Ruth Kranenberg

Biography

Ruth Kranenberg is the co-founder and CEO of the impact start-up WasteReduction, which since 2021 has pioneered an innovative plastic offsetting model to mobilize private capital for SDG progress and the fight against plastic pollution. Through WasteReduction, companies fund certified waste management and consumer education projects in developing countries, removing as much plastic from nature as their products contain. Previously, Ruth worked as a senior policy advisor for the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and supported high-level events for the German Foreign Ministry, including during the German EU presidency and the Second Berlin Conference on Libya. She has gained substantial academic and practical experience in diplomacy and international development with organizations such as United Nations Volunteers, the German Centre for International Peace Operations, and various NGOs in countries including Colombia, Cuba, Jordan, the UK, and France. Ruth holds a Dual Master’s Degree in International Affairs from the London School of Economics (LSE) and Sciences Po Paris, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Bonn.