Experts & Staff

Jennifer L. Morgan joined WRI as its Director of the Climate and Energy Program in September 2009. In this capacity, she oversees the Institute’s work on climate change issues and guides WRI strategy in helping countries, governments, and individuals take positive action toward achieving a zero-carbon future.

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Morgan leads climate and energy program strategies, policy development and implementation for the institute and is responsible for day-to-day management of the 50+ person program. Under her leadership, the program is in the process of deepening its engagement in China, India and Brazil. In addition, Morgan is WRI’s lead representative at international climate meetings, including the UNFCCC negotiations. Prior to WRI, she worked at E3G from October 2006 until August 2009 as its Global Climate Change Director, where she led the organization’s climate change work on its full range of global activities. Ms. Morgan focused most of her time on EU relations with China and the United States and continued her long-standing involvement in the global discussions on the future of the climate regime post-2012. She remains a non-executive Board member of E3G.

Prior to joining E3G, Jennifer Morgan led the Global Climate Change Program of Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), growing its climate program both in size and geography, with a focus on Asia Pacific. She joined WWF in July 1998 and headed its delegation to the Kyoto Protocol climate negotiations. Jennifer formulated and advocated climate change policies on the international and national level and directed WWF’s science, business and communications efforts, acting as chief spokesperson for the organization on climate change.

Before joining WWF, Ms. Morgan worked for the US Climate Action Network, a network of over 200 environmental groups worldwide with eight regional offices working on global climate change. She took a leave of absence from CAN in 1996 to accept a fellowship with the Robert Bosch Foundation in Germany. During her year in Germany she worked for the European Business Council for a Sustainable Energy Future and for the Federal Ministry of Environment, supporting the head of the German delegation to the UN climate change negotiations.

Morgan has been cited in front-page articles in newspapers around the world on climate change and is regularly interviewed for radio and television programs. She is a Review Editor for Chapter 13 on “International Cooperation: Agreements and Instruments” for the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She is also a member of Siemens Sustainability Advisory Board, a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Potsdam Institute and a member of the Danish Institute CONCITO’s international advisory board. At Germanwatch’s 20th anniversary celebration, Morgan was named an honorary member of the organization for her long-term commitment to international climate issues and the empowerment of civil society.

She has a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in Political Science and Germanic Studies and a Masters of Art from the School of International Service, The American University in International Affairs.