Johan Rockström

Johan Rockström is an internationally recognized sustainability scientist who currently serves as Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. He also holds professorships at both Potsdam and Stockholm Universities. Johan is acclaimed for his development of the Planetary Boundaries framework, a standard of sustainability science focused on determining Earth's safe operating space for humanity's future.

His research, which encompasses Earth System studies and global sustainability in the Anthropocene, has earned him awards including the European Research Council Advanced Grant. Clarivate Analytics recognizes him as a highly influential and cited scientist.

Beyond academia, Johan has significantly contributed to policy-making, serving on multiple scientific advisory bodies such as the European Commission’s Expert Group 'Mission Board for Adaptation to Climate Change, including Societal Transformation,' the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. He frequently addresses high-level international forums, including the World Economic Forum and the UN General Assembly. Additionally, he leads Conservation International as Chief Scientist and chairs advisory boards for global sustainability initiatives like EAT Initiative and Future Earth.

Johan's work has received prestigious awards, including the Prince Albert II of Monaco Climate Change Award, the Hillary Laureate, Knight of the Legion of Honour, the German Environmental Award, and the International Cosmos Prize.

Before heading the Potsdam Institute, Johan established the Stockholm Resilience Centre and led the Stockholm Environment Institute. His educational background includes an MSc from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, a DAA from Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, a PhLic and a PhD in Natural Resources Management from Stockholm University.

Vicky Robertson

Vicky was, until recently, the Secretary for the Environment and Chief Executive of Manatū Mō Te Taiao, New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment. She has lead the development and implementation of environmental policy since April 2015. She has a strong track record of delivering innovative and impactful solutions for climate change, biodiversity, water, waste and urban issues. Some of her key achievements include leading development of the Zero Carbon Act, which sets ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change impacts, the Emissions Reduction Plan and the National Adaptation Plan.  She has advocated for local and global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect Aotearoa New Zealand’s environment.

She has a background in law and economics, with over eight years of experience as a Deputy Secretary at The Treasury. There, she was responsible for overseeing public finance management, company and entity performance, tax, competition policy and regulatory policy.  She also has experience working at the Ministry of Economic Development.  She is passionate about te ao Māori (the Māori world view) and diversity and inclusion.

Laure Waridel

Laure is not only a pioneer of fair trade and sustainable consumption. A Swiss-born environmentalist and activist from Québec, she is renowned for her dedication to fair trade, sustainability, and ecological practices. A significant mark of her influence is co-founding Équiterre, which advocates for eco-friendly and equitable decisions. Laure's educational journey took her to Burkina Faso, inspiring her fair trade focus. Partnering with photographer Éric St-Pierre, they delved into coffee's fair trade, collaborating with UCIRI, a Mexican cooperative, and gaining respect for the Indigenous communities involved. Waridel's definition of fair trade centers on transparency, respect, and support for marginalized producers. Her involvement saw the rise of Équiterre, resulting in a notable increase in fairly traded products in Québec.

Her writings, such as "Une cause café" and "Acheter, c’est voter", explore coffee's journey, emphasizing the struggles of growers and the influence of large brands. She passionately advocates for global environmental justice and promotes sustainable food choices, as illustrated in "L’envers de l’assiette". In the 2010s, Waridel returned to Switzerland for doctoral studies in anthropology and development sociology. Additionally, she took on a pivotal role at CIRODD, a sustainable development research center in Montréal, offering her expertise as a consultant.

Matthew Monahan

Matthew's professional trajectory is remarkable, defined by innovative initiatives and a resolute commitment to fostering social impact.

In 2016, Matthew made his foray into the entrepreneurial world by co-establishing the Edmund Hillary Fellowship. This novel enterprise, borne out of a collaboration with the Hillary Institute, was conceptualised to activate the Global Impact Visa effectively. The Fellowship is dedicated to fostering an environment that enables innovative thinkers and visionaries to contribute meaningfully towards creating an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future.

