Eric Reading
Chief Climate Officer, Abt Associates
Only 28% of health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have reliable power and internet connectivity, meaning most clinics struggle to offer basic health resources.
For Eric Reading, his biggest recent achievement was co-creating the Power Africa Health Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance, a 5-year, $47 million program that will leverage public-private partnerships to install reliable, renewable power and provide mobile network and internet access for 10,000 health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa.
This program will be instrumental in strengthening health service delivery, while also substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions by providing clean renewable power sources.
“We all know that climate change and access to energy are urgent, global, multi-sectoral issues,” said Abt President and CEO Kathleen Flanagan. “Eric’s experience and passion for taking on critical world challenges, his vision for doing so, and his track record of successes make him the right person to bring this role to life.”
Why Watch
In 2023, Reading and his team focus on the intersection of climate with health, housing and agriculture. They prioritize urgent action to fulfill commitments made by 150 countries under the Global Methane Pledge, as reducing methane emissions is the fastest and most effective way to slow global warming. Through a partnership with EPA, they support governments in implementing emissions reduction commitments under the pledge.
“Having worked in dozens of countries around the world on issues of water, energy, health, natural resources and agriculture, I have seen how complex systems interact and are affected by climate change,” Reading said.
“As we undertake massive changes to all those systems to both slow climate change and increase climate resilience, we need to look at the complete systems and mobilize the combined resources of the public and private sectors.”