WASHINGTON (April 7, 2022)—World Resources Institute Distinguished Senior Fellow Frances Seymour won the American Carbon Registry’s Climate Leadership award for her career contributions and tireless dedication to advancing forest protection. Seymour is recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the role of tropical forests in addressing climate change and sustainable development.

American Carbon Registry, a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, made the announcement yesterday at their annual awards ceremony in Anaheim, California.

Seymour was selected for the award due to the pivotal role she has played in advancing the scientific, economic and policy foundations for forest protection and restoration as critical tools to combat climate change and to protect the rights and livelihoods of local communities and Indigenous Peoples. 

“Frances Seymour is one of the most brilliant minds working to save the world’s forests. Few people understand the immense value of tropical forests and have done more to advocate for their benefits than Frances,” said Ani Dasgupta, President & CEO, World Resources Institute. “We are delighted that Frances has been awarded the 2022 Climate Leadership award for her tremendous contributions to the field. As nature-based solutions increasingly take center stage, her intellectual rigor and policy expertise are needed now more than ever and will continue to help ecosystems and people around the world.”

Throughout her time at WRI and in previous roles at the Center for Global Development, World Wildlife Fund, and as Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia, she has been a consistent voice for evidence-based policies that unlock the massive potential of forests as a cost-effective climate solution. Seymour is also the lead author of the landmark book, Why Forests? Why Now? The Science, Economics, and Politics of Tropical Forests and Climate Change.

“I am honored to receive this award from the American Carbon Registry, and to find myself in the distinguished company of previous individual recipients and representatives of the organizations being recognized this year,” said Seymour. “As interest in carbon markets and nature-based solutions to climate change has surged, it’s more important than ever to ensure that such markets are held to the highest standards of social and environmental integrity. Colleagues at ACR and Winrock International have been leaders in protecting forests, including through their work on high-quality carbon credits that can drive down emissions from deforestation.”

At WRI, Seymour conducts research for and advises major initiatives such as Global Forest Watch, the Global Restoration Initiative, the Food and Land Use Coalition, Cities4Forests, the Forest Legality Initiative and more. Seymour also contributes her expertise to initiatives such as Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART), hosted by Winrock International, which seeks to incentivize governments to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Seymour is joined by renowned environmental leaders who have previously won the ACR Climate Leadership Award, including Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC and WRI board member; Jonathan Pershing, Environment Program Director at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and former WRI Climate and Energy Program director; and Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, among others.

The ACR awards are being presented alongside the North American Carbon World conference, where Seymour is speaking in a plenary panel on High Integrity Tropical Forest Carbon Credits on Thursday.

If you would like to interview Frances Seymour, please contact a member of WRI’s media team.

About World Resources Institute  
World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization that spans more than 60 countries, with international offices in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, regional offices in Ethiopia (for Africa) and the Netherlands (for Europe), and program offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Our more than 1,600 experts and staff turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. More information at www.wri.org or on Twitter @WorldResources.