Christiana Figueres | Keynote Speaker

Meet Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres is one of the world’s most respected voices on climate change, diplomacy and global leadership. A Costa Rican citizen with a long career in public service, she is best known for her work as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Appointed in 2010 by Ban Ki-moon, then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Christiana Figueres assumed responsibility for international climate change negotiations at a difficult moment. The 2009 Copenhagen climate conference had ended in disappointment, and trust between countries needed to be rebuilt.

Through her calm, determined and highly collaborative approach, Figueres helped bring national governments, sub-national governments, corporations and activists together around a shared climate goal.

The Paris Agreement

During her time at the UNFCCC, Christiana Figueres helped guide the process that led to the Paris climate agreement in 2015. The agreement was adopted by 195 Parties and created a collaborative path to limit future global warming to well below 2°C, while pursuing efforts to limit the rise to 1.5°C.

Figueres brought together national and sub-national governments, private companies, faith groups, NGOs, financial institutions, technology providers and civil society to jointly deliver an unprecedented climate change agreement.

This achievement has made her closely associated with a new brand of collaborative diplomacy. Her work shows event audiences how complex global problems can move forward when people choose shared responsibility over blame.

Before the United Nations

Before formally joining the UNFCCC secretariat, Christiana Figueres had already spent many years working in global climate change policy. She had been involved in climate negotiations since 1995 and was originally a member of the Costa Rican negotiating team.

She began her life in public service at the Embassy of Costa Rica in Germany in 1982. She later worked in Costa Rica’s Ministry of Planning, served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture and became Director of Renewable Energy in the Americas.

In 1995, she founded the Center for Sustainable Development of the Americas, a non-profit climate policy and capacity-building organisation focused on sustainable development and climate action in Latin America.

Current Work

Christiana Figueres continues to shape the global climate conversation. She is a founding partner of Global Optimism, co-host of the Outrage + Optimism podcast and co-author, with Tom Rivett-Carnac, of The Future We Choose.

Her work today focuses on helping governments, organisations and individuals understand what is still possible when climate action is met with courage, collaboration and stubborn optimism.

She also sits on multiple executive and advisory boards and remains a regular public speaker, media commentator and adviser on climate solutions.

Speaking Style and Audience Value

When Christiana Figueres speaks, she brings warmth, clarity and authority to one of the most urgent topics of our time. Her keynote speech is serious without being bleak, practical without becoming dry, and optimistic without ignoring the scale of the challenge.

As a Christiana Figueres speaker booking, she is especially suited to climate summits, leadership conferences, sustainability events, ESG forums, policy gatherings and corporate events focused on long-term change.

Christiana Figueres speaks to audiences who want to understand how major progress is made across governments, corporations and activists. Her message is especially useful for leaders who need to build trust, align different groups and move people towards action.

Awards and Recognition

Christiana Figueres has received multiple awards for her contribution to climate diplomacy and sustainable development. These include the National Guayacan Medal of Costa Rica and the Hero for the Planet Award from National Geographic.

Her recognition reflects the scale of her achievement and the lasting impact of her work on international climate change negotiations.

Education and Personal Background

Christiana Figueres is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the London School of Economics. After decades of international work, she now lives in her beloved Costa Rica.

Her background gives her keynote a human and grounded quality. She speaks not only about policy, but about persistence, responsibility and the kind of leadership needed when the stakes are high.

Book Christiana Figueres

Book Christiana Figueres to give your audience a thoughtful, timely and inspiring keynote on climate leadership, collaborative diplomacy and the power of stubborn optimism.

To check availability, event fit or Christiana Figueres’s speaking fees, contact the Speaker Ideas team.