Christiana Figueres has observed that women in developing countries are at the nexus of food, water, and energy. She is currently the convener of Mission 2020, a global initiative that seeks to ensure global action to minimize greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to protect the most vulnerable from the worst impacts of climate change. Figueres recently served as the Executive Secretary for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Figueres has directed four consecutive successful Conferences of the Parties. She has a long trajectory in the field of global climate change, having been a member of the Costa Rican negotiating team from 1995 to 2009, Director of Renewable Energy in the Americas, and founder of the non-profit Center for Sustainable Development of the Americas.

Figueres has a master's degree in Anthropology from the London School of Economics, and a certificate in Organizational Development from Georgetown University.