Dr. Frank Rijsberman leads the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in supporting governments transition towards a model of economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. With over 30 years’ experience addressing the challenges of environmental sustainability and poverty reduction with leading international organizations and philanthropic foundations, Dr. Rijsberman was initially appointed as the Director-General of the Institute, on October 1, 2016 and re-appointed for a second term starting October 1, 2020.
Upon assuming his position, Dr. Rijsberman has engaged with senior international stakeholders to drive the green growth agenda and help mobilize finance for climate action and sustainable development. As an advocate for sustainable development, Dr. Rijsberman is focused on supporting GGGI Member and partner governments to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and achieve their Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. His priorities are to support collaborative NDC implementation among GGGI Members, as outlined under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and assist its Member governments to green their investment to deliver inclusive, pro-poor green growth, as well as climate action.
Prior to joining GGGI, Dr. Rijsberman served as Chief Executive Officer of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Consortium. He has also been the first Director of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Program Director at Google.org (the philanthropic arm of Google), and Director-General of the International Water Management Institute.
He holds a PhD degree in water resources management and planning from Colorado State University (US) and a MSc and BS in Civil Engineering from Delft University of Technology (Netherlands).