Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres
Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
In office
1 July 2010  18 July 2016
Secretary-
General
Ban Ki-moon
Preceded by Yvo de Boer
Succeeded by Patricia Espinosa
Personal details
Born Karen Christiana Figueres Olsen
(1956-08-07) 7 August 1956
San José, Costa Rica
Political party National Liberation Party
Spouse(s) Konrad von Ritter (former World Bank executive, owner of WEnergy Global Pte Ltd)
Children Naima
Yihana
Alma mater Swarthmore College
London School of Economics
Website Official website

Karen Christiana Figueres Olsen (born 7 August 1956) is a Costa Rican diplomat with 35 years of experience in high level national and international policy and multilateral negotiations. She was appointed Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in July 2010,[1] six months after the failed COP15 in Copenhagen.[2] During the next six years she dedicated herself[3] to rebuilding the global climate change negotiating process based on fairness, transparency and collaboration, leading to the 2015 Paris Agreement, widely recognized as a historical achievement.[4] Over the years she has worked in the fields of climate change, sustainable development, energy, land use, technical and financial cooperation. She is a frequent public speaker[5] and widely published author.[6] She is the mother of two young women, and speaks Spanish, English, and German.

Early life

Figueres was born in San José, Costa Rica. Her father, José Figueres Ferrer, was President of Costa Rica[7] three times. Figueres’ mother, Karen Olsen Beck, served as Costa Rican Ambassador to Israel in 1982 and was a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1990–1994. The couple had four children. Figueres' older brother José Figueres Olsen, was also President of Costa Rica (1994–1998).

Growing up in La Lucha, Figueres attended the local Cecilia Orlich grammar school. She moved to the German Humboldt Schule in the capital and later graduated from Lincoln High School. She travelled to England for a year of A Level studies before entering Swarthmore College[8] in Pennsylvania. As part of her studies in anthropology, she lived in Bribri, Talamanca, a remote indigenous village in the Southeastern plateau of Costa Rica for one year, designing a culturally-sensitive literacy program which was used by the Ministry of Education for several years.

Figueres joined botanist Dr. Russell Seibert to improve nutritional conditions in Western Samoa using highly nutritious plants.

She then went to the London School of Economics for a master's degree in social anthropology and graduated in 1981. She met there and later married German-born Konrad von Ritter (former head of the World Bank’s sustainable development unit).[9] Her husband Konrad von Ritter founded a small (up to 50 employers) company WEnergy Global Pte Ltd in Singapore[10] which is also working in green energy and ecology sector.[11] He wrote several papers about ecology problems for World Bank during 2003-2004.[12] He has been working as a Sector Manager of Environmentally & Socially Sustainable Development department in World Bank Institute[13] in 2006. The couple have two daughters with Arabic names: Naima (March 1988) and Yihana (December 1989).[14][15]

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Following the failed COP15 climate change conference in Copenhagen,[16][17] the UN Secretary General appointed Christiana Figueres as new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, starting her first term in July 2010.[1]

During her tenure as Executive Secretary, she led the UN Climate Change Secretariat’s successful delivery of six consecutive yearly global negotiation sessions, culminating in the historical Paris Agreement in December 2015.[18][19] Her engagement and close collaboration with yearly rotating presidencies (Mexico,[20] South Africa,[21] Qatar,[22] Poland,[23] Peru[24] and France) [25] provided the necessary framework and continuity that allowed every annual negotiation to build incrementally solid ground of common purpose.

Under the presidency of Patricia Espinosa (Mexico) COP16/CMP6[26] in 2010 marked a radical departure from the previous conference in Copenhagen delivering a comprehensive package infrastructure to assist developing nations including the Green Climate Fund, the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism,[27] and the Cancun Adaptation Framework.[28][29]

At COP17/CMP7 held in Durban in December 2011,[30] governments committed for the first time to collectively developing a new universal climate change agreement by 2015 for the period beyond 2020.[31] The work toward that global legal framework was initiated at COP18/CMP8 Doha in November 2012,[32] at the same time as the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol was adopted under the Doha Amendment.[33]

In COP19/CMP9 in Warsaw in 2013[34] governments continued to work toward the global framework but also adopted a rulebook for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and a mechanism to address loss and damage caused by long-term climate change impacts. Gathering in Lima for COP20/CMP10 at the end of 2014,[35] governments defined the core elements of the upcoming agreement, and agreed on the ground rules to submit national contributions in the run up to the 2015 negotiation.

