Achim Steiner is UNDP Administrator and the Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group comprising 40 entities of the UN system that work to support sustainable development. He has been a global leader on sustainable development and international cooperation for nearly three decades and has been an advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Prior to joining UNDP, he was Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professorial Fellow of Balliol College, University of Oxford. He led the United Nations Environment Programme (2006-2016), helping governments invest in renewable energy and technologies. He has held other notable positions including Director General of the UN Office, Nairobi and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams. He graduated in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (MA) from Worcester College, Oxford University and holds an MA from the University of London/School of Oriental and African Studies.