Christiana Figueres took over the UN climate process at its lowest point, after the collapse of the Copenhagen summit – and rebuilt it, conversation by conversation, into the process that delivered the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Her method was itself the message: inclusive diplomacy, genuine engagement with civil society, and what she calls stubborn optimism – the refusal to treat a livable future as naive. Under her leadership, voices that had been kept outside the negotiating rooms, including youth and frontline communities, became part of how the process worked.
Achievements
- Led the UNFCCC from post-Copenhagen crisis to the 2015 Paris Agreement
- Made inclusive diplomacy and civil society engagement central to climate negotiations
- Continues as one of the world's most influential climate voices
In Planet vs. Patriarchy: Our strength lies in collaboration.