TOP 10 Most-Read Thought Leaders of 2024

Discover also our 2024 rankings of the Most Read Thought Leaders in Carbon, Climate Change, Energy, Energy Transition, Environmental Sustainability, ESG, Green Tech, Nature, Social Responsibility, Sustainable Business and Sustainable Finance and Overall. Explore how this year’s leaders compare to the most influential Thought Leaders of 2022 and 2023!

We are proud to present the most-read Thought Leaders globally, as recognised by illuminem's ever-growing community of over 500,000+ readers.

The authors listed below are part of a distinguished group of over 1,500 Thought Leaders publishing on illuminem. They include business leaders, scientists, academics, activists and policymakers from every corner of the globe. While their perspectives may differ, they are united by a shared mission: driving sustainability forward, supporting responsible development, and advocating for strategies that foster enduring positive environmental and social impact.

Please help us congratulate the TOP 10 Sustainability Thought Leaders of the year!

1️⃣ Noé van Hulst - Fmr. Chairman of the International Energy Agency and fmr. Dutch Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
Country: The Netherlands 🇳🇱
Most-Read Thought Piece: Anatomy of a fall: Europe’s deindustrialisation
Core Topic: Energy
Profile: Noé van Hulst is a special advisor hydrogen of the International Energy Agency, vice-chair of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy and senior fellow at Clingendael International Energy Programme. He has served as the Dutch ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, chairman of the International Energy Agency Governing Board, and general director for Energy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands.

2️⃣ Sandrine Dixson-Decleve - Fmr. President of The Club of Rome and Co-Founder of the System Transformation Hub 
Country: Belgium 🇧🇪
Most-Read Thought Piece: The EU can lead in tackling green and social challenges in tandem
Core Topic: Climate Change
Profile: Sandrine Dixson-Decleve is the former president of the Club of Rome, author and chair of Earth4All, and founder of System Transformation Hub. She is a Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership Senior Associate and faculty member and has been named by GreenBiz among the TOP30 women shaping global green business.

3️⃣ Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana - Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Country: Indonesia 🇮🇩
Most-Read Thought Piece: Empowering change and resilience: social protection in the age of mega trends
Core Topic: Social Responsibility
Profile: Ms. 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. She also serves on the Governing Board of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.

4️⃣ Nigel Topping - Fmr. United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champion of COP26 and Founder of Ambition Loop
Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Most-Read Thought Piece: Antarctica is melting faster than ever. Here’s what we can do about it
Core Topic: Climate Change
Profile: Nigel Topping is the founder of AmbitionLoop, a not-for-profit organisation working to facilitate systemic change through radical collaboration between businesses and governments. He served as the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP26, where he launched global initiatives like Race To Zero and Race To Resilience. He is a non-executive director of the UK Infrastructure Bank and business champion on the UK Climate Change Committee.

5️⃣ Jeremy Bentham - Co-Chair and Senior Advisor of the World Energy Council and Senior Advisor at the Boston Consulting Group
Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Most-Read Thought Piece: Re-perceiving energy system transformations
Core Topic: Energy
Profile: Jeremy Bentham is the co-chair and senior advisor of the World Energy Council and senior advisor at the Boston Consulting Group. He led the internationally renowned Shell Scenarios team for over fifteen years, advising company leadership and senior external policy-makers on energy transitions and strategic direction. He has deep experience in framing and making investment and policy choices in the face of radical uncertainties.

6️⃣ Nicola Armaroli - Research Director of the Italian National Research Council and Member of the Italian National Academy of Sciences
Country: Italy 🇮🇹
Most-Read Thought Piece: Biofuels: easier said than done
Core Topic: Energy Transition
Profile: Nicola Armaroli is research director at the Italian National Research Council and member of the Italian National Academy of Sciences. He studies the conversion of light into electricity and fuels and the transition of the global energy system. Nicola has travelled as a visiting lecturer worldwide and published hundreds of scientific articles.

7️⃣ Georg Kell - Fmr. Executive Director of United Nations Global Compact and Chairman of Arabesque Group
Country: Germany 🇩🇪
Most-Read Thought Piece: Corporate sustainability at a crossroad
Core Topic: ESG
Profile: Georg Kell is a prominent figure in the field of sustainable business and corporate social responsibility. He is the fmr. executive director of United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. He currently serves as the chairman of Arabesque, a technology company that uses AI and big data to assess sustainability performance.  

8️⃣ Kasper Benjamin Reimer Bjørkskov - Founder, Architect, and Consultant Activist
Country: Denmark 🇩🇰
Most-Read Thought Piece: The dawn of regenerative leadership: steering away from ecological bankruptcy
Core Topic: Adaptation
Profile: Kasper Benjamin Reimer Bjørkskov is the founder of No Objectives, a non-profit research and design agency turning minority insights into majority actions. Also an architect, Kasper connects strategy, activism, and design to turn complex challenges into collective action that drives a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future.

9️⃣ Eve Tamme - Managing Director of Climate Principles and Chair of Zero Emissions Platform
Country: Estonia 🇪🇪
Most-Read Thought Piece: The EU’s 2040 Climate Target — context, scope and design
Core Topic: Carbon
Profile: Eve Tamme is a director of Climate Principles and senior advisor on climate policy. She is also a member of the Expert Group on Carbon Removals of the European Commission and chair of Zero Emissions Platform. Her expertise covers the Paris Agreement, the EU Emissions Trading System, carbon markets, climate governance, and carbon removal.

🔟 Elena Morettini - Global Head of Sustainable Business of Globant and Co-Founder of BecauseEnergyMatters
Country: Argentina 🇦🇷
Most-Read Thought Piece: Powering sustainable wins in the sports arena: tech breakthroughs
Core Topic: Green Tech
Profile: Elena Morettini is the global head of sustainable business of Globant, a native digital multinational company, and co-founder of BecauseEnergyMatters. She has previously held key managerial positions in renowned international companies such as Shell, Repsol YPF, Badley Ashton, and Fugro GeoConsulting. Elena founded the first Diversity and Inclusion Committee for Oil and Gas in the Latin America region.

To the most read sustainability thought leaders worldwide, congratulations on your well-deserved recognition. Your commitment to excellence has set a high standard for us all, and we are excited to see the continued growth and innovation that will undoubtedly define the future of sustainability initiatives in 2025.

If you enjoyed this ranking make sure to also visit our Top 10 Most Read Thought Leaders of the year.

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