Bruno Oberle

Bruno Oberle assumed office as Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in July 2020.

He brings over 40 years of experience to IUCN at a time when redefining humanity’s relationship with nature is more urgent than ever. Before joining IUCN, Bruno served in some of Switzerland’s most prestigious positions related to the environment. Between 2005 and 2015, as State Secretary for the Environment and Director of the Federal Office for the Environment for Switzerland, he represented Switzerland in leading international institutions and international negotiations, playing a key role in the Global Environmental Facility and in the establishment of the Green Climate Fund.

Bruno is a leading expert in the fields of sustainable resource management and green economy and has explored and shaped the interface between environmental policy, economic development and social balance from the perspective of state regulator, entrepreneur and scientist.

Prior to joining IUCN, Bruno served as Chair of the Green Economy and Resource Governance program at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) where he also headed the International Risk Governance Centre. Since 2019, he has chaired the Global Tailings Review, which aims to establish an international standard for the safe management of tailings storage facilities that can be applied to dams around the world.

After completing his studies at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Zurich, Bruno founded and managed companies in the field of environmental consulting and environmental management. In, 1999 he was appointed as deputy director of the Federal Office for the Environment, Forests, and Landscape in Switzerland. He then became the director of the newly created Federal Office for the Environment in 2005, a post he held while State Secretary – before leaving to join EPFL in 2016.