COP21/CMP11 held in Paris in December 2015 has been widely heralded as a historic achievement.[36] With the leadership of the United Nations Secretary-General and President Hollande of France, and beating all previous records of Head of State gatherings on one day, 155 Heads of State came together under one roof to send a strong political signal of support for an ambitious and effective agreement.[37] On the final day under the presidency of Laurent Fabius the 195 governments which are Parties to the Climate Change Convention unanimously adopted Paris Agreement, accelerating the intentional transformation of the global economy toward low carbon and high resilience.[38]

As secretariat of the UNFCCC, Ms. Figueres’ emphasized that governments, particularly in developing countries, cannot act on climate change exclusively out of global concern, and that climate change should be reframed to address the priorities and interests of each nation. She advocated that the pursuit of climate change should be addressed as a vehicle through which each country can pursue economic stability and growth, greater energy independence, better food and water security, and healthier citizens.

Similarly, Ms. Figueres spent much of her tenure actively approaching key stakeholders beyond governments by actively engaging corporations,[39] insurance companies,[40] the science community,[41] faith groups,[42] youth[43] and women’s groups,[44] and other members of society,[45] encouraging them to partake in the global efforts to address climate change. In 2013, she addressed the World Coal Association, acknowledging that the coal industry faces risks in adjusting to climate change, but inviting them to be a part of the global solution.[46]

Christiana Figueres completes her second term as Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC on 6 July 2016.[47]

United Nations Secretary-General selection

On 7 July 2016, Christina Figueres became the official Costa Rican candidate for the United Nations Secretary General.

The UN's role in the Haiti cholera outbreak has been widely discussed and criticized. There is evidence that the UN was the proximate cause for bringing cholera to Haiti. Peacekeepers sent to Haiti from Nepal were carrying asymptomatic cholera and they did not treat their waste properly before dumping it into Haiti's water stream.[48] During the UNSG debate held by Al Jazeera, Christina Figuerres raised her hand when the candidates were all asked who thought victims of cholera deserved an apology.[49]

37 human rights organizations recently signed onto a UN Secretary General accountability pledge. This pledge asks the candidates to take action on two human rights violations that have tarnished the United Nations' image: failing to provide remedies for victims of cholera in Haiti, and sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers.[50] Despite her bold and positive stance at the UNSG debates, her office declined to support the pledge. Her office did say "while she cannot sign any pledge on any topic, you have heard where she stands. Furthermore, she realizes that she is positively influencing the SG race agenda and she looks forward to further engagement on UN accountability issues."[51]

Prior professional experience

Figueres began her public service career as Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Costa Rica in Bonn, West Germany, from 1982 to 1985.[52] She directed the work of all departments of the Embassy, and re-negotiated the terms of technical assistance, development finance and cooperation between both countries.[53]

Returning to Costa Rica in 1987, Figueres was named Director of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Planning.[54] There she designed and directed the negotiation of comprehensive financial and technical cooperation programs with eight European countries (total investment US $90 million), and supervised the evaluation of all national technical and financial assistance requests. A year later she was made Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture.[55] She supervised the execution of 22 national programs involving training, credit and marketing[56] (credit portfolio US $200 million). She reorganized the Minister's Bureau for greater teamwork and productivity, and designed coordination strategies among three major public institutions in the sector, eliminating duplications of services and contradictions in policy.

In 1989 Figueres moved with her husband to Washington DC, and for several years devoted herself to the upbringing of their two daughters, Naima born in March 1988 and Yihana born in December 1989. At the same time she pursued her interest in institutional re-structuring and effectiveness building by first attaining the Certification in Organization Development from Georgetown University in 1991, and then the Certificate in Organization and Systems Design from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland in 1993.

