The Board of the Climate Action Network International (CAN) has appointed Ms. Tasneem Essop as the organisation’s new Executive Director, effective from December 1, 2019.
This, says CAN, follows a thorough selection process managed by the Board. According to CAN, Ms Essop brings significant experience in the climate and environment sectors, having worked on these issues in government and civil society for many years.
Ms. Essop said: “I am deeply honoured to have been appointed as the new Executive Director for CAN International. I am also excited to be given the opportunity to continue the work we have started in terms of the transformation of the Network and the Secretariat.
“This transformation is urgent in this critical time when we are facing a climate crisis. I want to thank the Board and the Network for having the confidence in me to steer this ship. I also want to thank the staff for their continued dedication and hard work. They have never slowed down. Our responsibility to make this Network the best it can be, to help unlock its power has never been more urgent. I look forward to helping with this.”
CAN International Board co-chair, Wendel Trio, said: “Ms. Essop has convinced the Board of her vision, motivation and capacity to further strengthen the CAN Network and the climate movement as a whole. We strongly appreciate her dedication to building a bottom up approach to the work implemented by CAN, especially through responding to the needs of national and regional nodes and strengthening their role.
“The Board is pleased by how Ms Essop has been leading CAN as Interim Executive Director since February 2019 and how she successfully guided and transitioned the Secretariat and the Network.”
South African born and based, Ms. Essop is said to have significant experience in the climate movement.
CAN said: “She has held various senior government positions in South Africa. She was a global climate policy and strategy leader for environmental NGO WWF International. Most recently, she was the founding director of an NGO in South Africa, focusing on energy democracy.
“Her vast management and leadership experience includes convening and building consensus around common goals amongst stakeholders from government, labour, business and communities, building collaborative partnerships, working in virtual teams across cultures, and building strong organisational governance, with an emphasis on finance.”
