Achim Steiner was elected as the fifth Executive Director of UNEP in 2006.  He has consistently championed sustainability, economic growth and equality for the vulnerable and has been a vocal advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Before joining UNEP, Mr. Steiner served as Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from 2001 to 2006, and prior to that as Secretary-General of the World Commission on Dams. His professional career has included assignments with governmental, non-governmental and international organizations around the world.

He has worked both at the grassroots level as well as at the highest levels of international policy-making to address the interface between environmental sustainability, social equity and economic development. He serves on a number of international advisory boards, including the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

Mr. Steiner’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oxford and a Master’s from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He also studied at the German Development Institute in Berlin and Harvard Business School.