Manish Bapna joined NRDC as president and chief executive officer in August 2021, taking the reins of this environmental organization of more than 700 attorneys, scientists, advocates, and policy experts at a pivotal time in history—a time when the world must take collective, urgent action to limit the rapid warming of the planet in order to curb the most extreme impacts of the climate crisis. 

During his 25-year career, Bapna’s leadership roles have focused on designing sustainable development strategies that are equitable, durable, and scalable. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and managing director of the World Resources Institute (WRI) for more than 14 years. During Bapna’s tenure, WRI greatly increased its impact and reach, with staff and budget expanding sixfold. A strong believer in global collaboration, Bapna played the lead role in establishing WRI offices in Brazil, China, and India and was a key architect of several influential, multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as the Global Commission on Adaptation, NDC Partnership, New Climate Economy, and the International Research Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals. He also helped launch WRI’s programs on cities, energy, finance, and adaptation. 

Bapna holds master’s degrees in business and political and economic development from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MIT.