Renewable Energy Leader Dr. Kandeh Yumkella Joins Rocky Mountain Institute
Sierra Leonean Development Economist Kandeh Yumkella joins Rocky Mountain Institute’s Board of Directors.
BOULDER, CO—December 09, 2019—Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Kandeh Yumkella to its board of directors.
“Kandeh Yumkella’s global leadership on sustainable energy issues will be a tremendous asset to the Institute as we continue to grow and deepen our existing work to address climate change and secure a clean energy transition worldwide” said RMI CEO Jules Kortenhorst.
Dr. Yumkella is a distinguished development economist and an expert in agricultural economics with over 25 years of experience. He is founder and CEO of The Energy Nexus Network (TENN), a regional ecosystem hub for sustainable energy solutions.
“It is an honor to be part of the Rocky Mountain Institute team, a group that has done so much to protect the global commons. I am excited to see how we can operationalize some of their ideas in fragile and vulnerable ecosystems in Africa,” said Dr. Yumkella.
Previously Dr. Yumkella served for almost two decades in the United Nations system including as under-secretary-general and special representative of the UN secretary-general for Sustainable Energy for All and founding chief executive officer for the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative (2013–2015). He also served two four-year terms as director-general of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, 2005–2013).
In both capacities, among other accomplishments, Dr. Yumkella mobilized global consensus for the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 9. These deal with ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation, respectively. Currently, he serves on both the Pan-African Parliament and the Parliament of Sierra Leone while continuing his global engagements as a member of various international advisory bodies, boards and commissions.
“Dr. Yumkella’s leadership globally, on behalf of Developing Economies and in Sierra Leone, has led to sustainable energy finally being recognized as a key enabler for all types of sustainable development, as well as being critical to addressing climate change,” said RMI Empowering Clean Economies Managing Director Richenda Van Leeuwen.
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About Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) — an independent nonprofit founded in 1982 — transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous and secure low-carbon future. It engages businesses, communities, institutions and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; the San Francisco Bay Area; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.