Environmental economist Pavan Sukhdev named president of WWF International

Pavan Sukhdev, the influential former Deutsche Bank economist who headed up the ‘TEEB’ sustainability initiative, has been named as the new board president of environmental non-governmental organization WWF International.

One of the world’s leading environmental economists, Sukhdev is known for The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity (TEEB) study which was commissioned by the G8+5 and hosted by the UN Environment Programme.

The former head of UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative, he replaces outgoing WWF president Yolanda Kakabadse – the former Ecuadorian Minister of Environment – who steps down at the end of this year after eight years in the position.

Sukhdev was a shareholder in Trucost, the environmental data group bought by S&P Dow Jones Indices last year, and sits on the board of the Global Reporting Initiative. He is the Founder-CEO of GIST Advisory, a natural capital consulting firm. His full biography is available here.

“Pavan Sukhdev is a true thought leader in sustainability and a highly influential voice among policy makers,” Kakabadse said.Director-General Marco Lambertini said his “passion and knowledge of the interdependence between economic and natural systems connect perfectly with WWF’s higher ambition for impact”.

Sukhdev said the WWF was “defining new ways of working to make a difference at a scale that matters”. He will also chair WWF International’s Council, which comprises the chairs of the national entities in the WWF network.

The WWF’s Andrea Marandino recently wrote in Responsible Investor that investors, companies and policymakers would need to work together to achieve the transition to a low-carbon economy.

In July the WWF released a report looking at investors called European Asset Owners: 2°C Alignment and Misalignment of Public Equity Portfolios.

Meanwhile, the UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is holding an event in the Netherlands today to present its Positive Impact Initiative. It will be hosted by the central bank in partnership with ABN AMRO, ING Bank and Triodos Bank.