I have long admired WRI as a trusted partner of nongovernmental organizations, governments, and corporations throughout the world. In my years as chairman of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, I came to count on WRI as an informed, reasoned voice that was consistently reliable, thoughtful, and fair. I found its people both pragmatic and imaginative, and was pleased to join the Board two years ago.

Still now, I find I learn something new almost daily about the Institute’s broad scope of work, exceptional talent, and the extraordinary difference it makes in our world—from the clean air hybrid buses winding their way through the streets of Mexico City and soon Shanghai (a result of EMBARQ’s collaboration), to WRI’s involvement with the more than 1,300 experts worldwide who banded together for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the most ambitious scientific audit of our planet’s health ever undertaken.

Much of WRI’s progress and success is due to the visionary leadership of Jonathan Lash, Bill Ruckelshaus, and its founder, Gus Speth. What an extraordinary record of accomplishment they have built.

I want to especially thank Bill for his continued service on the Board and his ongoing counsel as we work to broaden our reach. In recent months, we were pleased to welcome some exceptional leaders to the Board: former U.S. Vice President Al Gore; former President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso; Lee Thomas, former Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and President and Chief Operating Officer of Georgia Pacific Corporation; and Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The men and women who serve on the Board are a powerful testament to the collective will of diverse global leaders to champion real-world environmental solutions.

For nearly 25 years, WRI has dedicated itself to proving that complex global challenges have reasonable and realistic, science-based solutions. Is it a simple message? Yes. But it is a very powerful one. In the coming year, I hope to expand the resources available to WRI to pursue this critical mission.

For nearly a quarter century, WRI has given the global community the means to address the most serious problems facing our planet. I am grateful for the sage counsel WRI has provided to me in the past, and I am honored to now serve as Chairman of the Board. Like all who support the work of this incredible organization, I hope to make a difference.

James A. Harmon
Chairman