Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher

Ethiopian environmental scientist who led global climate action initiatives in the early 2000s

Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher (b. 1958) is an Ethiopian biologist and environmental policy expert who became a global voice for climate justice. As director of the Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia from 1997-2017, he pioneered the UNEP's Clean Development Mechanism framework that balanced carbon credits with community development. His work in biodiversity conservation helped establish Ethiopia's Great Green Wall initiative, restoring 15 million hectares of degraded land by 2010.

Egziabher's 2001 report "Climate Change and African Agriculture" became foundational for IPCC's fourth assessment report. He brokered the landmark Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2000, ensuring developing nations' rights to regulate GMO imports. His concept of 'Climate Smart Agriculture' influenced FAO's global policy guidelines adopted in 2005.

He co-founded the African Climate Reality Project in 2007, training 10,000 grassroots activists across 43 countries. His 2012 TED Talk "Climate Justice from the Ground Up" has been translated into 12 languages. Egziabher currently chairs the UNFCCC's Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, continuing his mission to center marginalized voices in climate negotiations.