We are proud to present the most-read Thought Leaders of the year in Social Responsibility globally, as recognised by illuminem, the leading platform in sustainability information with 500,000+ loyal users and the largest expert network in the industry.

The authors listed below are part of a distinguished group of over 1,500 Thought Leaders publishing on illuminem. They include activists, business leaders, scholars, and policymakers from every corner of the globe. While their perspectives may differ, they are united by a shared mission: to champion ethical action, foster community engagement, and inspire a more just and equitable society.

Please help us congratulate the TOP 10 Sustainability Thought Leaders of 2024 in Social Responsibility!

1️⃣ 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
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.

2️⃣ Galit Palzur - Board Member of the Israeli Energy Forum and former Director of Economics and Standards of Ministry of Environmental Protection of Israel
Country: Israel 🇮🇱
Most-Read Thought Piece: What should be done to address one of the worst performing SDGs?
Profile: Galit Palzur is an economist and a board member at Forum Dvorah, the Israeli Energy Forum and Kessler Projects for the World. She specialises in risk management of natural disasters, sustainability and climate change, and climate finance. She was the Director of the Economics Division of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Chair of the Bureau of the OECD Working Party on Climate, Investment and Development.

3️⃣ Scott Andersen - Author of Strangers and Robots and former Technology Executive
Country: United States 🇺🇸
Most-Read Thought Piece: A guide to finger painting in the city: A short story
Profile: Scott Andersen is the author of Strangers and Robots, a coffee table book from the streets of New York. The work brings together 300 strangers, 3 robots, and one question: What is the meaning of life? Scott is a former technology executive who appreciates provocative questions and enjoys talking to strangers.

4️⃣ Susana Gago - Founder of UNAKTI
Country: Spain 🇪🇸
Most-Read Thought Piece: REco: Time to evolve beyond carbon tunnel vision
Profile: Susana Gago is the founder of UNAKTI, a female-led ecosystem dedicated to cultivating high-value medicinal and aromatic plants, and transforming them into pure raw materials for the Cosmetic, Health & Wellness industries. As part of her job at UNAKTI, she collaborates with local women farmers and communities, empowering them through regenerative medicinal forest cultivation to step up into leadership roles within their families and communities.  

5️⃣ Celeste Headlee - Award-winning journalist and co-host on PBS
Country: United States 🇺🇸
Most-Read Thought Piece: Racism vs. Discrimination: Why the distinction matters
Profile: Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist who has appeared on NPR, PBS World, PRI, CNN, BBC and other international networks. She was formerly a host at National Public Radio, anchoring shows including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition.

6️⃣ Mavra Bari - SPAR6C Pakistan Communications Lead of Global Green Growth Institute
Country: Pakistan 🇵🇰
Most-Read Thought Piece: The genocide of the Congolese: a cautionary call against ‘green growth’
Profile: Mavra Bari Mavra is SPAR6C Pakistan Communications Lead at Global Green Growth Institute. She is a journalist, writer, communications specialist and sociologist with a keen eye on the global politics surrounding climate change and the intersectionality of resource equity. She holds a Master from the University of Amsterdam in Sociology, focusing research on urban narratives and geography, urban marketing, tourism, sustainability and right to do the city.

7️⃣ Anders Pettersson - Former Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders
Country: Sweden 🇸🇪
Most-Read Thought Piece: A tale of two trends: Europe shifts right but Nordics veer left
Profile: Anders L. Pettersson is executive director of Civil Rights Defenders, an independent and international human rights organisation with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden.

8️⃣ Frank Biermann - Professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University
Country: Germany 🇩🇪
Most-Read Thought Piece: The UN Sustainable Development Goals haven’t had much impact so far
Profile: Frank Biermann is a political scientist and international lawyer specializing in the study of how to transform global institutions for sustainable development. Former professor of Environmental Policy Analysis at VU University Amsterdam, since 2015 he’s a professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University. Biermann is among others the founder and first chair of the Earth System Governance Project, a global transdisciplinary research network with several hundred members. 

9️⃣ John Leo Algo - National Coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas
Country: Philippines 🇵🇭
Most-Read Thought Piece: Will the global stocktake end up being pointless?
Profile: John Leo Algo is the national coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas, the Philippines's largest civil society network for climate action. He is also a member of the Youth Advisory Group for Environmental and Climate Justice, anchored in YECAP under agencies of the United Nations. He has been a climate and environment journalist since 2016.

🔟 Omar Alshogre - Director for Detainee Affairs at the Syrian Emergency Task Force
Country: Syria 🇸🇾
Most-Read Thought Piece: From chains to change: Omar Alshogre’s story of resilience amid Syria’s turmoil
Profile: Omar Alshogre is a Syrian refugee, public speaker, and human rights activist. He currently serves as the director for Detainee Affairs at the Syrian Emergency Task Force. Omar is widely recognized for his efforts to raise awareness about human rights abuses in Syria, drawing from his harrowing personal experiences of torture and starvation during three years of detention by the Syrian government. His recognition as a leader on the international human rights scene led him to speak at the US Senate and the UN Security Council. 

To the most read sustainability thought leaders in social responsibility and to all our esteemed authors: congratulations on your well-deserved recognition and for serving as a beacon of inspiration for our global community. 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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