elected chair of the World Green Building Council in October 2011. The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) is a coalition of representing green building councils in 89 countries around the world.Under his leadership at the USGBC, more than 100,000...

Rolph Payet President and Vice-Chancellor & Special Advisor to the President of Seychelles, University of Seychelles

As an international policy expert and researcher on environment and island issues, Rolph Payet is currently Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Seychelles on numerous environmental matters including sustainable development, biodiversity, climate change, energy, and international environment policy. Rolph Payet is founding member/trustee of the Global Island Partnership, the Sea Level Rise Foundation, the Seychelles University...

Conservation International

Whether clasping the hand of a world leader in a firm handshake or gently cradling a mouse lemur in his palm, there is no one on Earth quite like . When he isn’t hip deep in piranha-infested waters, he’s hammering out agreements between CI and indigenous tribes or multinational corporations. The man once described as the Indiana Jones of conservation is the only working field biologist at the head of a major international...

EARTH CHARTER INTERNATIONAL YOUTH TASK FORCE GROUP COUNTRY ACTIVATOR

EARTH CHARTER INTERNATIONAL YOUTH TASK FORCE GROUP COUNTRY ACTIVATOR -UAETUNZA ECO GENERATION REGIONAL AMBASSADOR MIDDLE EASTSPOKESPERSON AND AMBASSADOR FOR COSMO FOUNDATION (AN NGO WITH EDUCATION INITIATIVE) INDIA AND UAEYOUTH AMBASSADOR FOR PEACE, EMRGING FUTURE YOUTH NETWORKAMBASSADOR CONNECT FOR DIABETES-RAISE YOUR HANDS FOR AFRICASTUDENT MEMBER OF EMIRATES ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP DUBAI, UAESTUDENT OF THE MILLENNIUM SCHOOL DUBAI, UAE Represents...

Steven RamageOGC

The OGC is the industry standards body for all things related to spatial technology and location, namely addressing geospatial data exchange and interoperability. The consortium members operate across a large range of domains including built environment, emergency and disaster management, and the geosciences. Steven is responsible for the management of a broad range of marketing, communications and education program activities worldwide. These...

Vice-President of the Global Board of Plant-for-the-Planet- the Billion Tree Campaign, Student Inititative and Goodwill ambassador of Tarumitra – an NGO of more that 1700 high schools across India

A grade 11 student from St.Fidelis School, Lucknow, has served as the representative of Asia and the Pacific region in the Junior Board of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) from 2008 to 2010 and currently is Vice-President of the Global Board of Plant-for-the-Planet- the Billion Tree Campaign, Student Inititative and Goodwill ambassador of Tarumitra – an NGO of more that 1700 high schools across India. She had been coined the name “...

CONTRIBUTORS

Speakers 2011