Stephan Contius is Special Advisor on SDGs at Foundations 20 (F20), an international network for climate action consisting of more than eighty foundations from G20 countries. Previously, Contius was Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda and Head of Division for the United Nations, Developing Countries and Emerging Economies, Environmental Aspects of International Climate and Energy Policy at the Federal Environment Ministry, Germany.

He has served as the German chief negotiator for the U.N. Sustainable Development Summits in Johannesburg (2002) and in Rio de Janeiro (2012) and as Germany’s co-lead negotiator for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs. Contius was also involved in the establishment of environment and climate change dialogues with Brazil, China, India, and several other countries. His previous assignments include legal affairs, G7 and G8 cooperation, prevention of air pollution, and project financing. In 1990 he was seconded to the United Nations Development Programme in New York.