COP27 Speakers and Performers

COP27 SPEAKERS

A massive thank you to all our cop27 speakers & performers it is the passion and effort of all that is helping us popularise the climate movement and inspire environmental action.

Abdelrahman Fahmy

Egyptian Visionary Social and Environmental Entrepreneur

Abdelrahman Fahmy is an Egyptian Visionary Social and Environmental Entrepreneur who is dedicated to empowering innovations in Sustainable Economic and Environmental Development.
He Co-founded the Egyptian group of the international youth movement “youthinkgreen – jugend denkt um.welt”.
Up to date, youthinkgreen Egypt has managed to empower directly more than 5000+ young Egyptians who are leading the paradigm transition towards sustainable development in Egypt. Youthinkgreen’s beneficiaries currently drive their ecological innovations towards the market through their startups, multinational corporations, or developmental organizations they are working for. youthinkgreen worked with more than 150 private and public entity to train and empower young calibers across Egypt to assure their readiness to offer disruptive innovations to the local and global communities.

Abigael Kiprono Kima

Energy expert and climate activist

Abigael Kiprono Kima, 24, is a young energy expert and climate activist from Kenya. She is the producer and host of the new Hali-Hewa podcast (Hali-Hewa is a Swahili term for ‘climate’), profiling African activists and climate experts across eight 30-minute episodes airing through to COP27 on themes including a just energy transition, loss and damage, youth participation in intergovernmental processes and indigenous rights with Climate Home News as a partner syndicating this series.

Abigael has a background in Environmental Science (Resource Conservation)from Kenyatta University in Kenya. Her love for social justice led her to Kenyatta University where her passion for climate justice began. She joined one of the Environmental Clubs on campus where she developed her climate leadership skills and in no time was appointed the Chairperson solely because of her commitment and dedication. Through her exemplary leadership, she was awarded the Erasmus Credit Mobility Scholarship to Hungary to pursue Environmental Engineering at Szent Istvan University.

She is an environmental educator at Green Generation Initiative and her passion for teaching and imparting knowledge to the children is evident.She is passionate about youth mentorship thus she uses the opportunity to educate high school students on important life skills by simply telling her story.

Abigael was nominated for the Eco-Hero Award (EHA) by Team 54 Project because of her glowing remarks from members and supporters across the globe alongside a successful hosting of collaborative events supporting MAPS at UNEA 4 in Nairobi. Apart from environmental conservation, Abigael is passionate about music and dance. She co- founded a Christian based band called Jubal Band who have played a huge role in transforming the lives of the youth in her hometown Iten.The youth around them learn that it is possible to balance passion, talent and professional work towards positive change.

Adrian Leitoro

Co-founder of Nature and the People as One (NaPo)

Adrian Leitoro is the co-founder of Nature and People as One (NaPO). Building on a strong foundation of indigenous knowledge and governance structures, NAPO partners with the indigenous Rendille and Samburu communities to conserve and restore the landscapes, biodiversity & culture of Northern Kenya’s biodiversity hotspots such as Mt Kulal (a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), Mt Marsabit Forest, Ndoto ranges and others.

Adrian is a restoration steward at the Global Landscapes Forum. He is also a Charles R Wall fellow - a program by The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and the UNEP-Africa Office to build the capacities of Africa’s young biodiversity negotiators.

Adrian is also pursuing a Master’s degree in Climate Change Adaptation - focusing on Nature Based Solutions at the University of Nairobi.

Adriani Maffioleti

Activist for Climate Justice and the rights

Adriani is a young indigenous woman from southern Brazil. Activist for Climate Justice and the rights of originals peoples, she is part of the Fridays For Future, Latinas For Climate and coordinator of SOS Amazônia Fund. She was present at important events of the climate agenda, such as COP26 and Stockholm +50 conference in Sweden, mobilizing and organizing strikes with more than 30,000 people and representing the Brazilian youth in discussions about the present and the future of our generation.

Aisling Connaughton

Co-founder Cyd Connects

Aisling is the co-founder Cyd Connects, a women-led sustainability Consultancy created to inspire positive change and turn social and environmental responsibility into competitive business advantage. She spent over a decade working in the beauty industry and received a scholarship to the University of Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme.

She has a Masters in Social Entrepreneurship from Goldsmiths and is a B Corp Expert and certified B Leader.

