World Wildlife Fund

Annual Dinner

PRE-DINNER DISCUSSION

National Museum of Women in the Arts
Performance Hall

October 22, 2024   4:30 – 6:00pm

Living Planet Report

Living Planet Report Cover

The 2024 Living Planet Report, WWF’s flagship publication that is now in its 15th edition, is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. It provides a science-led overview of the state of the natural world and considers how the dual and interlinked crises of nature loss and climate change are pushing the planet closer to dangerous and irreversible tipping points. Based on an examination of the science, the report underlines the urgency of the world meeting global goals on nature, climate, and sustainable development by 2030. To achieve this, it presents proven solutions to transform conservation and the energy, food, and financial systems in a fair and inclusive way. The report finds that the next five years will be crucial for the future of life on Earth, but that there is hope: we can restore our living planet if we act now.

Education for Nature

EFN 30th Anniversary logo

The Russell E. Train Education for Nature program (EFN) is WWF’s longest continuous running program and one of the largest conservation fellowship programs in the world. Since 1994, EFN has invested more than $28 million to support over 3,700 individuals and 600 institutions across 60 countries—significantly diversifying and enriching the global network of conservation leaders. Driven by a commitment to science, education, and leadership training across the Global South, EFN has supported extraordinary talent through academic training, career building, and stewarding of the natural resources in their communities. EFN delivers conservation gains by ensuring individuals and institutions working in the most biodiverse places in the world advance their expertise and knowledge to accelerate conversation outcomes. Because of EFN, the conservation community is more impactful and more diverse than ever before. Ninety percent of EFN fellows are still working in conservation and serve as nationally, regionally, and globally-recognized influencers and advocates.

Program

Welcome
Carter Roberts
,
President & CEO, WWF-US

The Living Planet Report
Dr. Rebecca Shaw
,
WWF-US Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President

Living Planet Index and Tipping Points
Dr. Jeff Opperman,
WWF-US Global Freshwater Lead Scientist    

GLOBAL GOALS AND SOLUTIONS

Conservation
Dr. Becky Chaplin-Kramer
,
WWF-US Global Biodiversity Lead Scientist

Food
Dr. Brent Loken
,
WWF-US Global Food Lead Scientist

Energy
Dr. Stephanie Roe
,
WWF-US Global Climate & Energy Lead Scientist

Finance
Aaron Vermeulen
,
WWF-International Finance Practice Lead    

MODERATED DISCUSSION
with Audience Q&A
 

The 30th Anniversary of the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program
Carter Roberts
,
President & CEO, WWF-US

The Impact and Future of the Education for Nature Program
Dr. Nelly Kadagi
,
Director, WWF-US Conservation Leadership
and Education for Nature Program

Conversation
Dr. Fransiska Kangombe, EFN Alumna,
and
Yolanda Kakabadse
,
Co-Chair, WWF-US Board of Directors

Closing
Carter Roberts

Please join us from 6:00 – 7:00pm in the Third Floor Gallery for cocktails and conversations, and to browse the museum’s notable art collection before we gather in the Great Hall for dinner.

Speakers

BECKY CHAPLIN-KRAMER

DR. BECKY CHAPLIN-KRAMER
GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY LEAD SCIENTIST, GLOBAL SCIENCE, WWF-US

As Global Biodiversity Lead Scientist, Becky works across the WWF network and with external partners to advance the science and implementation of conservation strategies to support biodiversity and its myriad contributions to people's well-being.

Prior to WWF, Becky was a lead scientist for the Natural Capital Project (NatCap), a transdisciplinary partnership WWF co-founded with Stanford University, University of Minnesota, and The Nature Conservancy. In her work affiliated with both of NatCap's university partners, Becky led research on global ecosystem service assessment, linking earth observations and ecosystem service modeling, and accelerating the development of products and tools to integrate the values of nature into decision-making. Throughout her career, Becky has led ecosystem service assessments, scenario development and targeting exercises working with government, NGOs and companies around the world, from local to national to global scales. Her work has been published in top journals such as Science, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Becky was a Coordinating Lead Author on the Values Assessment for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and is now a Lead Author on the upcoming IPBES Nexus Assessment. She earned her PhD in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from University of California, Berkeley, and an MS and BS in Earth Systems from Stanford University.

 

DR. NELLY KADAGI

DR. NELLY KADAGI
DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP AND THE EDUCATION FOR NATURE PROGRAM, GLOBAL SCIENCE, WWF-US

Dr. Nelly Isigi Kadagi is the director of conservation leadership and the Education for Nature program. In this role, Nelly oversees and manages WWF’s strategy for conservation capacity development and leadership. She also leads the operation of the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program (EFN).

