Simon Stiell

Some countries—due to geography, lack of industrialization, or myriad other factors—are more vulnerable than others in the fight against global warming. No individual is perhaps more aware of this fact or more committed to addressing such inequities than United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell.

Since his appointment in 2022, Stiell has guided the international community through the complexities of climate change diplomacy. During COP27 in 2022, for example, he developed a historic agreement to provide loss-and-damage funding for countries hit hard by the impacts of climate change. As of this September, $702 million had been pledged to the fund by 23 participating countries. 

Stiell also led the first-ever global stocktake of the world’s efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels during COP28 in Dubai last year. The stocktake pointed to specific actions countries must take including phasing out coal power, eliminating inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and tripling the use of renewable energy.  

“Whilst we didn’t turn the page on the fossil fuel era in Dubai, this outcome is the beginning of the end,” Stiell said in his closing remarks. “Now all governments and businesses need to turn these pledges into real-economy outcomes, without delay.” Countries are now applying insights from the stocktake to inform the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—which detail how they will cut emissions—due in 2025.  

“The task ahead is to ensure people all over the world have the resources, the technology, and the support to take bold climate action,” Stiell told TIME via email. “Because it’s crystal clear to me that when people are given a chance and the tools and support they need, they’ll build the clean energy, climate-resilient economies, and societies that all people urgently need. Our job is to enable everyone to do more.”