Achim Steiner

Achim Steiner (born 17 May 1961) is a senior fellow of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, and founding director of the Security Futures Lab. He also serves as chair of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. A Brazilian-German national, he completed his two terms as UN under-secretary general and administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (2017–2025) and vice-chair of United Nations Sustainable Development Group in June 2025.

Before joining UNDP, he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP (2006–2016), and director and professorial fellow of the Oxford Martin School (2016–2017). He has also served as director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and secretary general of the World Commission on Dams.

Early life and education The son of Helga and Roland Steiner, German farmers who had emigrated to Carazinho, Rio Grande do Sul,Michael McCarthy (8 April 2012), "Achim Steiner: 'We haven't even begun to understand the damage we are bringing to bear on the sustainability of our planet'", The Independent. Achim Steiner was born in Brazil in 1961 and holds German as well as Brazilian citizenship. He went to primary school in Brazil, but was raised in West Germany after he turned 10. He graduated at Dover College in England. He obtained a bachelor's degree from Worcester College of the University of Oxford and a master's degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London, specializing in development economics, regional planning, international development and environmental policy. He also studied at the German Development Institute and the Harvard Business School.

Career Steiner started his career in 1989 at the Rural Regional Development Department, GIZ, in Germany. From 1991 to 1997 he worked for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Southern Africa and Washington, D.C. He was Chief Technical Adviser of the Mekong River Commission (1997–1998) before becoming Secretary-General of the World Commission on Dams. In 2001 he returned to IUCN as Director-General.

United Nations Environment Programme, 2006–2016 Acting on the nomination of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the United Nations General Assembly in 2006 unanimously elected Steiner Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for a four-year term. At the time, he was not nominated by a Member State, but prevailed over candidates such as Børge Brende of Norway and Rajendra K. Pachauri of India."Shortlist of Candidates for Post of Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)", United Nations, press release of 3 March 2006. His mandate was later extended twice, this time on the proposal of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Secretary-General appointed Steiner as director-general of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), where he served from March 2009 to May 2011. Within the UN system, he also chaired the High-level Committee on Programmes of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and the United Nations Environment Management Group. On 3 May 2016, Ban Ki-moon announced that the post of executive director of UNEP would be taken over by Erik Solheim in June 2016.

Oxford Martin School, 2016–2017 Upon leaving UNEP, Steiner was appointed director of the Oxford Martin School, a post he took up in September 2016. In addition to his role at the University of Oxford, Steiner was appointed Envoy of the Chair of the Platform on Disaster Displacement by the Federal Government of Germany in October 2016."Prof. Walter Kaelin, Envoy of the Chair", Platform on Disaster Displacement.

In late 2015, Reuters reported that Steiner was one of three candidates shortlisted to succeed António Guterres as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, alongside Helle Thorning-Schmidt of Denmark, Jasmine Whitbread of the United Kingdom, and Filippo Grandi of Italy;Louis Charbonneau and Tom Miles (8 October 2015), U.N.'s Ban rejects calls to keep refugee chief amid crisis Reuters.Somini Sengupta (11 November 2015), Veteran Italian Diplomat at U.N. to Get Top Refugee Post The New York Times. the post eventually went to Grandi.UN appoints Filippo Grandi as next high commissioner for refugees The Guardian, 12 November 2015.

United Nations Development Programme, 2017–2025 In April 2017, following consultations with the executive board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Steiner as the programme's new Administrator.Secretary-General Nominates Achim Steiner of Germany as Administrator of United Nations Development Programme United Nations, press release of 18 April 2017. On 19 April 2017, the United Nations General Assembly confirmed him for a four-year term.

In November 2018, Guterres also appointed Steiner to co-chair (alongside Maria Ramos) the United Nations Task Force on Digital Financing of Sustainable Development Goals.Task Force on Digital Financing of Sustainable Development Goals United Nations, press release of 29 November 2018. Steiner left the UNDP in June 2025 after concluding two terms.

Security Futures Lab, 2026 - present Following his departure from UNDP in 2025, Steiner returned to the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford as a senior fellow. He subsequently established the Security Futures Lab, a research and policy platform with its hub at the Oxford Martin School, designed to treat climate change, health security, societal resilience, algorithmic security and geopolitical fragmentation as interconnected dimensions of a single risk system rather than separate policy domains.

Other activities Generation Unlimited, Member of the Board (since 2018)World leaders unite under new initiative to provide quality education and training for young people Generation Unlimited, press release of 21 September 2018. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Ex-Officio Member of the Committee of Cosponsoring Organizations (since 2017)Leadership Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). International Gender Champions (IGC), Member (since 2017)Members International Gender Champions (IGC). OECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), Co-chair of the Governing Board (since 2017)Governing Board OECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB). German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), Member (2016–2017, appointed ad personam by Chancellor Angela Merkel)Bundeskanzlerin beruft Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung neu German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), press release of 26 October 2016 International Olympic Committee (IOC), Member of the Sustainability and Legacy CommissionSustainability and Legacy Commission International Olympic Committee (IOC). Agora Verkehrswende, Chairman of the CouncilDirector: Achim Steiner Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.Council Agora Verkehrswende. Platform on Disaster Displacement, Chair of the Advisory CommitteeEnvoy of the Chair: Achim Steiner Platform on Disaster Displacement. China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), International Vice-chair Earth Day Network, Member of the Global Advisory CommitteeGlobal Advisory Committee Earth Day Network. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), Member of the Advisory BoardAdvisory Board The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Member of the Environmental Advisory Council (ENVAC) Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC), Chair of the HSC since October 2025

Honours and awards Awards Slovak Republic's gold medal for Diplomatic ServiceDirector: Achim Steiner Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford. Republic of Korea Order of Diplomatic Service AwardDirector: Achim Steiner Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford. 2012 — The National German Sustainability AwardNational German Sustainability Award 2010 – Leadership Award for Principled Pragmatism – Tällberg Foundation 2009 — Officer of the Order of Saint-Charles (Monaco) Shark Guardian of the Year 2008 – Shark Project 2008 — Schubert Prize – Bruno H. Schubert Foundation

2007 — Steiger Award – Umwelt

Honorary degrees Honorary Doctorate, International University in Geneva (IUG) Honorary Professor, Tongji University, Shanghai

Achim Steiner

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