Alab Mirasol

National Coordinator and Youth Advocates for Climate Actions Philippines

A climate justice activist based in Manila, Philippines currently studying biology at the University of the Philippines with a focus on ecology for her undergraduate. She comes from a family of activists and has been protesting for human rights and gender justice as young as 5 years old. An organizer of climate strikes since 2019, she is now the convenor and national coordinator of YACAP (Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines) — the Fridays for Future of our country. With her indigenous roots on her mom’s side and her dad a land defender that is a victim of enforced state disappearance, she vows to continue the resistance of her family. She strongly advocates that human rights and climate justice cannot be achieved without the other.

Alejandro Daly

MPA candidate at Columbia University

Alejandro Daly is an MPA candidate at Columbia University. Originally from Venezuela, Alejandro had to leave his home country due to the crisis and start a new life in Colombia. After struggling with asthma and discrimination, He embarked on a journey as Director of The Right To Not Obey, a social platform that aims to empower youth in Colombia to create social change and influence public policies around issues such as air pollution, climate change, refugees rights, and peaceful mobilization. He has mobilized over 150.000 young people in Colombia through campaigns, strikes, civic spaces, and dialogues. He is also a founding member of the Latin-American Coalition for Clean Air and the National Citizen Network for Clean Air in Colombia. Alejandro is a One Young World Ambassador, a Global Shaper from the World Economic Forum, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Week for NCD Action. Alejandro’s purpose is to promote climate justice and the right to a healthy environment for young people all over the world.

Alexandre Allard

Known for the creation and the sale of Consodata

Alexandre Allard is a French businessman known for the creation and the sale of Consodata, and the restoration of the Palace-HotelRoyal Monceauin Paris, France. He founded Groupe Allard in 2007 noted for more than a decade as instrumental in reviving heritage symbols. Its past achievements include restoration of Hotel de Pourtales, revival of the magazine l’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui founded by Le Corbusier in 1930, revival of the world-famous haute couture maison Balmain, the Palace Royal Monceau and the now ongoing transformation formed hospital Matarazzo built in 1904.

Alexandre Allard is collaborating with leading international figures such as the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the designer and artistic director Philippe Starck, as well as renowned Brazilian and international artists to create a cultural landmark within Sao Paulo. Alexandre has dedicated his time and vision to the revitalization of Cidade Matarazzo for over 10 years.

Álvaro Guirao

Founder and CEO of Swiss non profit Wisdom Health

Álvaro Guirao - Links wisdomhealth.io & optimalxr.com is the founder and CEO of Swiss non profit Wisdom Health, building bridges between nature and ancient wisdom as a source of inspiration for new models of innovation and conscious leadership, to redefine wisdom, health and wealth.

Holds studies in computer science and a masters in top management at IE Business School.

Álvaro is the founder and CEO of Optimal XR AG, swiss startup building the future of on-demand mental health and emotional care making Dharma and other ancient wisdom practices universally available through emerging technologies and cutting edge art & science.

Serial entrepreneur both in private and public sector, Alvaro cofounded the empathic Reactive Media Lab at the medicine faculty of Madrid Autónoma University, and is executive director of the international summer symposium 'Virtual Reality as Transformative Technology to develop Empathy'.

Amanda J. Parkes, PhD

Fashion scientist

Dr. Amanda Parkes is a fashion scientist with over 15 years of experience in fashion innovation, sustainability, bio fabrication, wearable technology, interaction design and smart materials spanning research, development, and product commercialization for start ups and major tech and fashion companies. She is the Chief Innovation Officer of Pangaia, a material science company and fashion brand building a sustainable future in fashion and lifestyle products, it was named #4 on Fast Company’s 2022 list of Most Innovative Brands. Past career highlights include roles as the Chief Innovation Officer of Future Tech Lab, an investment fund focused on sustainable material innovations, the Chief of Technology and Research at fashion tech incubator Manufacture NY, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University Dept of Architecture, teaching biomaterials and Founder of fashion tech studio Skinteractive, and co-founder of Bodega Algae, a microalgae biofuels company. She received a PhD & M.S. in Tangible Media from the MIT Media Lab and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in Art History from Stanford University. She has been named to the Business of Fashion 500 People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry, Vanity Fair’s 8 Wildest Women of Silicon Valley, The Glossy 50: Fashion’s Digital Front Runners, a Verizon Pioneer of Humanability and as one of Alleywatch’s 10 Most Influential People in Fashion Technology.

