Li Fang

Dr. Li Fang is Country Director of WRI China, in charge of the overall strategy and management of WRI’s work in China. With a rich combination of vision, academic rigor, deep knowledge of the environment and development, broad management experience, and an extensive network of professional contacts, she works closely with colleagues and partners to advance sustainable development both locally and globally.

Prior joining WRI, Dr. Fang was the Deputy Director General of Foreign Economic Cooperation Office of the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment, where she led diverse multidisciplinary teams working on a wide range of environmental issues, overseeing more than 100 staff. She also served as the Assistant Secretary General of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), a unique high-level think tank that brings together top Chinese and foreign experts and provides research and policy recommendations to the Chinese government. There she was responsible for developing strategy and research frameworks, mobilizing resources, and coordinating the joint activities of participating countries, international organizations, NGOs and governmental agencies.

Her other previous positions included serving as Division Director in the International Cooperation Department of the Environment Ministry of China and working in Ecuador as for a Chinese-foreign mining joint venture.

Dr. Fang earned a Ph.D. in environmental economics from China’s renowned Renmin University with a focus on finance, valuation of nature, and emissions trading. She holds two BA degrees from Tianjin University in chemical engineering and business management.