JOHAN ELIASCH
Philanthropy and public service
Johan has always been committed to public service and supporting causes that are dear to him. After completing his education at Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, he conducted his Swedish military service in the Royal Life Guard at the K1 specialist unit.
In 2005, Johan created the Rainforest Trust and purchased for preservation purposes a 400,000-acre tract of rainforest in the heart of the Amazon rainforest near the Madeira River. In 2006, he co-founded Cool Earth, which sponsors local NGOs to conserve endangered rainforest and has more than 120,000 registered members.
In 2007, HM Government commissioned Johan to undertake an independent review of the role of international finance mechanisms to preserve the global forests in tackling climate change. The Eliasch Review, launched in October 2008, has served as a guideline for REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) as part of the international climate change convention. Under Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Johan served as the Prime Minister's special representative for deforestation and clean energy.
Johan is currently a director of the Foundation for Renewable Energy and Environment, an international nonprofit organization, and an advisory board member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions, Brasilinvest. He is an advisory board member of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative and previously served on the International Advisory Board of the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
Johan chaired the 2021-22 HM Treasury net zero review technology and innovation advisory group, the Royal United Services Institute’s Food, Energy and Water security program, and was a member of the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Council for Sustainable Business.
