Climate Action Commission

The Commission’s vision is a world in which global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and society is adapting to manage climate risks in ways that enhance socio-ecological resilience, are nature positive, and promote just outcomes for all.

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About the CAC

The Climate Action Commission (CAC) is the Union’s newest Commission, previously called the Climate Crisis Commission, it established at the World Conservation Congress in Marseille with an Interim Chair and Steering Committee appointed during 2022. The Commission was renamed as the Climate Action Commission (CAC) at the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi

The mission of CAC will be to promote appropriate, effective, just, and nature-positive solutions to the climate crisis that are based on the best available scientific evidence from all reputable international bodies and from indigenous knowledge systems.

CAC mandate 2026 - 2029

Our Mission

To have a world where humans and nature thrive together, the IUCN CAC promotes appropriate, effective, just and nature positive solutions to the climate crisis emergency that are based on the best available scientific evidence and learnings from all reputable international bodies and from indigenous knowledge systems. The IUCN CAC will mobilize and coordinate the Union’s efforts by engaging with Regional and National IUCN Committees, Members, and Indigenous Peoples; and by promoting productive and constructive partnerships.

Our Vision

The vision of the IUCN Climate Action Commission is a world in which global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and society is adapting to manage climate risks in ways that enhance socio-ecological resilience, are nature positive, and promote just outcomes for all.

CAC Leadership

Dr Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Chair

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal has been appointed by the IUCN Council as the Chair of IUCN’s recently established Climate Action Commission (CAC). IUCN Members decided to create the new expert Commission at the last IUCN Congress in Marseille, to mobilise and coordinate efforts to address climate change undertaken across the Union.

Manuel Pulgar Vidal previously served as Minister of the Environment of Peru (2011 to 2016) and as President of the Twentieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - COP20 in 2014. He has been recognised for his contributions to the Paris Agreement by the governments of France, Germany and Spain. He is currently global leader of Climate and Energy at IUCN Member organisation WWF.

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal has been appointed by the IUCN Council as the Chair of IUCN’s recently established Climate Action Commission (CAC). IUCN Members decided to create the new expert Commission at the ...

As the sheer scale of the climate crisis comes into focus, so does the need to dramatically escalate our responses to it. The new Climate Action Commission seeks to harness IUCN’s unique global network and range of expertise to addressing the climate emergency and the intertwined crisis of nature loss by promoting convergence of our collective objectives and with concrete actions. I am delighted to take on the role of leading this effort.

Dr Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Chair

Dr Mina ESTEGHAMAT

Deputy Chair

Mina Esteghamat, Ph.D., is an environmental scientist and conservation specialist with over 15 years of experience in biodiversity governance, climate-related conservation, and participatory approaches to natural resource management. She is currently a Visiting Research Associate and Sessional Lecturer at the University of Guelph, Canada, and Managing Director of the Center for Conservation and Development of Sustainable Ecosystems (ZIPAK), an IUCN Member organization based in Iran.

She serves as an Expert Member of the IUCN Green List Expert Assessment Group (EAGL). Her work focuses on bridging science, policy, and community-led action, with particular emphasis on Indigenous-led conservation, wild food plants (WFPs), biocultural diversity, and ecosystem-based approaches to climate resilience.

Mina has led and contributed to a wide range of national and international initiatives, including biosphere reserve planning and management, protected area governance evaluations, and community-based restoration projects. She has collaborated with organizations such as IUCN, FAO, UNESCO, UNDP, and UNCCD, and has actively contributed to global conservation dialogues through international congresses, expert panels, and policy processes.

Her work combines academic research with field-based implementation, advancing integrated, practical approaches to conservation, sustainability, and climate action across diverse socio-ecological contexts.

Deputy Chair

Mina Esteghamat, Ph.D., is an environmental scientist and conservation specialist with over 15 years of experience in biodiversity governance, climate-related conservation, and ...