Governance
The Green Economy Coalition is governed by a Steering Group which meets every two months to decide on strategic and management issues, and is coordinated by a small Secretariat hosted by the International Institute of Environment and Development in London, and by Finance Watch in Brussels. Learn more here, or read our privacy policy.
The Steering Group
Aban Marker Kabraji
Regional Director, IUCN Asia
Aban is Regional Director for IUCN Asia, overseeing 15 countries and more than 70 wide-ranging environmental initiatives. She has 30 years of experience and leadership raising awareness on gender, culture, and the sovereign dimensions of conservation. Ms. Kabraji is visiting Professor with the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Moustapha Kamal Gueye
Coordinator, Green Jobs Programme, ILO
Dr. Moustapha Kamal Gueye is Coordinator, Green Jobs Programme, at the International Labour Organization. Kamal's career spans senior roles at UN Environment, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan, and is currently a visiting lecturer at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.
Thibaut Portevin
Policy Officer - Green Economy, DG DEVCO, European Commission
Thibaut leads DG DEVCO's SWITCH TO GREEN flagship green business programme, and manages EU support to relevant initiatives, including the GEC. Thibaut previously led on forestry and climate change with the EU Delegation to Indonesia, and worked with several international NGO programmes. He holds master’s degrees in business and development.
Zeenat Niazi
Vice-President, Development Alternatives
Zeenat Niazi, vice-president of Development Alternatives Group, has over 26 years’ experience in the social and environment development sector. In the last decade, her work has extended to design and coordination of low carbon development strategies for the central Indian region of Bundelkhand and coordination of climate change adaptation, action and communication, knowledge management and knowledge dissemination for promoting national and global sustainable development strategies.
Andy Norton
Director, IIED
Dr Andrew Norton took up the position of Director of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in June 2015. His career has spanned research, academic and development institutions, focusing on issues of poverty, inequality, participation, natural resource governance and climate change. As Director he is working to amplify and strengthen IIED’s core messages on climate action, social and environmental justice, and helping poor people to achieve greater voice and more resilient livelihoods.
Steve Bass
Senior Associate, IIED
Steve works with IIED and GEC on sustainable development, focusing on institutions, dialogue and diagnosis for inclusive green economies. He is known for poverty and environment work including ESPA, the WAVES project and the UN PEI. Previously, Steve was Chief Environment Adviser at DFID, and a fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation.
Oliver Greenfield
Convenor, Green Economy Coalition
As Convenor, Oliver provides the GEC’s network leadership, enabling people from diverse institutions to work and influence collectively. Before GEC, Oliver spent 7 years enabling stakeholder change leading WWF’s Sustainable Business and Economics work. He previously worked in corporate strategy advisor with Booz Company and the BBC World Service.
Holger Schmid
Director - Switzerland/Sustainable Economy Programmes, MAVA Foundation
Holger is responsible for the implementation of the MAVA strategy for Switzerland, the Sustainable Economy Programme, and jointly manages MAVA’s overall project portfolio, including global projects. Holger previously worked for WWF in the Mediterranean and in Mongolia, and holds a Master’s degree in biology from Bayreuth University in Germany.
Steven Stone
Chief - Economics and Trade Branch, UNEP
Steven has over 15 years of professional experience in environmental and natural resource management and a PhD in Resource Economics from Cornell University. Prior to UNEP, Steven worked for the IDB in Ecuador and Honduras, and worked on capacity building, technical assistance and natural resource investment in Jamaica and Brazil.
Peter Poschen
Professor – Environmental Governance Program, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Germany
Peter is now based in Freiburg,
Germany. He previously served at the ILO working in some 35 countries,
including as country director for Brazil (2015-2017), director of the
Enterprises Department (2009-2015) and coordinator of the ILO Global Green Jobs
Program (2005-2015). Prior to joining the ILO in 1986, he served as a volunteer
in Ethiopia.
Mike Wilson
Executive Director, Smart Prosperity Institute
Mike began his career as a lawyer, before moving into senior policy roles in the Canadian government working at the intersection of the environment, economy and innovation. Mike has a firm belief that 'green' and 'growth' can go hand in hand and a passion for making that happen.
The Secretariat
Catriona McLean
Project Manager
Catriona joined the GEC in May 2017 to support the GEC's project management and implementation activities. Her expertise includes project and grant management, M&E, donor reporting, and work on the social dimensions of conservation. Before the GEC, Catriona worked for WWF-UK coordinating implementation of a portfolio of programmes in Africa, Asia and South America. Catriona is the team's calm, organised centre - with the exception of Fridays which she spends entirely in the pub (we assume).
Chris Hopkins
Policy Manager
Chris works on the GEC’s public policy and project implementation, having joined the GEC in May 2014. He works on green economy policy, sustainable economics and climate ethics, having spent 5 years as a freelance journalist in the energy sector. Chris holds BA and MA degrees in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from the University of York. Chris is the team's chief provider of unwarranted political commentary.
Emily Benson
Director of Engagement
Emily manages the GEC's external communications as well as stakeholder and outreach strategy. As lead on many of the GEC's published reports, Emily is author of the GEC's external voice and positioning. Emily was previously Head of Communications and Engagement at Stakeholder Forum, and initially worked in documentary-making as a researcher and producer. Through her TV past, Emily holds many of the GEC's most inexplicable celebrity contacts.
Oliver Greenfield
Convenor
As Convenor, Oliver provides the GEC’s network leadership, enabling people from diverse institutions to work and influence collectively. Before GEC, Oliver spent 7 years enabling stakeholder change leading WWF’s Sustainable Business and Economics work. He previously worked in corporate strategy advisor with Booz Company and the BBC World Service. Oliver is the very proud owner of the team's most impressive drip-irrigation system.
Ben Martin
Marketing & Communications
Ben joined the GEC in May 2017 to help grow the reach and impact of our work, bringing his experience of climate communications and policy advocacy gathered during his years working with MPs around the world on climate & energy legislation. Ben has a MA in Social & Political Science from the University of Chicago, and a 1st class honours degree from Oxford University. Ben is the team's go-to source for photos of red pandas.
Stuart Worsley
Director - Country Dialogues
Stuart joined the GEC in July 2017 as the Director for Country Dialogues, and leads the coalition’s dialogue work around the world. With 27 years working for development agencies, Stuart has extensive expertise in facilitating system wide change for development. He has lead organizations and programs that address change in agriculture, natural resources, water and sanitation. Stuart is co-author of "Navigating Complexity in International Development".