Angela Zhong

Harvard sophomore

Angela Zhong is a first-generation Asian-American Harvard sophomore. She is studying economics with a secondary in environmental science public policy and a citation in Mandarin. Hailing from Houston, Angela has felt the impacts of natural disasters and climate change first-hand. Though she is currently on a gap year, she previously served as her school’s first-ever Minister for Climate and Sustainability on the Undergraduate Council Executive Cabinet. Angela is passionate about youth climate advocacy and was fortunate enough to represent youth at US Institute of Peace Conference, Rotary World Peace Conference, ECOSOC Youth Conference, EarthX 2022, Stockholm+50, C40 Cities Summit, and many more. She currently serves as an intern for the UN Capital Development Fund and enjoys figure skating in her free time. Learn more about her at: angelazhong.com.

Anita Soina

Kenyan Member of Parliament and environmental advocate

Anita Soina is a 22 year old Kenyan Member of Parliament and environmental advocate from the Maasai community. She is the author of The Green War and the founder of the Spice Warriors a group that advocates for climate change in Kenya. She also attended COP 26 November 2021 to give her opinion about her country's National Drought emergency and flood in Great Rift Valley. Soina believes politics plays a crucial role in international environmental governance.

Anna Stanley

Climate Transparency at World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Anna leads the climate transparency work at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) – a CEO-led organization of over 200 visionary businesses working to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world. She most recently built-up the Partnership for Carbon Transparency (PACT), bringing together stakeholders from across the public and private sector to enhance climate accountability and enable more targeted decarbonization action through the sharing of emissions data across value chains. Prior to this, Anna co-created the Seaweed for Europe coalition at sustainability think tank and consultancy firm SYSTEMIQ, seeking to transform the European industry and unlock the environmental benefits of this hidden ocean champion.

Anna is a One Young World Ambassador and was selected as one of 50 leaders under 40 who are contributing to the acceleration of the environmental and social transition in France by Le Point / Cercle de Giverny. She graduated from the University of Cambridge with a MA (Hons) in History and Management Studies before going on to qualify and work as a lawyer in the UK and Germany. Anna also spent several years at McKinsey & Company, advising on a range of sustainability topics.

Anthony Bennett

CEO Reboot the Future

As CEO of Reboot the Future, Anthony brings broad experience in the cultural, environmental and educational sectors. He is particularly interested in exploring the Golden Rule across the following fields: exploring the social value of our arts and heritage; how true reciprocity can lead to a sustainable and just transition; and how schools and young
people around the world will be the true engines for change.

Antoinette Vermilye

Co-founder of the Gallifrey Foundation and She Changes Climate

Antoinette is passionate about the complex interrelationships between the ocean, plastics, gender, and overfishing on social injustice, human health and the environment. She seeks either coalitions to find action-oriented solutions that will have far reaching impacts downstream or to take action on identified gaps where little or no attention is being paid.

Thus her work is eclectic interconnectedness: ranging from the impacts of overfishing on the ocean and migrants, empowering citizens to take civil legal action against unsustainable legal and illegal overfishing, awareness campaigns on the impacts of plastics on human and planetary health, social injustice and the environment and for gender parity as as an International Gender champion.

Ayisha Siddiqa

Youth Activist and co-founder of Fossil Free University and Polluters Out

Ayisha Siddiqa (she/her)

Ayisha Siddiqa is a Pakistani climate justice advocate. She is the co-founder of Fossil Free University and Polluters Out. Ayisha first became involved in climate activism when she launched her university's branch of extinction rebellion in May 2019. The organization held a strike on 7 October 2019 in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The strike included about 300,000 participants. As part of that protest, strikers doused fake blood on the Charging Bull, located on Wall Street.

In response to the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference, she founded Polluters Out with Isabella Fallahi and Helena Gualinga. The organization was created in response to the realization that fossil fuel industries play a big role in the COPs. Fossil fuel companies who fund the COPs include Endesa, Iberdrola, Banco Santander and Acciona.

As a result of this campaign, COP26 didn't include big oil companies as sponsors. British Petroleum was one such oil company denied sponsorship. Ayisha Siddiqa also joined the walkout at the TED Countdown Conference, which happened in Edinburgh in response to the speaker role given to Shell plc Chief Executive Officer, Ben van Beurden, and other fossil fuel executives. She is also the co-founder of Free Fossil University.

