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Christiana Figueres

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Christiana Figueres
NameChristiana Figueres
Birth nameKaren Christiana Figueres Olsen
Birth date7 August 1956
Birth placeSan José, Costa Rica
NationalityCosta Rican
Alma materSwarthmore College, London School of Economics
OccupationDiplomat, Environmentalist
Known forUNFCCC Executive Secretary, Paris Agreement
SpouseKonrad von Ritter
FatherJosé Figueres Ferrer
MotherKaren Olsen Beck
RelativesJosé Figueres Olsen (brother)

Christiana Figueres is a Costa Rican diplomat and environmental leader renowned for her pivotal role in international climate negotiations. As the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 2010 to 2016, she was instrumental in rebuilding global diplomacy and delivering the landmark Paris Agreement. Her career spans decades of advocacy, focusing on sustainable development, climate finance, and multilateral cooperation, earning her numerous international accolades.

Early life and education

Born into a prominent political family in San José, Costa Rica, she is the daughter of three-time President José Figueres Ferrer, who abolished the Costa Rican military, and former ambassador Karen Olsen Beck. She attended the German School San José before moving to the United States for higher education. She earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and later received a master's degree in anthropology from the London School of Economics. Her academic background in social systems laid a foundation for her understanding of global policy challenges.

Career

Her early professional work focused on development and forestry in Costa Rica and Latin America, including positions with the Costa Rican Ministry of Planning and as Director of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Agriculture. She served as a senior advisor to several United Nations agencies and founded the non-profit Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas. She also represented Costa Rica in climate negotiations for many years, building a reputation as a skilled and persistent negotiator on issues like the Clean Development Mechanism and climate finance.

Role in the Paris Agreement

Appointed Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the wake of the failed Copenhagen summit, she undertook a deliberate campaign to restore trust in the multilateral process. She cultivated a "can-do" spirit, engaging directly with governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations like the World Economic Forum and The Climate Group. Her leadership was critical in the complex negotiations leading to the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris. She worked closely with key figures including Laurent Fabius of France and Todd Stern of the United States to secure the unanimous adoption of the historic accord.

Post-2015 advocacy and leadership

After leaving the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, she co-founded the strategic initiative Global Optimism with Tom Rivett-Carnac. She continues to be a leading voice for climate action, co-hosting the podcast "Outrage + Optimism" and authoring the book The Future We Choose. She serves on the boards of several organizations, including ACCIONA and the World Resources Institute, and is a member of the The B Team and the Council of Women World Leaders. She remains a frequent speaker at major forums like TED and the World Bank.

Awards and recognition

Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors. She has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru and the National Order of the Legion of Honour from France. In 2016, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People. Other accolades include the Campeones de la Tierra award from the United Nations Environment Programme and the German Sustainability Award. She has received honorary doctorates from institutions such as Yale University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Personal life

She is married to Konrad von Ritter, a German sustainable development economist. They have two daughters and split their time between Costa Rica and Washington, D.C.. An avid runner, she has completed several marathons. Her brother, José Figueres Olsen, served as President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998, continuing the family's legacy of public service.

Category:Costa Rican diplomats Category:Climate change activists Category:United Nations officials Category:1956 births Category:Living people