Aimée Christensen
Director Emerita
Employment Background:
Aimée builds on over three decades in climate to advise clients including Duke Energy, Mastercard, Microsoft, the Russell Family Foundation and Virgin, including three of Sir Richard Branson’s major initiatives. Over three decades, she’s been: Climate Maven at Google, guiding its earliest climate efforts including going carbon neutral and Google.org’s first climate project, RechargeIT, to accelerate the electrification of transportation; climate attorney at Baker & McKenzie and World Bank; and policymaker at The White House and U.S. Department of Energy where she negotiated the first bilateral and regional climate agreements (U.S.-Costa Rica, et. al., 1994-1997). She served as Senior Adviser to the UN Secretary General’s High-level Group on Sustainable Energy For All and is the 2011 Hilllary Laureate.
Educational Background:
Aimée earned her J.D. from Stanford Law School where she drafted the first-ever university endowment climate investment policy (adopted by Stanford University in June, 1999), and earned her B.A. from Smith College with a double major in Latin American Studies and Anthropology.
Get to know me:
My life has been dedicated to nature thanks to my parents, Ann and Doug Christensen, whose clarity of conviction inspires me to this day. Current goal: breach the lower Snake River dams to bring Idaho’s critically endangered salmon home to restore ecosystems, strengthen rural economies, and meet Native American treaty obligations.
Favorite ingredient or dish/season:
Spring: Snap peas, just as they are, sweet outer casing and crunchy peas!
Summer: Tomatoes, lightly cooked with garlic, olive oil, salt, and white beans (cannelini, great northern or navy), adding fresh organic spinach at the very end to wilt.
Fall: Mushrooms, particularly oyster or king trumpets, slicing the stem into circles like scallops and cooking in an iron skillet with Miyoko’s plant-based butter and fresh garlic!
Winter: Kabocha squash, one of my favorites is in Moosewood Cookbook’s Curried Squash and Mushroom Soup - the Kabocha offers a richness and sweetness to make it even better!
Favorite past times/hobbies/activities:
Hiking with Mara and mom. Experimenting with new vegan recipes made with as many locally sourced ingredients as possible - often building around what needs to be eaten in the fridge. Yum.
Currently Listening to:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer on Audible