Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, born in Norway, has worked on sustainable development, environment and governance all his life. After a first assignment in Latin America for the UN, he has lived and worked in Botswana, Uganda, the US and Sweden.

He has been employed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by the UN and by large Norwegian aid and environment organisations (NGOs), two of which he directed, and has lectured at several universities in different parts of the world. Always connected to the UN anchored in civil society activities, he has chaired UN meetings, evaluated UN and NGO projects, been the UN CSD NGO major groups organizing partner between 2000 and 2011, had the same position for UNEP, was a consultant and trainer for the UN (UNDESA) at global level in process-work, governance and capacity building leading up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio plus 20 in  2012), has currently an assignment with Stakeholder Forum UK as their senior adviser on governance, and with a private Norwegian CSR company, called PURE CSR, where he recently collaborated to develop sustainability profiles for Norwegian sports health and well-being issues related to Norway’s commitment to work on the Olympics including their bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2022.

Jan-Gustav has published two books, several teaching guides and numerous articles and papers on environment, sustainable development and governance and works today also as an independent researcher, adviser and consultant. When he is not travelling the world, writing, lecturing or otherwise working abroad on environment, governance and sustainability issues, he works out of his home outside Oslo, Norway.