John Holdren is an expert on matters of science policy with an especial focus on the future of energy technology. Over the course of a distinguished career, he has helped to shape the global debate on issues of climate change and performed important work to ensure the stability of a nuclear energy programme.

A scientific advisor to the White House during the Clinton administration, John was recently appointed by US President Barack Obama as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He is a former chair of the Executive Committee of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, an international organization of scientists and public figures that received the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize during his leadership.

As a leading scientific figure in the United States, John is a member of the National Academy of Sciences as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His many prestigious awards include a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship and the 1993 Volvo Environment Prize.