In 1994, Figueres re-entered professional life and became the Director of the Technical Secretariat of the Renewable Energy in the Americas (REIA) program, today housed at the Organization of the American States (OAS). She promoted hemispheric policies to advance the use of renewable energy technologies in Latin America, identifying barriers to investment and possible solutions. She developed coordination mechanisms among various US and Latin American agencies active in the field through close working relationships with the governments and private sectors of Chile, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, and Central America.[57]

Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas (CSDA)

In 1995 Figueres founded and became the Executive Director[58] of the Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas, a non profit organization dedicated to promoting the participation of Latin American countries[59] in the Climate Change Convention. Figueres developed and led the four programs of the Center:[60] capacity building, policy reform, project preparation and carbon finance. Some of her main accomplishments include:

International negotiator

Representing the Government of Costa Rica,[65][66] Christiana Figueres was a negotiator of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change 1995–2010.[67][68] In 1997 she provided critical international strategy for achieving developing country support and approval of the Kyoto Protocol and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). From 2007 to 2009 she was Vice President of the Bureau[69] of the Climate Convention, in representation of Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the years she chaired numerous international negotiations:[70]

Chair of the Contact Group on Guidance to the CDM Executive Board: Nairobi, December 2006;[71] Poznan, December 2008;[72] Copenhagen, December 2009.[73]

Chair of the Contact Group on flexibility mechanisms for the post 2012 regime, Bonn in June 2008,[74] Accra, Ghana[75] in August 2008, and Poznan in December 2008.[72]

Member of the Friends of the Chair Group that negotiated the Bali Action Plan for long term cooperative action of all nations, Bali, Indonesia, December 2007.[76]

Programmatic CDM

Aware that developing countries would need additional support to undertake mitigation efforts that go beyond traditional single-site CDM projects into the promotion of climate friendly policies and measures, in 2002 Figueres proposed a "Sectoral CDM" under which developing countries would be encouraged to develop regional or sectoral projects that may be the result of specific sustainable development policies. In 2005 she published a groundbreaking study proposing "programmatic CDM" whereby emission reductions are achieved not by one single site, but rather by multiple actions executed over time as the result of a government measure or a voluntary program.[77] She conceived Programmatic CDM as a way to mobilize mitigation activities that are highly dispersed and directly benefit the user, such as distributed renewable energy and end use energy efficiency, thereby bringing the benefit of the CDM to the household and small/medium enterprise level.[78] Programmatic CDM not only expands the sustainable development impact of the CDM, it also allows the scaling up of emission reduction activities in all sectors while reducing transaction costs, and enables the transition to more ambitious developing country emission reduction programs.

In December 2005 Figueres took the idea to the COP/MOP 1 in Montreal,[79] and achieved support for it on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. She then took the lead of negotiating the concept with the various groups of industrialized countries, finally attaing a COP/MOP decision to allow "programs of activities"[80] in the CDM (paragraph 20 of Decision CMP.1).[81] Two years later, as member of the CDM Executive Board, she achieved consensus on the rules and procedures for the submission of "programs of activities" in the CDM.[82][83] Programmatic CDM was recognized as one of the most innovative reforms of the CDM.

Private sector

Christiana Figueres has not only been active in the public arena and in the field of NGOs, in 2008 and 2009 she also collaborated actively with private sector companies that aligned themselves with climate friendly goals. Figueres served as Senior Adviser to C-Quest Capital, a carbon finance company focusing on programmatic CDM investments.[84] She was the Principal Climate Change Advisor to ENDESA Latinoamérica, the largest private utility in Latin America with operations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru. She was also Vice Chair of the Rating Committee of the Carbon Rating Agency, the first entity to apply credit rating expertise to carbon assets.[85][86]

Awards

More recently she has been widely recognized for her six-year effort to construct the necessary collaborations to deliver a global legally binding agreement that had previously seemed impossible.

