Amanda Bielawski, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Background

Dr. Amanda Bielawski has more than 20 years of experience spanning the United Nations, global nonprofit organizations, the private sector and academia. She has served as chief impact officer for a global NGO, senior advisor to the United Nations, nonprofit board member and president and as an advisor to CEOs and philanthropists. Bielawski’s executive leadership focuses on measurably accelerating global sustainability transformations across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Her work addresses climate, water, biodiversity and their linked social and economic challenges.

Bielawski currently serves as director of global strategic partnerships at Project Drawdown, the world’s leading resource for climate solutions. She leads the strategy to accelerate science-based climate mitigation solutions through partnerships with the business, philanthropic and investing communities.

She previously served as chief impact officer for the Pacific Institute; a global nonpartisan think tank that informs and advises global corporations and policymakers on sustainability solutions at the intersection of water and climate. She has also served as a senior advisor and Consultant to the United Nations, including the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.

Bielawski co-developed the global Business Leaders’ Open Call to Accelerate Water Action launched during the historic UN 2023 Water Conference. The agreement has been signed by more than 70 global companies with operations in more than 140 countries and market capitalization of more than US$5 trillion. By 2030, the agreement aims to engage the private sector to build water resilience in companies’ operations and supply chains as well as across 100 of the world’s most water-stressed regions through collective action.

She holds a PhD in sustainability, an MBA and an MS focused on environmental law and policy. Bielawski's doctoral research focused on the merging of the global water and climate policy and sustainable development agendas. It included an analysis of nature-based solutions across more than 25 countries informed by Indigenous Ecological Knowledge (IEK).

Bielawski holds a higher education teaching credential from Harvard University. She also holds a range of executive credentials, including the Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP) designation from the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) recognizing “experts at the forefront of the transition to a more sustainable world.”

Recent courses

• ENV395/BA 395/COR330: Sustainable business
• COR330/ENV330/PLS395: Climate change
• ENV340/PLS340: Global environmental politics

Professional associations/memberships

• Member, International Society of Sustainability Professionals
• Invited Member, Chief (world’s largest community of senior executive women representing 10,000 organizations, including more than 75% of the Fortune 100; recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies)
• Member & Board Member, Rotary

Accomplishments

• Distinguished President Award, Kiwanis International
• President’s Award, Prescott College

Accreditations

• Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP), International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) - recognizes global experts with “advanced knowledge and extensive experience in the sustainability field” who are “leaders and experts at the forefront of the transition to a more sustainable world”
• Advanced Certified Nonprofit Professional (ACNP), Nonprofit Leadership Alliance- recognizes nonprofit executive leaders with extensive expertise in the social sector across nonprofit leadership, transformational change, financial management, program management, marketing/communications, and operations.

Additional credentials/certifications

• Executive Certificate in Corporate Sustainability, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business
• ESG Fundamentals, Competent Boards
• ESG Risks and Opportunities, The Wharton School
• Impact Measurement and Management for the SDGs, Duke University
• Management Consulting, Emory University
• Growing Compassionate Leaders, The Jane Goodall Foundations
• Climate Change International Legal Regime, UN Environment Programme
• Nature-Based Solutions for Disaster and Climate Resilience, UN Environment Programme
• Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace, UN Environment Programme
• UN-REDD Programme: REDD+ Academy, United Nations Institute for Training and Research