Patrick V. Verkooijen Explained

Patrick V. Verkooijen
Birth Date:21 May 1969
Nationality:Dutch
Occupation:CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation and Chancellor of the University of Nairobi

Patrick V. Verkooijen (born May 21, 1969) is the CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the Chancellor of the University of Nairobi.[1] [2] [3] [4]

As CEO of GCA, he works closely with Ban Ki-moon, architect of the Paris Agreement as 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chairman of the Board of GCA. He also managed the Global Commission on Adaptation chaired by Ban and co-led by Kristalina Georgieva and Bill Gates.[5] [6] [7] Prior to this role, he was the World Bank Special Representative for Climate Change.[8]

Verkooijen serves as the Distinguished Chair of The Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies at the University of Nairobi,[9] and as the Ban Ki-moon Chair on Climate Adaptation Governance at the University of Groningen.[10]

Verkooijen is regularly published in global media outlets including The Guardian,[11] [12] The New York Times,[13] The Washington Post,[14] Reuters,[15] Newsweek[16] and CNN International,[17] and has appeared on BBC,[18] CNBC International[19] and Sky News.[20]

Education

Verkooijen holds a PhD from Wageningen University, an MPA from Harvard University, a Master of Science degree in Social and Political Philosophy from the University of Amsterdam, and an environmental engineering degree from HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht. He has written academic papers focusing on sustainability and governance.[21]

Career

As founding CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), Verkooijen has built a global organization supporting active adaptation projects in over 30 countries. Together with African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, he is the architect of the world's largest adaptation program, the $25 billion Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), which has already shaped over $6 of resilient investments in the world's most climate-vulnerable continent since its inception in 2021.[22] Working with heads of state and government from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, Prof. Verkooijen organized more than half a dozen Summits of world leaders aimed at elevating the cause of climate adaptation, including as co-convenor of the Global Commission on Adaptation.[23] [24] [25] [26]

Prior to the GCA, Verkooijen served as the World Bank Special Representative on Climate Change, and earlier as its head of climate smart agriculture.[27] In these roles he established the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, which is the world's largest coalition for putting a price on carbon,[28] organized more than ten IMF-World Bank Climate Ministerials for ministers of finance and planning, and set up the $1.6 billion Forest Investment Program, which included the largest indigenous people and local communities grant mechanism in the world at the time, and has since supported the sustainable management of close to 400 million hectares of land across Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2012 and 2018, Prof. Verkooijen was also Professor of Practice of Sustainable Development Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He has also worked as Special Advisor to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan, Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and as a Senior Advisor at the economic affairs, nature and agriculture ministry of the Netherlands.

In 2022, Verkooijen was awarded a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa by the University of Nairobi in recognition of his championing of climate resilience for Africa.[29] He was also honored with the Green Deal Prize in the 2022 Financial Afrik awards.[30]

In 2024, Verkooijen was appointed by William Ruto, President of Kenya, as Chancellor of the University of Nairobi.[31]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bedrijfsinformatie bestellen. 2021-11-11. kvk.nl.
  2. News: About us The Solutions Broker for Adaptation Action . . 13 April 2021.
  3. Web site: President Ruto appoints Professor Patrick Verkooijen as Chancellor of the University of Nairobi University of Nairobi . 2024-01-12 . www.uonbi.ac.ke.
  4. Web site: Nairobi . Patrick Verkooijen Chancellor of the University of . 2024-02-15 . Africa's Higher Education Needs More Investment and Entrepreneurship . 2024-02-16 . Newsweek . en.
  5. News: Global Center on Adaptation CEO Verkooijen visits the Ban Ki-moon Centre in Vienna . bankimooncentre.org . 13 August 2018 . 3 June 2019.
  6. News: In today's burning news, UN report says last year was fourth hottest on record . indiatoday.in . 8 February 2019 . 3 June 2019.
  7. News: Bill Gates leads global call to accept realities of a warming planet . newscientist.com . 16 October 2018 . 3 June 2019.
  8. News: FNP visiting professor appointed world bank special representative for climate change . wur.nl . 27 July 2012 . 3 June 2019.
  9. Web site: UoN appoints Prof. Patrick Verkooijen as Distinguished Chair of WMI University of Nairobi . 2023-06-23 . www.uonbi.ac.ke.
  10. Web site: 2020-05-28 . Patrick Verkooijen appointed Chair of University of Groningen's Climate Adaptation Governance Programme . 2023-06-23 . University of Groningen . en.
  11. News: Harvey . Fiona . Fiona Harvey . 2023-06-17 . Paris talks to focus on funding poor countries to tackle climate crisis . 2023-07-19 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  12. News: 3 June 2020 . Fighting cyclones and coronavirus: how we evacuated millions during a pandemic . The Guardian . 13 April 2021.
  13. News: 8 October 2023. If You Want Our Countries to Address Climate Change, First Pause Our Debts . . 13 October 2023 . Ruto . William . Mahamat . Moussa Faki . Adesina . Akinwumi . Verkooijen . Patrick .
  14. News: 10 April 2019 . Opinion: Don't let rising seas drown the Marshall Islands . The Washington Post . 13 April 2021.
  15. News: 8 January 2020 . OPINION: Miami needs allies in its fight to survive climate change . trust.org . 13 April 2021.
  16. News: 2021-04-22 . Weather stations underpin effective climate action—We need more of them Opinion . en . Newsweek . 2021-04-22.
  17. News: 9 April 2020 . Will we learn lessons for tackling climate change from our current crisis? . edition.cnn.com . 13 April 2021.
  18. News: 10 September 2019 . Priorities for adapting to climate change . BBC . 13 April 2021.
  19. News: Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of Global Center on Adaptation on CNBC on World Water Day . . 13 April 2021.
  20. News: Appearance On Skynews . Skynews . 13 April 2021.
  21. News: Dr. Patrick Verkooijen CEO - GLOBAL CENTER ON ADAPTATION . Planetary Security Initiative . 3 June 2019.
  22. News: 2023-09-06 . Biggest Climate Adaptation Plan Lays Out Africa Investment Case . en . Bloomberg.com . 2023-10-13.
  23. Web site: 2022-11-08 . Millions pledged at Africa adaptation acceleration event . 2023-07-19 . Africa Renewal . en.
  24. Web site: COP26 urged to prioritise adaptation as climate emergency surges . 2023-07-19 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
  25. News: African presidents and global leaders support bold action on climate change adaptation for Africa . . 13 April 2021.
  26. Web site: Global leaders support action on climate change for Africa . 13 April 2021.
  27. Web site: Triple Win of Climate-Smart Agriculture put into Practice . 2023-07-19 . World Bank . en.
  28. Web site: 2013-01-25 . World Bank, MEPs call for climate-oriented EU budget . 2023-07-19 . www.euractiv.com . en-GB.
  29. Web site: UON confers Global Center on Adaptation CEO, Professor Patrick Verkooijen with an Honorary Degree Department of Earth & Climate Science . 2023-06-23 . earthclimatesciences.uonbi.ac.ke.
  30. Web site: Rédaction . 2022-12-09 . Les lauréats 2022 des Financial Afrik Awards . 2023-10-13 . Financial Afrik . fr-FR.
  31. Web site: 2024-01-12 . Ruto appoints Patrick V. Verkooijen as UoN Chancellor . 2024-01-12 . Nation . en.