That same year, Matthew extended his influence into the realm of agriculture by co-founding Mangaroa Farms. As the Director of this venture, he drives the mission of the organisation, a community food hub and resilience education center situated in Wellington, New Zealand. Under his leadership, Mangaroa Farms works tirelessly to strengthen local food security and enhance community resilience through education and engagement.

In 2023, Matthew reaffirmed his commitment to ecological health by co-founding the Biome Trust, based in New Zealand. This philanthropic entity is rooted in the commitment to promote ecological health and balance. He also launched Ma Earth, a community-led movement to align economic incentives with planetary health and regeneration.

Owen Gaffney

Owen is Chief Impact Officer at the Nobel Prize.

He is the former Director of International Media and Strategy at the Stockholm Resilience Centre and also a communications consultant for the ten-year research programme Future Earth.

Owen trained as an astronautic and aeronautic engineer and he is a qualified journalist, filmmaker and writer. For a decade he has worked in Earth system science communication. His work focuses on understanding, communicating and visualizing humanity's impact on the planet through concepts such as the Anthropocene and planetary boundaries, and transformation processes.

His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the BBC and the world’s leading academic journals Science and Nature. His work on visualisations with Félix Pharand-Deschênes have been shown at the UN Rio+20 Summit and the World Economic Forum, Davos.

In 2018, he became a fellow of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship.

Wendy Broadgate

Wendy is Global Hub Director of Future Earth Sweden. She leads the activities of the Swedish Hub, which hosts the Earth Commission Secretariat. The Earth Commission is an expert analysis to underpin the setting of Science-based Targets for a stable Earth system. She also leads the Future Earth team which produces policy briefs for the UN processes for biodiversity (CBD), Climate (UNFCCC) as well as Future Earth’s contribution to the landmark United in Science report for the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019. Wendy has two decades of experience in strategy development, international sustainability research coordination and synthesis, communications and the science-policy interface. She holds a PhD in marine chemistry and has spent much of her career in global change research, publishing on the Anthropocene, Earth system science and ocean-atmosphere interactions. She was Deputy Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) for 15 years and director of the The Fisheries Secretariat, a non-profit working towards sustainable fisheries in Europe. At IGBP she was strategic lead on projects such as ocean acidification, the IGBP great acceleration and the Planet Under Pressure Conference, making an impact in scientific synthesis, the Anthropocene concept and policy engagement.

Kirk Bergstrom

Kirk is founder and president of WorldLink, a public benefit organization based in San Francisco. His work is guided by a planetary perspective and an ethic of regenerative design.

As a media producer, Kirk directed the public television special Nourish: Food + Community, which explores the possibilities of a sustainable food system, and a companion program Power Shift: Energy + Sustainability. He also acted as senior designer of Interactive Earth, a geospatial software application for schools, homes, and science centers. For more than a decade, Kirk served as Vice Chair of the Buckminster Fuller Institute where he cultivated his passion for comprehensive thinking and design.

Kirk recently served as co-designer and co-instructor of the undergraduate course entitled Design for Global Transformation at the University of California, Berkeley. As part of the semester-long experience, student teams designed planetary-scale strategies with the potential for real-world transformational change.  

Mark Prain

Mark, a Toi Whakaari/NZ Drama School alumnus, has made significant contributions to arts, sustainability, and leadership. Initially in performing arts, he transitioned to environmental activism with Greenpeace (1990-1994) and served as Executive Director of Sustainable Cities (1995-2000) and the Redesigning Resources Business Leadership Group (2000-2004). Mark is the founder of the Hillary Institute and is currently aiding its new leadership team.

He's authored two books on sustainability and wrote for the Business Monthly, completed a Masters (Hons) in International Law and Politics at Canterbury University in 2016, and is a popular speaker on sustainability. He wrote a book with the Hillary Laureates (2009-2021), leads Maven Ltd, a strategic leadership boutique, and is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Untouched World Foundation, focusing on youth leadership. He also advises the Katerva Challenge and Climate Changers, demonstrating his influence in multiple sectors globally.