As head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy fronted Obama’s recent climate push including the public health framing of the issue. A longtime civil servant and expert on environmental health and air quality, McCarthy’s appointment was not a straightforward process. Indeed, it took almost five months to be confirmed by Senate, the longest an EPA nominee has ever had to wait. As Time’s Bryan Walsh wrote at the time, this may have well ended up being the easiest part of her job. You can follow her on Twitter @GinaEPA and read her Reddit Ask Me Anything.
Barbara Buchner
How will we pay for action on climate change?
Sharan Burrow
Leading the workers’ fight on climate
Winnie Byanyima
Oxfam’s leader bringing expertise on gender and climate change
Heidi Cullen
Climatologist leading us through Years of Living Dangerously
Judith Curry
Blogger and scientist favoured by sceptics
Christiana Figueres
Most powerful woman in climate? Heads the UNFCCC
Tamsin Edwards
Scientist making a name for herself as a fearless communicator
Joanna Haigh
Solar expert, rare female Fellow of the Royal Society
Katherine Hayhoe
Evangelical Christian climate scientist and communicator
Connie Hedegaard
Danish politician, been leading EU work on climate
Lesley Hughes
Scientist standing up to politicians’ scepticism in Australia
Naomi Klein
Writer inviting us to consider ideological sides of climate debate
Annie Leonard
New head of Greenpeace USA, community organiser
Corinne Le Quéré
Scientist highly respected in communications and policy
Gina McCarthy
Head of the EPA, face of Obama’s recent climate push
Naomi Oreskes
Historian of science pointing out the ‘merchants of doubt’
Mary Robinson
First female President of Ireland, UN Special Envoy for Climate Change
Julia Slingo
Helping us understand climate and weather
Koko Warner
World authority on climate change and migration
Ailun Yang
Helping unpick low-carbon development in China and elsewhere