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Youth, Climate and Sustainability Summit Speakers
October 19Find out the full list of speakers at the Youth, Climate and Sustainability two day PreCOP26 Summit:
| Name | Organisation | Social Media | Bio |
| ABUBAKAR, Azeez | Chair, Policy and Advocacy, CYCN | Twitter: @CYGENetwork | Azeez Tobi Abubakar is a young leader who is passionate about sustainable development, innovation, and technology. He is particularly driven to help the most vulnerable communities facing the impact of climate change and extreme poverty. He is a Global Citizen Fellow, Pre-COP26 Delegate, Co-creator of the Nigeria Youth Consultation on Climate Change (NYCCC), Delegate of the World Bank Group Youth Summit on Resilient Recovery for People and Planet, Policy and Advocacy Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN), World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and Pepperdine School of Public Policy’s Scholar (2021). |
| ABENG, Lucky | Chair, Grassroot Engagement and Participation, CYCN | – | Lucky Abeng is a Young Digital Activist on Climate Justice. He has Bachelors Degree in Genetics and Biotechnology and currently works as a Monitoring and Evaluation officer at the Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria. Lucky is also a member of various youth-led organizations in Nigeria where he mentors young people on taking meaningful Climate Action and sustainable development practice. |
| ANJORIN, Oluwarobi | Nigeria CYCN | – | – |
| BAJPAI, Abhinav | Chief Empowering Officer, Ubuntu Eat | – | Abhinav Bajpai is an environmentalist and an activist entrepreneur. Abhinav runs a vegan, sustainable cafe and delivery kitchen brand called *Ubuntu Eat* which raises awareness on sustainable eating. |
| BAMWISE, Joel | CAYE-Africa Coordinator & Manager Programmes at Stanbic Business Incubator Uganda | Twitter: @JoelBamwise | Joel Bamwise is an entrepreneurship ecosystems developer currently leading the design and implementation of various capacity building programs in Uganda and for Stanbic Bank. He is a seasoned business coach and trainer who has supported various institutions in their quest for innovation and agility. Joel has a passion for sustainability in Africa led by young people and he is on a mission to unlock youthful potential by connecting entrepreneurs across the continent through various endeavors. |
| BRIAN, Kakembo Galabuzi | Executive Director, WEYE Clean Energy Co. Ltd | Twitter: @BryanKaks | Kakembo Galabuzi Brian is the founder and director of WEYE Clean Energy Company Ltd, a youth-led social enterprise that uses business as a tool to empower over 700 youth and women to create sustainable and affordable climate solutions. He is also the 2020 winner of Commonwealth Young Person of the Year. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Makerere University and is currently pursuing his MBA in Energy and Sustainability. |
| BURMAN, Sromona | National Coordinator of India and CYCN | www.sromona.com/ | Sromona Burman is an intersectional conservationist and policy researcher. Sromona is focused on developing research to identify and conceptualise environmental degradation policies. As a social researcher, Sromona is invested in assessing the environment and livelihood uncertainties from an intersectional lens. Besides research, she has been associated with UNEP- Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) and stand as a staunch change-maker to bring changes from a policy front in the ongoing climate change debate. |
| BYRNE, Clodagh | Global Resilliance Adviser, VSO | ||
| CHARLES, Bevon | Bevon Chadel Charles, CEO/Founder Akata Farms Ltd. | Twitter: @bevonchadel | Ms. Charles is an agripreneur, agriculture advocate, a sustainable development and youth empowerment driver from Grenada. She founded Akata Farms, a company that has taken on a social mandate to transform the agriculture industry by building sustainable integrated farms in Grenada, across the Caribbean and the wider world. Some of her most notable achievements include becoming Grenada’s first Country Representative of Young Professionals For Agriculture Research and Development and being recently awarded Winner of the Caribbean Region of the Commonwealth Youth Awards. |
| CHIANG Dr. Kai Kim | Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser for Seychelles | – | – |
| CHIIMBWE, Clement | CYCN Coordinator, Zambia | – | – |
| COX, Elaina | – | – | – |
| FAGAN, Lucy | Chair, Commonwealth Youth Health Network | Twitter: @CWYouthHealth | Lucy Fagan is a public health physician and a committed advocate for health and social justice. By day she works in the NHS, and is currently supporting some of the UK’s hardest-hit communities to respond and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. As Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Health Network, she is particularly passionate about the role that youth advocacy can play and is committed to ensuring that this generation of young people, and those to come, are recognised and engaged in creating a sustainable, healthy and more equal world for all. |