Ayisha also attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2021, where she critiqued the inaccessibility of the COP, especially for people from the Global South. Ayisha will be attending COP27 and is an official spokesperson for the Children and Youth Pavilion.

Bailqees Salaudeen

Social activist

Baliqees Salaudeen is a 24-year-old Nigerian social activist, passionate about climate change - causes, impact and solutions – especially how it is linked to security and peace in the African region.

For over 6 years, she has been actively leading social campaigns and mobilizing young leaders within her circle of influence. Bays Planet Foundation, PickThatTrash, She Leads Climate Action, and Girl Up Nigeria are some of the reputable projects and Initiatives she has led, mobilizing hundreds of young people in Nigeria to organize cleanups, community sensitizations, support gender equality, understand policies and drive government engagements.

Motivated by the linkages before climate change, food security and peacebuilding, Baliqees was motivated to Co-found Green Republic Farms Limited where she currently Heads the Human Resource and Corporate Social Responsibility department. Baliqees is also a 2022 Communications Youth Fellow with the United Nations Climate Change High-level Champions.

With her style of storytelling and digital communications, Baliqees campaigns and projects both digitally and onsite have led to many young people picking an interest in climate communication, peacebuilding and leveraging the power of digital advocacy.

Bradley Watson

Environmental scientist

Bradley is an environmental scientist investigating nature-based solutions to global climate change. He holds masters degrees in Biology and Sustainable Development. His goal is to identify opportunities in natural ecosystems that will allow us to actualize climate adaptation strategies by developing appropriate solutions in the context of international and local policy frameworks and economic realities. Bradley intends to apply his understanding of sustainable development to ensure that people benefit from their ecosystems in an equitable and just fashion by collaborating with and empowering our future leaders.

Chandra Legdesog

First Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)

Chandra Legdesog is the first Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Fellow from the Federated States of Micronesia. She is currently working towards a Master’s Degree in an interdisciplinary study in Micronesian Studies and Ecology. Her thesis is on “’Traditional Knowledge of Ulithi Atoll’ which examines the perspectives and perceptions of climate change and how we can utilize local knowledge moving forward in sustainable climate change adaptation efforts. While working on her master’s degree, Chandra became the Project Manager for FSM’s Third National Communication to the UNFCCC, with the Department Environment, Climate Change, and Emergency Management. In addition, Chandra has served as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Sub-Saharan Africa, and has circumnavigating the globe aboard the MV Explorer in a Semester at Sea program, fueling her love for travel and adventure.

Craig Leeson

CEO of Leeson Media International

Craig Leeson is an award-winning filmmaker, television presenter, news correspondent and media entrepreneur. He is a passionate oceans and mountain explorer, surfer, diver, and aviator. He is the writer/director and narrator of the multi-award winning documentary feature film “A Plastic Ocean” (2017 iTunes, Netflix, Amazon) and the writer/director/producer/narrator of The Last Glaciers (releasing now on IMAX 2022-23). “A Plastic Ocean” was ranked the number one documentary on iTunes in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada shortly after its release.

Craig is the CEO of Leeson Media International and Leeson Global Media and founder of the I Shot Hong Kong Film Festival. He is the ambassador to Footprint Foundation and Plastic Oceans International, an advisor to The Klosters Forum, FootprintUS and Ocean 14 Capital and was Cathay Pacific’s first Change-maker Award recipient. He has advised governments around the world on environment issues and was instrumental in helping frame and introduce legislation banning single use plastics to the Colombian and Mexican congresses. He has also advised and worked with the Asian Development Bank on oceans and single-use plastics-related issues and helped ADB’s president launch a US$5billion global healthy oceans initiative in Fiji. He was sustainability partner to BNP Paribas, helping the global bank become the first corporate entity single-use plastics free across its 197,000-strong workforce and offices. He has worked with the world’s major broadcasters as a producer and foreign correspondent, including BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, PBS, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Bio Channel, Universal, Al Jazeera and the Seven Network. He began his career as a newspaper journalist before moving to radio and television as a news correspondent and anchor for ABC TV Australia and later for ATV, RTHK and Star News (Hong Kong).