Early leadership

References

  1. 1 2 "Secretary-General Appoints Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica as Executive Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change".
  2. "Sentient Developments - Five simple reasons why the Copenhagen Climate Conference failed".
  3. "Nicholas Stern responds to news that Christiana Figueres will step down from UNFCCC role".
  4. "World Approves Historic 'Paris Agreement' to Address Climate Change".
  5. "Christiana Figueres Speeches".
  6. "Christiana Figueres Publications".
  7. "Nature's 10: Ten people who mattered this year". 17 December 2015.
  8. "Abbreviations".
  9. http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/profile-christiana-figueres---unfccc-1187574
  10. http://www.wenergyglobal.com/board/board-of-directors/
  11. https://www.technocracy.news/index.php/2015/12/07/christiana-figueres-close-to-finish-line-but-it-isnt-a-fait-accompli/
  12. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/docsearch/author/m94129
  13. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/WBI/Resources/WBIOrgChart.pdf
  14. http://www.smh.com.au/good-weekend/ray-of-hope-christiana-figueres-20150601-ghe88m.html
  15. http://www.straitstimes.com/world/un-climate-chief-christiana-figueres-close-to-finish-line
  16. "Why did Copenhagen fail to deliver a climate deal?".
  17. http://www.usclimatenetwork.org/policy/understanding-the-copenhagen-accord
  18. "175 nations sign historic Paris climate deal on Earth Day".
  19. "Christiana Figueres: Top UN climate bod".
  20. "Cancun Climate Change Conference - November 2010".
  21. "Durban Climate Change Conference - November/December 2011".
  22. "Doha Climate Change Conference - November 2012".
  23. "Warsaw Climate Change Conference - November 2013".
  24. "Lima Climate Change Conference - December 2014".
  25. "Paris Climate Change Conference - November 2015".
  26. "Cancun Climate Change Conference - November 2010".
  27. UNFCCC Technology Mechanism, retrieved 14 July 2016
  28. "Cancun Agreements".
  29. Cancun Adaptation Framework, retrieved 14 July 2016
  30. "Doha Climate Change Conference - November 2012".
  31. "Durban: Towards full implementation of the UN Climate Change Convention".
  32. "Doha Climate Change Conference - November 2012".
  33. "Status of the Doha Amendment".
  34. "Warsaw Climate Change Conference - November 2013".
  35. "Lima Climate Change Conference - December 2014".
  36. "ADOPTION OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT" (PDF).
  37. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1758-5899.12345/abstract
  38. "Summary Highlights of UNFCCC COP 21".
  39. "Christiana Figueres: Why business matters at COP".
  40. "Insurers Unprepared for Global Warming, UN Climate Chief Says".
  41. "UN climate chief: Global warming above 2 degrees C is not an option".
  42. "UN Climate Head Christiana Figueres Urges Religious Leaders To Call For Fossil Fuel Divestment".
  43. "Christiana Figueres: "The biggest influence of youth is at home, in their home countries"".
  44. "Christiana Figueres: "Interview with Christiana Figueres: the role of women at the UN climate talks"".
  45. "Nicholas Stern responds to news that Christiana Figueres will step down from UNFCCC role".
  46. "Keynote address by Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary UNFCCC at the World Coal Association International Coal & Climate Summit". United Nations Environmental Programme. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  47. "UNFCCC Chief to Step Down in July Christiana Figueres Thanks Governments and Observers".
  48. "Advocacy Cholera Accountability". Ijdh.org. Retrieved 2016-07-01.
  49. http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2016/un-debate-secretary-general/
  50. http://www.codebluecampaign.com/press-releases/2016/7/27
  51. http://www.codebluecampaign.com/press-releases/2016/8/1
  52. "CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY DAY". Inter-American Development Bank. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  53. "Christiana Figueres" (PDF). figueresonline.com. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  54. Brzoska, Michael; Scheffran, Jürgen; Günter Brauch, Hans; Michael Link, Peter (2012). Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict: Challenges for Societal Stability. London: Springe Heidelberg Dordrecht. p. 828. ISBN 9783642286254. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  55. "Executive Secretary". United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  56. "CHRISTIANA FIGUERES". Organisation of American States (OAS). Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  57. "49# Costa Rica Karen Christiana Figueres Olsen: Why she kicks ass". Women Who Kick Ass. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  58. "staff". Figueresonline.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  59. "percountry". Figueresonline.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  60. "CSDA". Figueresonline.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  61. "2009 Plac-e Historia". Caf.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  62. "Christiana Figueres – Capacity Building". Figueresonline.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  63. "Christiana Figueres – Latin America". Figueresonline.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  64. http://www.figueresonline.com/publications/AIJ%20lessons8.pdf
