Carl Wolmar Jakob Freiherr[1] von Uexküll (born 19 August 1944) is a writer, lecturer, philanthropist, activist and former politician.

After studying in Sweden and Germany, he won a scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford, graduating in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

The Right Livelihood Award evolved from von Uexküll's opinion that the Nobel Prizes were relatively narrow in scope and usually recognised the work of citizens in industrialised countries.

Uexküll first approached the Nobel Foundation with the suggestion that it establish two new awards, one for ecology and one relevant to the lives of the poor majority of the world's population.

In Germany, Alliance 90/The Greens has several times nominated Jakob von Uexküll in elections to the European Parliament.