TOP 10 Most Read Thought Leaders of 2022

Discover also our 2024 rankings of the Most Read Thought Leaders of the year, or enjoy our Thought Leaders of 2022 rankings on Biodiversity, Carbon, Climate Change, Energy Transition, ESG, Hydrogen, Mining and Metals, Power and Utilities, Renewables, Sustainable Business, Sustainable Governance, and Overall. Explore how this year’s leaders compare to the most read thought leaders of 2023!

At illuminem.com we take pride in calling ourselves the “home of sustainability” and in welcoming the world's largest network of sustainability experts, with over 600 Thought Leaders choosing us to spread quality sustainability information. Our community comprises leaders from the most diverse backgrounds, including Ministers and global CEOs, who offer complementary perspectives and constructively debate and address the most pressing challenges of our time.

Sustainability is not just an option, but a necessity. It is essential to advance our knowledge and debate to protect our planet for future generations. Today, we are honored to recognize and thank the most-read experts and change-makers of the year who are shaping the debate on illuminem.com.

Please help us congratulate our TOP 10 Thought Leaders of 2022!

1️⃣ Erin Remblance - Co-founder, (re)Biz
Country: Australia
Latest Thought Piece: Degrowth: The Path to a Better Life
Profile: Erin Remblance is the world’s most recognized thought leader on de-growth and carbon reduction topics. Erin is the co-founder of (re)Biz, a program that is designed for leaders seeking to implement regeneration and post-growth solutions into their organizations. She was previously an Environmental Programs Associate at NOCO2, an Australian-based firm, where she enabled businesses of all sizes to reduce their carbon footprint.

2️⃣ Gabriela Herculano - CEO, iClima Earth & fmr. Executive Director, GE Capital
Country: Brazil
Latest Thought Piece: The Future of the Cleantech Economy is Bright: Passing the $1 Trillion mark and the IRA's impacts​
Profile: Gabriela Herculano is CEO and Co-Founder of iClima Earth, a leading green Fintech firm accelerating the sustainability transition by focusing on companies that have CO2 avoidance at the core of their business model. Gabriela has over 25 years of experience in the financial and energy sectors, having held several leadership positions such as serving as an Executive Director at GE Capital’s Energy Financial Services team in London. Gabriela holds an MBA from the Wharton School.

3️⃣ Eve Tamme - Founder, Climate Principles & fmr. Chair, Working Party on the Environment, Council of the European Union
Country: Estonia
Latest Thought Piece: 2023 — the Year of Shaping EU’s 2040 Climate Target
Profile: Eve Tamme is a Senior Advisor and has dedicated much of her career to advancing international and European climate policy and has been a key contributor to policies such as the Paris Agreement, the EU Emissions Trading System, carbon markets, and climate governance. Today, she also leads Climate Principles, a leading climate policy advisory firm, as its Founder and CEO. Eve also serves several global corporations with key climate topics such as Puro.earth and McKinsey and Company. She began her career working in the Estonian Environment Agency and subsequently at the European Commission as a Policy Advisor.

4️⃣ Robert Höglund - Climate Advisor, Marginal Carbon
Country: Sweden
Latest Thought Piece: Why is it so difficult to fund projects that reduce emissions?
Profile: Robert Höglund is an independent advisor working with carbon removal and climate policy. He manages the Milkywire climate transformation fund and sits on the board of Mistra sustainable consumption. He previously headed Oxfam, Sweden's policy and communications team, and took part in the Science-based Target Initiatives' Net-zero expert advisory group. Robert is an avid writer and has been a major contributor to advancing the debate on important carbon and carbon removal topics.

5️⃣ Harald Walkate - Founder, Finding Ways Ahead & Senior Fellow of the Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth, University of Zurich
Country: Netherlands
Latest Thought Piece: Asset Managers: Blended Finance is Like Music
Profile: Harald Walkate is the founder of Finding Ways Ahead, an independent ESG and sustainable finance advisory. He is also the Founding Partner of Route17, a blended finance firm developing SDG-aligned investment strategies. Harald is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Zurich Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth. Previously he was the Head of ESG and member of the Executive Committee of Natixis Investment Managers, and the Global Head of Responsible Investment at Aegon Asset Management. As a hobby, Harald leads the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw which has been recognized for its world-class performances.

6️⃣ Nicholas Stern - Fmr. Chief Economist, World Bank & Chair, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Country: United Kingdom
Latest Thought Piece: Climate and Poverty: Exclusive Interview with Lord Nicholas Stern
Profile: Nicholas Stern is a distinguished British economist, who is globally recognized for his expertise in climate change economics and policy. He currently serves as the IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the LSE and as the Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. In addition to his academic positions, he has served as the Chief Economist of the World Bank, Head of the UK Government Economic Service, and President of the British Academy. He is also a member of the UK House of Lords and has been awarded numerous honors for his ground-breaking contributions to economics and climate policy.

7️⃣ Michael Barnard - Chief Strategist, The Future Is Electric Strategy & Advisory Board member, FLIMAX
Country: Canada
Latest Thought Piece: Marine shipping will change radically, electrify and consume biofuels to decarbonize
Profile: Michael Barnard is Chief Strategist at The Future Is Electric Strategy (TFIE), Advisory Board member of electric aviation startup FLIMAX, and co-founder of distnc technologies. He spends his time projecting scenarios for decarbonization 40-80 years into the future, and assisting executives, Boards, and investors to pick wisely today. Whether it's refueling aviation, grid storage, vehicle-to-grid, or hydrogen demand, his work is based on fundamentals of physics, economics, and human nature, and informed by the decarbonization requirements and innovations of multiple domains. He previously served as Advisory Board Member at Electron aviation and as a Strategic Advisor at Agora Energy Technologies.

8️⃣ Elizabeth Lewis - Managing Director & Deputy Head of ESG, Blackstone
Country: United States of America
Latest Thought Piece: Commit to Women in Business
Profile: Elizabeth Lewis is a Managing Director and the Deputy Head of ESG at Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative investments firm. Elizabeth formerly led engagement with investors, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders on climate change and diversity at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Prior to IFC, Elizabeth was a Partner and Director of Strategy & Business Development at Terra Alpha Investments, and the Head of Sustainable Investing at the World Resources Institute where she led the establishment of the WRI's Sustainable Investing Program. Earlier in her career, she was a Principal at Global Environment Fund, a private equity fund focused on clean energy and sustainable forestry.

9️⃣ Arvea Marieni - Director, Regenerative Society Foundation
Country: Italy
Latest Thought Piece: The Biggest Arguments Against Electric Cars - and How They're Completely Wrong
Profile: Arvea Marieni is a partner and board member of management advisory company Brainscapital and Technical Director for the Regenerative Society Foundation, Co-Chaired by US Economist Jeffrey Sachs, and Italian entrepreneur Andrea Illy. As a strategy adviser, climate policy expert and innovation manager, she specialises in EU-China environmental cooperation and serves as a European Commission expert and a consultant with the UNFCCC. In 2021 and 2022, she was appointed as a jury member and rapporteur for the first and second edition of the European Innovation Procurement Awards (EUIPA).

🔟 Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana - Under-Secretary-General, United Nations
Country: Indonesia
Latest Thought Piece: The right policies can protect the workers of Asia and the Pacific
Profile: Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). She also serves on the Governing Board of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). Armida has held several leadership positions in global institutions such as the Minister of National Development Planning and the Head of the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), Indonesia and as Co-chair of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. Armida has also been the Alternate Governor of the World Bank and Alternate Governor of the Asian Development Bank. She has been awarded the Mahaputra Adipradana Order from the Republic of Indonesia.

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