An energetic blend of stateswoman, physician, manager, politician, and international activist, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland has always led the world on issues of global significance. For over four decades, she has been dedicated to global interdependence, focusing on promoting sustainable development, increasing environmental awareness, and advocating for good health as a basic human right.
Gro Harlem Brundtland spent ten years as a physician and scientist, and 20 years in public office, including serving as Prime Minister of Norway – the first woman, and the youngest person to ever do so. She was Chair of the World Commission of Environment and Development, and the first female Director-General of the World Health Organization.
Her forward-thinking and global awareness continues to elevate her worldwide profile. Gro Harlem Brundtland now serves as UN Special Envoy on Climate Change, seeking ways to balance human enterprise and the planet’s limits.
The guiding force behind the “Brundtland Report” on sustainability over 20 years ago, she maintains her focus on the developmental impact of climate change and global warming.
As a member of The Elders, a group founded by Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, she contributes her wisdom, independent leadership, and integrity to tackling the world’s toughest problems, aiming to make the world a better place.
Considered the “mother” of sustainable development, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland attributes her passions for public health, the environment, and political activism to her father, a doctor and cabinet minister.