| GOOROOCHURN, Dr. Mahendra | Senior Lecturer at the University of Mauritius | LinkedIn: gooroochurn | Dr. Mahendra Gooroochurn works as Senior Lecturer at the University of Mauritius. He is Mauritian delegate in the ACU Commonwealth Futures Climate Research Cohort to COP26. He is also the Ellen McArthur Foundation Circular Economy Pioneer for Mauritius. He is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) registered with the Engineering Council of UK, an accredited green building design and construction professional (LEED AP BD+C) registered with USGBC, an Edge Expert registered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of IET, UK and ASHRAE, US. He has over three years industry experience as research manager and head of sustainability in the building services industry. He has research interests in sustainability in the built environment with a focus on promoting circularity for homes to bring synergy at community level and to transform mindsets. |
| GUTIERREZ-CORLE Ruth | Climate change consultant | – | – |
| JANIF, Sagufta Salma | Founder The Fusion Hub & Bulalance, Executive Director BPO Council, Vice- Chairperson Young Entrepreneurs Council | LinkedIn: sagufta-janif-social -impact -entrepreneur/ | Sagufta is an award winning social impact entrepreneur who is passionate about solving the global waste crisis and at the same time economically empower women and youth living in disadvantaged economic situations. Sagufta is also 2020’s Commonwealth Youth Award Winner for the Pacific Region and has been recognised for her efforts towards achieving SDG 12 – Responsible Production and Consumption. She is also the Vice-Chairperson of the Young Entrepreneurs Council. |
| KATAFONO, Shaunalee | Co-founder, Traseable Solutions | LinkedIn: shaunakatafono/ | Shaunalee is a young Samoan entrepreneur with an educational background in marine science. She started her professional career with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in Samoa working as a Fisheries Compliance officer. She later moved to Fiji where she and her husband co-founded Traseable Solutions, a Fiji-based data company that specialises in digitalisation and traceability in the agriculture and fisheries sectors in the Pacific Islands. Shaunalee also works as a consultant in the areas of gender equality and social inclusion, agriculture value chain analysis, and facilitation of online training and events for diverse stakeholders working in climate change and primary industries. |
| MOSHOOD, Ibrahim | Chair, Communications & Public Relations, CYCN | Twitter: @Ibm_Moshood | Ibrahim Moshood is an Environmental Biologist, Climate activist and Student leader with a keen interest in Technology and the SDGs. An impact-driven individual. He is a member of YOUNGO, Savvy fellow, Career accelerator fellow at Global Startup Ecosystem, a Fellow at MyFarmbase Africa, StudentBuild Africa Fellow and currently serves as the Chair, Communications and PR, Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network |
| MUHAMMED, Raniyah | National Coordinator (Fiji), Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network | – | Raniyah Muhammed is an environmental activist from Fiji who is working towards combating climate change issues as well as fostering on climate change adaptation and resilience in the Pacific. She is currently a student at The University of the South Pacific pursuing Postgraduate Diploma in Climate Change while serving as the National Coordinator for Fiji under the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network. She is currently involved with youth participation in decision making relating to the current climate crisis. |
| MUNGA, Maurice | Community Development Consultant. | – | Maurice Gathu Munga is a practitioner of Environmental Studies and Community Development Consultant. He is passionate about conservation, youth development and solving social issues affecting the community. |
| MWENDA, Dr Mithika | Executive Director, PACJA | – | Dr. Mwenda is the Co-founder and Executive Director of PACJA, a network of African organisations seeking to advance a just climate policy. He has extensive experience in climate change policy advocacy and has worked to catalyze transformative change in communities, civil society and other sectors. |
| NASOLA, Salote | President for the PaCE-SD Graduate Students Association at The University of the South Pacific | Twitter: @NasaloSalote | Ms. Salote Nasalo obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Science majoring in Chemistry and Biology at the University of Fiji. She has also obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Climate Change at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. Currently a successful Masters scholarship awardee for the ACIAR PASS scholarship program and is also the President for the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development Graduate Students Association (PaCE-SD SA), which is a student led movement focused on inspiring, motivating and empowering individuals (youth movement) towards sustainable development and a sustainable future for all. She has led several successful mangrove planting activities, plastic free coastal activities and several humanitarian projects. |
| OGALLAH, Dr. Sam | – | – | – |
| OGUNSOLA, Oluwatosin | Vice Chair for Partnerships and Engagement Committee of Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network | A Climate Action strategist leading change on Agri-food systems, environmental peacebuilding, landscape restoration and inclusive participation to build resiliency within communities globally. Oluwatosin is on a mission to enhance Food Security, ensure Zero Hunger and eliminate Food Waste while conserving biodiversity and protecting the environment. This is the Decade of Action and Youth Voices are central to attaining the SDGs come 2030 and beyond. | |
