Emma Torres

Emma Torres is vice-president for the Americas and Head of the New York office of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. She serves as Strategic Coordinator of the Science Panel for the Amazon. The Panel composed of more than 250 scientists issued its first report on the State of the Amazon at COP 26 in November 2021. She also serves as Strategic Coordinator of the Science Panel for the Congo Basin and as Co-Chair of SDSN Amazonia. Between 2020 and 2022. Ms. Torres served on the Lancet COVID-19 Commission. Ms. Torres has a long working experience in the United Nations, with increasing levels of responsibilities involving management, strategic programme development and negotiations to promote sustainable development initiatives globally. She coordinated a strategic initiative "Latin America and the Caribbean: A Biodiversity SuperPower", which makes the case of biodiversity importance for development, equity and long-term competitiveness of the region. Ms. Torres served as Deputy Executive Coordinator, UNDP/GEF- a partnership among the UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank. She was responsible for managing a team of over 60 professionals and over $1Billion portfolio in more than 80 countries. As UNDP coordinator for the Commission on Development and Environment for Latin America and the Caribbean she produced “Our Own Agenda”, and “Amazonia without Myths”. Both remain a point of reference in the field. UNDP and the Inter-American Development Bank sponsored the Commission. Ms. Torres holds an MA, Economics, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; a Diploma on Language and French Civilization, Sorbonne, Paris; Certificates in Environmental Economics and Climate Change, IIED, Harvard University.