His documentary filmmaking career began in 1999. He has won an Asia TV Award for “Rebel Impasse”, on the Maoist rebels of Nepal (ATV); “Marco Polo: The China Mystery Revealed”, (National Geographic Channel); and a New York Festivals medal for Best International Affairs Documentary on “The fall of President Suharto”. He has won 17 awards for A Plastic Ocean, which has been translated to more than 25 languages and was released on Netflix by Leonardo di Caprio. The film was simultaneously screened on Amazon and iTunes. A Plastic Ocean has been publicly screened in cinemas and at public events in over 70 countries on 6 continents. There have been over 3000 screenings globally hosted by government agencies, non-profits, schools, universities, individuals, multilateral institutions, corporations, aquariums and others, including the Smithsonian Institute, the Australian and UK Parliaments and the Mexican senate. The film was only the second chosen to be screened in the US Senate (An Inconvenient Truth the first) and was selected by the US Senate as one of 50 showcase films to be screened in 55 US embassies around the world. A shorter 22-minute version of the film was premiered at the UN General Assembly, in conjunction with the Permanent Mission of Colombia, in 2018 in New York City, to more than 500 people. The film counts among its patrons UNESCO. His new feature film, The Last Glaciers, is being screened globally by IMAX.

Craig has produced and directed NGC’s top Asia television programmes and projects including The Making Of A Gala (first insider look at the workings of the Peninsula hotel), GeoWatch Asia, the Top 30 Countdown for NGC’s 10th anniversary special, and Earth Day promos shot in multiple countries. He produced and directed Asia’s first extreme sports television series - the Action Asia Challenge – and screened it on two networks simultaneously, NGCI and ESPN. He is the first film director to stage a fashion show at the UN headquarters in Geneva. He worked as media strategist and executive liaison on Asia’s biggest joint-venture business deal between Telstra Australia and PCCW, reporting directly to both boards. He is committed to charity work and was one of the founders of the A Plastic Oceans Foundation, based in Hong Kong. He has also produced successful fundraising films for Room To Read, Operation Smile, The Sovereign Art Foundation and FilmAid.

Craig is a renowned public speaker, moderator and emcee and has been the keynote at major corporate, conference and film festival events globally, including the Royal Geographic Society, Tedx, Forbes, Fortune Magazine, International Congress on Conservation Biology, FilmAid Asia, EarthX, The Klosters Forum, BNP Paribas Sustainability Future Forum, Global Citizens Forum, Academia Film Olomouc, Ocean Geographic, and Wonderfruit. He has moderated or been the keynote speaker for clients such as BNP Paribas, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, European Shipping Owners, Cathay Pacific, to name a few.

He is a qualified bronze medal certified surf lifesaver having represented his home state Tasmania at the Australian titles, and holds medical, CPR and surf rescue crew certification as well as a surf rescue boat license. He is also a qualified advanced SCUBA diver and holds an FAA-rated private pilot’s license and a UK paragliding pilot’s certificate. Craig plays guitar in a published rock band. He is the fourth generation media entrepreneur in his family.

Dan Crockett

Director at Blue Marine Foundation

Dan Crockett is a director at Blue Marine Foundation. His particular focus is on blue carbon and valuing the ocean as a solution to climate change. He has played a key role in the establishment of the UK Blue Carbon Forum, the Verra Seascape Carbon Initiative and sits on the technical advisory board of Wilder Carbon. He is a trustee and treasurer of Surfers Against Sewage.

Danii Kehler

An artist

Danii Kehler is an artist from Kawacatoose First Nation on Treaty 4 Territory and a student at the University of Saskatchewan. She was the first Indigenous woman from Canada to join the 2041 ClimateForce Antarctic Expedition in March 2022. She is also the Manager of SevenGen, an Indigenous youth lead organisation aimed at creating space where Indigenous youth and communities are mobilised to advance in the energy and sustainability sector through capacity building, program development, mentorship and advocacy.

Daphne Ewing-Chow

Senior Contributor at Forbes

Daphne Ewing-Chow is an environmental writer with a focus on food and agriculture, and commute between the Southern Caribbean (Barbados) and the Northern Caribbean (Cayman Islands). She has a Master’s Degree in International Economic Policy from Columbia University and is passionate about food systems, the environment and Caribbean development. She is intrigued by the resilience of Small Island Developing States and loves stories of sustainable and regenerative growth through food systems and agriculture.

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