Christiane Paulus began her studies in 1987 at Bonn University where she majored in biology and later received her PhD. Since 1990, she has worked in the federal and international sectors with a focus on the environment and climate change. She had held positions at German Federal Parliament, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
Her work centers around international climate policy, protected areas, the environmental impact of biotechnology and genetic engineering, equal rights and nature conservation.
She currently serves as the Director General for Nature Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety at the German Ministry (BMUV).