Photo by Leo Wieling on Unsplash

Solutions to most of the world’s biggest problems are well within our reach, yet somehow we don’t seem to be making much progress. Wise minds like Ban Ki-moon see this all too well. And he’s also well positioned to drive some much-needed change.

Born June 13, 1944, Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. He suceeds Kofi Annan to the role, and he is a former career diplomat in South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations.

Ban’s nickname was jusa, which roughly translates to “the Bureaucrat.” The name had both positive and negative meanings for his peers, some of whom complemented his razor-sharp focus. Others used it to describe a lack of charisma and subservience to higher authority. South Korean media has also referred to him as “the slippery eel,” referring to his ability to dodge questions.

He is praised for his “Confucian approach” to problem solving, and many consider him a stand-up guy. The Internet is chock full of inspirational quotes churned out by the diplomat, but this particular one is quite noteworthy:

The clear and present danger of climate change means we cannot burn our way to prosperity. We already rely too heavily on fossil fuels. We need to find a new, sustainable path to the future we want. We need a clean industrial revolution.

– Ban Ki-moon

Ironically, fossil fuels greatly contributed to the Industrial Revolution, but Ban makes a good point. As you’ll notice, Ban hits “we” quite a lot. The gist of it? We need a truly collaborative approach to ultimately address today’s energy crisis.