  65. "IISD RS @ Bonn Climate Change Talks – April 2010, 9–11 April 2010, Bonn, Germany". Iisd.ca. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  66. http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2010/sb/eng/inf01.pdf
  67. http://unfccc.int/cop4/particip/dellist.pdf
  68. View all comments that have been posted about this article. (13 December 2008). "Next Climate Summit May Turn on Rich Nations' Approach to Poor Ones". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  69. "Daily Programme for Tuesday, 9 December 2008" (PDF). Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  70. 1 2 "SUMMARY OF THE COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE – 7–19 DECEMBER 2009 – Copenhagen – Denmark". Iisd.ca. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  71. "ENB @ UNFCCC COP-12 and Kyoto COP/MOP-2, Nairobi, Kenya; 10 November 2006". Iisd.ca. 17 November 2006. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  72. 1 2 "IISD RS @ COP 14 – Highlights, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 – Poznan, Poland". Iisd.ca. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  73. "COPENHAGEN HIGHLIGHTS – Thursday, 10 December 2009 – Copenhagen – Denmark". Iisd.ca. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  74. "International Institute for Sustainable Development – Reporting Services (IISD RS) @ Bonn Climate Change Talks, 29 March-8 April 2009, Bonn, Germany". Iisd.ca. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  75. "International Institute for Sustainable Development – Reporting Services (IISD RS) @ Accra Climate Change Talks 2008, 21–27 August 2008, Accra, Ghana". Iisd.ca. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  76. http://ccsl.iccip.net/bali_part1.pdf
  77. http://www.figueresonline.com/publications/Programmatic_CDM.pdf
  78. "Christiana Figueres – Programmatic CDM". Figueresonline.com. 7 December 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  79. "Decision -/CMP.1" (PDF). Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  80. http://cdm.unfccc.int/UserManagement/FileStorage/3CEHJR07WGKNQY84MOVBPFTX2DZ6I5
  81. http://cdm.unfccc.int/Reference/COPMOP/08a01.pdf
  82. 1 2 http://cdm.unfccc.int/DNA/EB/036/eb36rep.pdf
  83. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. "CDM: Programme of Activities". Cdm.unfccc.int. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  84. "C-Quest Capital Press". Cqcllc.com. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  85. "Home". Carbonratingsagency.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  86. "News Centre". Mondovisione.com. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  87. "Christiana Figueres Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau".
  88. "Christiana Figueres received the Legion of Honor, the highest French distinction for her crucial work for #COP21 #ParisAgreement".
  89. "Costa Rica's Christiana Figueres honored for UN climate work".
  90. "MINAE otorga a Christiana Figueres premio Guayacán: Medalla Liderazgo Ambiental".
  91. "The Munich Security Conference's "Ewald von Kleist Award" honors successful Paris climate deal negotiators".
  92. "The Guardian's alternative New Year's honours: we salute you".
  93. "Los héroes del año 2015".
  94. "Great party for a great cause: Equinox 2016".
  95. "Power with Purpose".
  96. "Joan Bavaria Award".
  97. "365 days: Nature's 10Ten people who mattered this year".
  98. "The leading global thinkers of 2015".
  99. "Fortune World's Greatest Leaders".
  100. "Time 100 Most Influential People".
  101. "Record 3,994 Students Graduate From UMass Boston on Friday".
  102. "Concordia University awards honorary doctorates to six distinguished individuals".
  103. "'STUBBORN TRUST' LED TO PARIS AGREEMENT, U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE LEADER SAYS".
  104. http://www.americancarbonregistry.org/carbon-accounting/ACR%20Standard_Feb%202010_public%20comment%20draft%20020510.pdf
  105. http://www.americancarbonregistry.org/carbon-accounting/ACR%20Forest%20Carbon%20Project%20Standard%20v1%20March%202009%20FINAL.pdf
  106. "Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies: Calendar". Web.gc.cuny.edu. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  107. "Commission Leadership | Co-Chairs & Commissioners | Commissioners". Worldforum.org. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  108. Claudia Saidon. "Global Foundation for Democracy and Development – GFDD". Globalfoundationdd.org. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  109. "Winrock International – People". Winrock.org. 26 February 1997. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  110. "Fundecor Haciendo Sostenible El Desarrollo". Fundecor.org. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  111. {{cite%20web|url=http://www.iiec.org/|title=IIEC}}
  112. Archived 24 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  113. "The Development Dividend Task Force" (PDF). Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  114. "Clinton Global Initiative – New York News – New York Online – nyomtatás". Newyork.mconet.biz. 23 September 2006. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  115. http://www.unwire.org/unwire/19990727/3989_story.asp
  116. "Untitled-1" (PDF). Retrieved 16 January 2012.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christiana Figueres.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Christiana Figueres
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Yvo de Boer
Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
2010–2016
Succeeded by
Patricia Espinosa
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.