Originally from Kenya, Nelly brings a wealth of expertise to WWF, ranging from developing scientific programs, to supporting marine conservation, to fundraising, and designing capacity development initiatives in Africa and North America. Nelly is interested in building strong partnerships between communities and the public and private sectors to ensure conservation leaders have access to the education, support, and resources needed to address global environmental challenges.

Prior to joining WWF, Nelly worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Denver and One Earth Future–Secure Fisheries where she focused on fisheries conflicts and transnational governance of fisheries resources. Along with her postdoctoral work, Nelly also served as the Director of Research for the African Billfish Foundation where she championed billfish research across the Western Indian Ocean.

In addition to now leading the EFN program, Nelly is also an EFN alumna. She received a Russell E. Train Fellowship in 2015 that supported her PhD studies while at the University of Florida. She is also a Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Fellow, a New England Aquarium Marine Conservation and Action Fund Fellow, and a recipient of the Conservation Leadership Program award.

 

YOLANDA KAKABADSE

YOLANDA KAKABADSE
CO-CHAIR, WWF-US BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Yolanda Kakabadse’s work with the environmental conservation movement officially began in 1979, when she was appointed Executive Director of Fundación Natura in Quito, where she worked until 1990. In 1993, she created Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano, an organization dedicated to promoting the sustainable development of Latin America through conflict prevention and management. She was the Executive President until 2006 and remains as Chair of the Advisory Board. From 1990 until 1992, Kakabadse coordinated the participation of civil society organizations for the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development (Earth Summit). From 1996 to 2004, she was President of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and Member of the Board of the World Resources Institute (WRI) during the same period. Yolanda was appointed Minister of Environment for the Republic of Ecuador, a position she held from 1998 until 2000. She is the Chair of the Board of the Charles Darwin Foundation in the Galápagos.

  

FRANSISKA KANGOMBE

DR. FRANSISKA KANGOMBE
EDUCATION FOR NATURE ALUMNA

Fransiska Kangombe, PhD, is a plant ecologist from Namibia with experience in multidisciplinary research, field ecology, plant phenology and taxonomy, ethnobotany, natural resource management, rangeland ecology, natural history collections, and climate change responses. She completed her PhD in Environmental Life Sciences at Arizona State University and holds a lecturing position at the University of Namibia in the Department of Environmental Science. Her dissertation yielded insights on key environmental drivers of phenological events of plants in drylands and emphasized how these, often event-driven systems, may respond to changing climatic conditions, particularly drought. Dr. Kangombe has worked with grassroots communities in Namibia, fostering the documentation of ethnobotanical knowledge, and on-farm conservation, as well as facilitating community-based research support and engagement. She holds a Master of Science degree in Plant Science from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental, Molecular, and Physiological Biology from the University of Namibia. She is passionate about working with young people in Academia and beyond, because these are the conservation leaders of tomorrow and keepers of our precious Earth. And she’s always ready and happy to botanize.

  

DR. BRENT LOKEN

DR. BRENT LOKEN
GLOBAL FOOD LEAD SCIENTIST, WWF-US

Dr. Brent Loken is the global food lead scientist for WWF. In this role, Brent provides thought leadership through forward-looking research, science direction for goal setting, scientific analysis in support of strategy development, and the management of internal and external science talent to support the Global Food Practice team in advancing an ambitious agenda.

Previously, Brent worked for EAT, the science-based global platform for food system transformation, where he was a lead author on the EAT-Lancet report on Food, Planet, Health. His past research includes a variety of publications ranging from subjects on food and health to orangutan terrestriality and tropical forest governance.

His current work focuses on solving the Great Food Puzzle, which aims to amplify and accelerate action at the national level by identifying place-based approaches for all countries. These scientifically robust approaches are locally identified and context dependent actions that will have the greatest impact in the shortest time possible.

In addition, Brent co-founded and helped lead a progressive international school and co-founded a conservation NGO that focused on protecting rain forests and biodiversity by empowering Indigenous peoples. Rarely patient, Brent believes to achieve global environmental and health goals in the short time that is available it will be because of fast moving and innovative organizations and people that disrupt the status quo and actively show the world a more healthy and sustainable way of living in harmony with nature.

As part of Global Science, Brent is bridging the technical and conservation practice worlds, synthesizing information from a wide range of food, agriculture, nutrition, and environment disciplines for their creative application to the global nature agenda.

  

DR. JEFF OPPERMAN

DR. JEFF OPPERMAN
GLOBAL FRESHWATER LEAD SCIENTIST, WWF-US

As Global Lead Scientist for Freshwater, Dr. Jeff Opperman works across the WWF Network and with external partners to direct research that can strengthen conservation strategies and to integrate science into freshwater programs and projects.

