Cool Earth welcomes new trustees and ambassadors to the team

Cool Earth is delighted to welcome Samantha Cohen, former advisor to the Royal Household, as co-chair of its Board of Trustees. Alongside Samantha, Professor Johan Rockström the world’s leading climate scientist will join Cool Earth as a Trustee.

Alongside the appointment of Samantha and Johan, Cool Earth is announcing the addition of a host of new ambassadors, offering a wealth of experience, including wildlife filmmakers, conservationists and environmentalists.

“For me it is sad to step down as co-chair of Cool Earth but with Sam Cohen taking my place, it is a gigantic step forward for the protection of the rainforests and the people who live there.” Frank Field MP

Samantha Cohen, CVO

Samantha Cohen CVO will be joining Cool Earth as Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees. Samantha’s distinguished career ranges from working for the Australian Government to the Royal Household, where she was Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen from 2011-2018, and Head of Royal Communications prior to this.

As she reaches the end of her most recent role as Private Secretary to TRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Samantha joins Cool Earth with a wealth of professional experience and a personal passion for protecting the world’s forests.

Samantha has been the driving force behind initiatives such as The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, of which Cool Earth is a managing partner.

“We are delighted to have Sam Cohen join Cool Earth, after playing such a key role in the creation of the Queens Commonwealth Canopy – an initiative that has done so much to protect forests around the world and to highlight the importance of its preservation and revival.” Mark Ellingham, Cool Earth trustee

Professor Dr. Johan Rockström

Johan Rockström’s research as joint director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research continues to be a global call to arms. It’s a framework for the future use of Earth’s resources. Having led an international research group to identify planetary boundaries, Johan has committed his career to lead the way on all things climate science and sustainability.

A leading scientist on global and tropical water resources, he has won awards for Sweden’s Most Influential Person on the Environment, and 2009 Swede of the Year. Johan’s work on ‘Hothouse Earth’ continues to highlight the need to take immediate, effective action now to not pass global thresholds or irreversible climate tipping points.

“Fundamentally, human well-being on Earth depends on functioning rainforests. Cool Earth has one of the most effective means of showing that conservation of rainforests can go hand in hand with community development.” Johan Rockström

Gillian Burke

Gillian Burke is a passionate conservationist and wildlife champion. With a distinguished career in natural history filmmaking, Gillian’s variety of experience makes her a dream ambassador for showcasing Cool Earth’s rainforest conservation work.

A proponent of all things conservation optimism and environmental success stories, Gillian celebrates the local success stories that highlight nature’s power to regenerate and return from the brink.

It’s brilliant to have Gillian lending her distinguished voice to our work.

Vianet Djenguet

Vianet Djenguet has documented and filmed in some of the world’s most remote locations, including Cool Earth’s Democratic Republic of the Congo and Papua New Guinea partnerships.

With a commitment for showcasing conservation and helping to give a voice to the voiceless, he is a key ambassador for Cool Earth’s work with indigenous people, rainforest communities and protecting the homes of endangered wildlife.

Vianet is a wildlife TV presenter as well as documentary and wildlife cameraman. He has over 12 years experience filming for major international broadcasters, including for National Geographic and the BBC’s My Congo and Baby Animals: First Year on Earth. Cool Earth is more than pleased to have him on board.

Tony Juniper CBE

Tony Juniper is Britain’s best-known environmental campaigner, having worked on efforts to conserve tropical forests for nearly 30 years. As the Director of Friends of the Earth, special advisor to the Prince of Wales’ Rainforests Project, Director for Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF and fellow of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Tony’s experience on the frontline of the fight to save the world’s most precious resources has inspired many to do the same.

His current role as chairman of Natural England means Tony balances preserving and rewilding UK’s nature with championing Earth’s rainforests and raising awareness on the importance of taking effective environmental action. As Cool Earth ambassador, we’re sure he will continue to inspire action to protect rainforests remarkable peoples, plants, and animals.

“We cannot keep global warming within tolerable boundaries without not only protecting but restoring large areas of forest. Cool Earth very much signals the possibilities in terms of working with the people who literally are on the front line of deforestation.” Tony Juniper

Cool Earth’s growing network of experts reflects society’s growing momentum to protect the natural world. With this new expertise onboard, the input will ensure Cool Earth will shift its work up a gear and reach more rainforest communities around the tropics.