The Asia Foundation

Expertise: Environment and sustainable development challenges in Asia.

Chris Plante is director of Environment programs for The Asia Foundation. He works with the Foundation's 17 field offices to develop programs and activities with local environmental professionals, organizations, and institutions in Asia and the U.S.

Mr. Plante is responsible for managing regional programs including the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership's Environment and Civil Society Partnership, which enables Asian civil society organizations to become active partners in promoting strategic environmental objectives through improved governance and increased public participation in environmental policy-making in Asia; and the Non-governmental Organization-Business Environmental Partnership, which encourages civil society and the private sector to move beyond confrontation over developmental and environmental challenges and seek mutual interest-based solutions, especially through clean production.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Plante coordinated environmental laws and regulations training programs for dozens of U.S. government and industry clients across the country. He served in the Peace Corps for three years in the Philippines, where he worked with the government, development agencies, and municipalities to establish drinking water and sanitation projects.

Education: B.S. in communication studies from Northwestern University. In addition, Mr. Plante received Environmental Conflict Resolution training at CONCUR & Center for Dispute Resolution, San Francisco, California and Boulder, Colorado; an advanced diploma for environmental laws and regulations training, Government Institutes; Rockville, Maryland.