Jeff came to WWF from The Nature Conservancy where he served as the director and lead scientist of the Great Rivers Partnership. His scientific and policy research has been published in journals such as Science, BioScience and Ecological Applications and he is the lead author of the book Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services, published in 2017.

Jeff strives to communicate the challenges and opportunities of protecting fresh water through op-eds, articles and blog posts in such places as Outside, National Geographic, Grist, and The Guardian, including a 10-part series featured on the New York Times website about traveling with his family down the Mekong River in southeast Asia, exploring the people and conservation issues of that region. He holds a PhD in ecosystem science from the University of California, Berkeley and a BS in biology from Duke University.

  

Carter Roberts

CARTER ROBERTS
PRESIDENT & CEO, WWF-US

Carter Roberts is president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund in the United States. WWF, the world’s largest network of international conservation organizations, works across 100 countries and enjoys the support of 5 million members worldwide.

Roberts leads WWF’s efforts to save the world’s great ecosystems and address climate change by linking science, field, and policy programs with an ambitious initiative to work with markets and businesses to lighten their impact on the planet. He has worked with communities and heads of state in North America, Africa, Latin America, and Asia; and has built partnerships with some of the world’s largest corporations, including Walmart, Cargill, and Mars to set new industry standards for resource efficiency.

Roberts earned his MBA from Harvard Business School following a BA from Princeton University, and subsequently held marketing management positions for Procter & Gamble and Gillette. He went on to lead international conservation and science programs for fifteen years at The Nature Conservancy before coming to WWF in 2004.

Roberts serves on the boards of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy at Duke University and the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College and the London School of Economics. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and most recently served on the International Finance Corporation’s Advisory Panel on Sustainability and Business, as well as the Advisory Board of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative chaired by the Secretary-General of the UN.

Roberts lives in Washington, DC with his wife Jackie Prince Roberts and their three children.

  

DR. STEPHANIE ROE

DR. STEPHANIE ROE
CLIMATE AND ENERGY LEAD SCIENTIST, GLOBAL SCIENCE, WWF-US

As WWF’s Global Climate & Energy Lead Scientist, Dr. Stephanie Roe works with the WWF Network and external collaborators to advance the science, leadership, and progress on climate mitigation, climate resilience, and nature-based solutions across sectors and disciplines.

Prior to WWF, Stephanie was at Climate Focus where she led research on climate and land science and developed and implemented related strategies and initiatives with various governments and NGOs across 20+ countries. She also worked on forest protection and community development with the United Nations in Indonesia, negotiated international climate policy as a UNFCCC Delegate of the Philippines, and advised Fortune 500 companies and cities on climate strategies and sustainability at The Climate Group. Throughout her career, Stephanie has worked at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic development, striving to catalyze the transition to sustainable land-use, food, and energy systems.

Stephanie’s research on climate mitigation, land-based solutions, and biosphere-atmosphere dynamics has been published in leading journals, including Nature Climate Change and Global Change Biology. She is also a Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6, WGIII), and was a Contributing Author to the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (2019).

  

DR. REBECCA SHAW

DR. REBECCA SHAW
CHIEF SCIENTIST AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, WWF-US

Dr. Rebecca Shaw is chief scientist and senior vice president at WWF. She works with experts around the world to identify the emerging challenges to WWF’s mission and advance scientific inquiry to develop strategic solutions to those challenges. She leads WWF’s Global Science team whose research agenda informs WWF’s global conservation framework and identifies tools critical to achieving WWF’s goals. She has been published widely in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals such as Science and Nature and is the recipient of numerous awards for her academic and non-academic work. She was also a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report focused on impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability.

Rebecca holds an MA in environmental policy and a PhD in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley.

  

AARON VERMEULEN

AARON VERMEULEN
FINANCE PRACTICE LEAD, WWF-INTERNATIONAL

Aaron Vermeulen is the finance practice lead for WWF-International and is responsible for the sustainable finance strategy globally. Prior to this he was the head of the Green Finance Team at WWF-Netherlands. In addition to setting up a coalition for the Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), the team also manages the partnerships with Rabobank and Robeco Asset Management to develop blueprints for greening finance in the banking and asset management industry. Aaron is one of the founders of the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD), which has mobilized over € 1.3 billion private capital to date for companies providing nature-based solutions and climate resilience in WWF landscapes. Prior to this he worked as the finance lead for the Freshwater Practice coordination team, during which he set-up the Bankable Nature Solutions (BNS) initiative. Aaron also worked for five years as the WWF partnership manager at the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila. In this position he leveraged conservation impact for the 25 WWF offices in the Asia Pacific region by contributing to ADB's policies, strategies, standards, and investments. Before joining WWF he held several positions, including director of the business group Water and Ecology for Royal HaskoningDHV consultancy in Amsterdam and as an associate expert for the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo.