2009 Tutu Fellow, James Mwangi has been appointed as an inaugural member of The Rockerfeller Foundation Climate Advisory Council. The 111-year-old philanthropic organisation announced the creation of a new Climate Advisory Council in June 2024. 

The council will help advance climate solutions that reduce emissions, and enhance opportunities for communities that are most affected by the effects of global warming. The Advisory Council comprises nine members, who will serve a voluntary two-year term.

The foundation says this network of climate experts and innovators represents a diverse array of perspectives, experiences and regions where it is operational. The Council will meet three to four times a year and will advise on the foundation’s portfolio of climate solutions, to ensure the greatest transformational impact.

James, who founded the Climate Action Platform for Africa, a not-for-profit organisation that advances climate action leadership, leads strategy, transactions and operations through Africa Climate Ventures as its CEO. He is a recipient of the 2022 Climate Breakthrough Award, the largest climate action award for individuals and was also a featured speaker at the 2023 Africa Climate Summit. 

In 2002, he co-founded Dalberg Advisors in New York, before founding Dalberg's Africa business in 2007. He then served as Dalberg Advisors' Global Managing Partner from 2010 to 2014, and as the Dalberg Group's Executive Director from 2014 to 2022. Among James' numerous accomplishments, he has served at the UN Foundation and at McKinsey & Company. 

Commenting on the recent appointments, Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programmes at the Rockefeller Foundation and co-Chair of the Climate Advisory Council, said: "We are fortunate to partner with these world-class climate leaders who will help guide our decisions and evaluate our progress as we work to develop solutions that can enhance the well-being of people and planet." Her remarks have come at a time when, according to the Foundation, it has commited $1 billion to advancing a global climate transition, targeting net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

You can read more at the anouncement of the appointment at the Rockefeller Foundation website and on LinkedIn.

Header image - Image from the Rockefeller Foundation website