Plasticity Speaker Profile: President José María Figueres

By Robert Rath

Plasticity Speaker Profile: President José María Figueres

Even the deepest, most remote parts of the vast global ocean contain human-made trash. Plastic is by far the
commonest example. We must work together to increase reuse and recycling, strengthen waste management
and producer accountability, and create a circular economy that puts an end to plastic pollution. -President José María Figueres

Plasticity is proud to announce that the former president of Costa Rica, José María Figueres, will be a keynote speaker at the third annual Plasticity Forum.

President Figueres has long been an advocate for sustainable development, both during his time as Costa Rica’s president and as an international leader.

Holding an undergraduate degree in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard, President Figueres is a rare public official who stands at the nexus of technology and government.

During his presidential administration from 1994 to 1998, Figueres emphasized sustainable development as a pillar of economic expansion, and since leaving office as part of a one-term constitutional mandate, he’s championed this message on the global stage.

After his term as president, he founded Entebbe, the Costa Rican Foundation for Sustainable Development, and took leadership in several international environmental organizations. He has been a Director of the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Stockholm Environment Institute and the World Wildlife Fund. In 2010 he became president of the Sir. Richard Branson-founded Carbon War Room, a think tank that seeks market-based solutions to reduce carbon emissions on a gigaton scale. From 2009 to 2011 – when its mandate was completed – President Figueres served on U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s Advisory Group on Climate Change and Energy. He currently co-chairs the Global Ocean Commission.

President Figueres has also been a leader in business. He was chairman of LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) as well as the small business agency FUNDES Internacional. In 2000, he was appointed Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, and served as the organization’s first Chief Executive between 2003 and 2004.

Join us at the Plasticity Forum on June 24th to hear President Figueres share his insights on making plastic more sustainable – and profitable.