Fred Krupp is comforted by the abundance of hope he sees, but knows that the vital step is action. As President of the Environmental Defense Fund, Krupp is widely recognized as a pioneer in harnessing market forces for environmental ends. He has spent 30 years as the head of the organization, overseeing the growth of EDF from a small nonprofit with a budget of $3 million to a recognized worldwide leader in the environmental movement. Krupp has also forged strategic partnerships with FedEx, McDonald’s and Walmart, engaging companies to lessen their impact on the environment by eliminating millions of pounds of packaging waste and improving energy efficiency across the global retail supply chain.

Krupp is co-author of Earth: The Sequel – The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming. In 2011, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu appointed Krupp to the seven-member panel charged with recommending measures to reduce the environmental impact and improve the safety of shale gas production.