| OKO, Pius | Project Officer and Lecturer | – | Pius Agaji OKO is an enthusiastic sustainable development practitioner, environment and climate justice campaigner, with over 5 years experience working in environment and development sector. Pius is adept in program coordination and management with evidence-based advocacy, actions and foster partnership to advance an inclusive approach to address climate and environmental challenges. In addition, positively influencing public laws, policies and practices in the context of climate justice, poverty reduction and addressing developmental issues in Nigeria and on the Africa continent. |
| RAO, Dr. Sailesh | Founder and Executive Director, Climate Healers | – | Dr. Sailesh Rao has over three decades of professional experience and is the Founder and Executive Director of Climate Healers, a non-profit dedicated towards healing the Earth’s climate. He is a Human, Earth and Animal Liberation (HEAL) activist, husband, dad and since 2010, a star-struck grandfather. He has promised his granddaughter, Kimaya Rainy Rao, that the world will be largely Vegan before she turns 16 in 2026, so that people will stop eating her relatives, the animals. |
| RHODEN, Leneka | Pan-Commonwealth Coordinator Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network | ||
| RICHARDSON, Nafesha | Coordinator, Commonwealth Youth Gender & Equality Network (CYGEN) | Twitter: @NafeshaRich | Coordinator, The Commonwealth Youth Gender & Equality Network (CYGEN); Founder of Spark SVG; climate and gender advocate; and law student. |
| SENEVIRATHNE, Malith | PHD Researcher, Global Disaster Resilience Centre, University of Huddersfield, UK and Corporate member, Institute of Town Planners Sri Lanka | LinkedIn: malithsenevirathne/ | Malith is a young urban planner specialized in urban designing, infrastructure planning, and planning technology from Sri Lanka. He was a lecturer at the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka and currently, he is reading for his PhD degree in the fields of disaster resilience and infrastructure at the School of Applied Sciences at the University of Huddersfield in the UK. He is attached to the Global Disaster Resilience Centre at the University of Huddersfield in the UK working on research projects on climate change education and disaster risk management. His research interests extend into the fields of transportation planning, remote sensing, planning technology and urban designing and resilience. |
| SWADDLING, Alison | Ocean Governance Adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat | – | Alison Swaddling is an Ocean Governance Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat where she advises member governments on their ocean policy, legislation and regulation development and environmental management of their marine resources. She works with the Commonwealth Blue Charter Action Groups to collaboratively address ocean-related issues at an intergovernmental level. She has extensive experience working in the Pacific region, loves being on the water and has significant offshore experience working with various marine scientific research techniques and technologies. |
| WATSON, Adrian | C.E.O for Honai Beez Apiary and Executive Director for small think tank social enterprise consortium called Jamaica Environment Entrepreneurs’ Advocacy Network (JEEAN) | – | Adrian holds a BSc. in Geography and Zoology from the University of the West Indies at Mona. Currently Adrian is a Chevening Scholar and is pursuing a Master of Science in Conservation and Land Management at Bangor University in Wales and aspires to significantly transform the Jamaica environmental and conservation sector as he has been working in the area of natural resources management focusing on biodiversity and climate change for the last 10 years. Adrian is pursuing these aspirations as C.E.O for Honai Beez Apiary, a small scale social enterprise start-up focused on sustainable beekeeping to combat climate change and beekeeping training of youths from low-income families. Adrian is also Executive Director for small think tank social enterprise consortium called Jamaica Environment Entrepreneurs’ Advocacy Network (JEEAN) that seeks to aid social enterprises whose aims are to advance climate smart and nature based solutions for the goals of biodiversity protection and ecosystems management. |
| ZENATA, Putera | Regional Program Officer, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe, NDC Partnership | ndcpartnership.org/ | Zen is a Regional Program Officer for Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe at the NDC Partnership Support Unit. His team works with governments, donors, and development partners to coordinate international technical and financial assistance to support countries’ climate action in the region. He previously interned at UN Climate Change’s Sustainable Division Mechanism division in Germany where he supported the organization of the Regional Climate Weeks in Thailand, Ghana, and Brazil. Before that, he worked for five years as Education Officer at Singapore’s Ministry of Education, championing climate change and environmental education. He also co-founded the People’s Movement to Stop Haze, a Singapore-based civil society focusing on outreach, research and advocacy on the Southeast Asian peatland fires and transboundary haze crisis. = |
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