Chrisna du Plessis is Associate Professor in the Department of Construction Economics at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
She is known internationally for her work on the development and evaluation of policy and research strategy for sustainable building and construction within developing countries, and is currently concentrating on urban sustainability science at both theoretical and technical levels. Her main expertise is the development of transdisciplinary R&D programs that follow a complex systems approach to the development of human settlements as sustainable social-ecological systems.
Chrisna du Plessis studied architecture at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, obtained a PhD in Urban Sustainability from the University of Salford, UK, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in technology from Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden.
She has been working in the field of sustainable human settlement since 1996. She represented South Africa in the Earth Charter drafting and consultation process and provided input into several national and international policy and strategy initiatives on sustainable settlements.
Chrisna du Plessis was lead author of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Agenda 21 for Sustainable Construction in Developing Countries. She was a founding expert member of the UNEP Sustainable Building and Climate Initiative.
She was formerly Principal Researcher at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Built Environment in Pretoria. She is currently a member of the Tellus Institute’s Global Transition Initiative, the International Initiative for Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) and Technical Resource Expert for the Clinton Climate Positive Development Program.
Chrisna du Plessis moderated the workshop Stimulate stakeholders - With incentives to implementation at the 3rd International Holcim Forum 2010 in Mexico City.
[last updated 06-Jun-11]