YESI Director Awarded MBE in King’s Birthday Honours for Services to Environmental Development

Lindsay’s interdisciplinary research spans environmental change, sustainable development, and global climate and land governance. With a career rooted in understanding and addressing the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges, she has worked across six continents in a range of ecosystems — from drylands and mountains to coastal zones and forests — to develop practical, policy-relevant solutions for land, water, food, energy and livelihood systems under pressure.

A Philip Leverhulme Prize winner and recipient of the prestigious Wolfson Research Merit Award from the Royal Society, Lindsay has led contributions to many of the world’s most influential environmental assessments, including reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). She was part of the IPCC and IPBES teams awarded the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity in 2022 in recognition of the role of science on the front-line tackling climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Her work has informed global and regional environmental policy through institutions such as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the G7’s T7 Climate and Environment Taskforce, where she co-chaired the development of evidence-based policy recommendations to support environmental decision making by the world’s G7 country leaders.

Much of her field research is carried out in the Global South, where she collaborates closely with in-country universities, NGOs and international partners, embedding capacity building into her work. Her long-term commitment to training early-career researchers has seen her mentor PhD and MSc students in locations including Botswana, China, Kenya, India, Nigeria and Somalia. She also took part in the inaugural Homeward Bound women in science leadership programme, which culminated in a transformative expedition to Antarctica in 2016.

As Director of YESI, Lindsay has led the Institute through a period of rapid growth and transformation, cementing its role as a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary environmental sustainability research. Her vision and leadership have helped build a thriving, collaborative community of researchers and practitioners focused on solving complex environmental problems at scale.

Speaking about the award, the YESI team said:

“Lindsay is a pleasure to work with and an inspiring leader. Her deep knowledge of environmental sustainability and her inclusive, strategic approach have been instrumental in expanding YESI’s reach and impact. We are absolutely thrilled to see her work recognised with this richly deserved honour.”

Professor Stringer’s dedication to environmental research and international policy impact continues to shape more equitable and sustainable futures around the world.