March 10, 2022
A member of the Jury since 2009, Yolanda Kakabadse’s distinguished career in conservation and international development spans civil society, government, and the private sector. Her career in the environment began as the executive director of Fundación Natura in Ecuador (1979 – 1990), where she led the organization to become one of Latin America’s most important environmental NGOs. In 1993, Kakabadse founded Fundacion Futuro Latinoamericano to promote sustainable development in Latin America through conflict prevention and management. She served as its executive president until 2006 and is presently chair of the Advisory Board.
Kakabadse was appointed Minister of Environment for the Republic of Ecuador in 1998. She was president of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) from 1996 to 2004, and a member of the board of the World Resources Institute during the same period. Kakabadse co-chaired the Environmental Sustainability Task Force of the UN Millennium Project and is a former president of WWF International.
Among her many international roles, Kakabadse is a member of the boards of the Ford Foundation, Yale School of Forestry, Environmental Advisory Board of CocaCola, and special advisor to the Commission of Education and Communication of IUCN.
