Climate Future Leaders 2024: Ten Youth Champions Prioritizing the Planet

The Climate Future Leaders 2024 recognizes ten exceptional young individuals dedicated to prioritizing the planet and combating climate change. These youth champions are making significant impacts through innovative projects, advocacy, and sustainability initiatives. Their commitment to environmental stewardship serves as an inspiration for others, showcasing how young leaders can drive change and create a sustainable future. Discover their stories and contributions to a healthier planet.

As a young girl in Nigeria, Sandra C. Chukwudozie noticed a striking disparity between the country's wealth of natural resources—such as oil, gas, and minerals—and the severe energy poverty affecting its population. A recent United Nations report highlights that Nigeria, with its 90 million residents, ranks last globally in electricity access, with 45% of its people lacking connection to the grid.

“This contradiction sparked a strong desire within me to challenge existing norms,” she states, “and to dismantle the cycle of injustice that has endured for decades.” In 2017, at just 24 years old, she established Salpha Energy, a company that has since provided clean, reliable energy to over 1.5 million Nigerians and small businesses by making energy affordable and collaborating with micro-finance suppliers and cooperatives.

Last year, she inaugurated the first female-owned solar home system assembly plant in sub-Saharan Africa, capable of producing 250,000 systems annually, thereby creating jobs for Africans while supplying clean electricity. Chukwudozie is among ten remarkable individuals recognized in Reuters Events’ inaugural Climate Future Leaders list, which honors their substantial contributions to tackling climate change early in their careers.

The list includes, in alphabetical order: David Carlin, a key advisor on climate and ESG matters; Anya Doherty, founder of the UK food sustainability platform Foodsteps; Maria Eugenia Filmanovic, who provides climate finance solutions; Sophia Kianni, leader of the world's largest youth-led climate nonprofit; Xavi Laguarta, who aids farmers in sustainable rice farming; Alex Lombos, head of commercial banking at ClientEarth; John Tyler McCullough, strategist for climate transition at Ceres; Boyan Slat, inventor focused on ocean plastic removal; and Anastasia Volkova, founder of a startup aimed at decarbonizing the agrifood industry.

When compiling our Climate Future Leaders list, we sought individuals born after 1990 who have made notable contributions to the fight against climate change. To create this list, we consulted Ethical Corporation journalists, Reuters News colleagues, event organizers, this year's Trailblazing Women in Climate cohort, and sustainability experts. Each Climate Future Leader was asked to provide a biography and respond to at least two of the following questions: What motivated you to pursue sustainability? How can organizations engage the next generation? What are the biggest challenges in addressing climate change, and what solutions show promise? What advice would you offer other young people in your field?

Their insightful responses reflect the frustration and helplessness many young people feel in a world facing climate crisis. For our Climate Future Leaders, taking action has been their way of reclaiming their future. Boyan Slat articulates this sentiment: "I hope The Ocean Cleanup can motivate others to take an optimistic approach to the challenges we face by harnessing humanity’s strengths: collaboration, innovation, and the determination to solve problems."

However, they are also realistic about the challenges ahead. Maria Eugenia Filmanovic advises, "Changing the system requires a measured approach; while Greta Thunberg’s urgency is crucial, systemic change is intricate. It necessitates engaging stakeholders across policy, business, and finance, which takes time. Understand that meaningful progress often comes in small, incremental steps and demands persistence and strategic planning.” These insights resonate with everyone dedicated to advocating for a more sustainable future. The Climate Future Leaders report is available for further reading.

David Carlin is the founder of D.A. Carlin and Company, specializing in advising governments and corporations on climate and ESG issues. He has produced numerous reports offering practical resources for financial entities aiming to address climate challenges and has implemented capacity-building initiatives for global financial institutions. Originally from New York, David established the Risk Centre at the U.N. Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and has worked with over 100 banks, investors, and insurers on climate scenarios and risk assessments.

He has also contributed to UNEP FI’s TNFD pilot program, focusing on nature and biodiversity-related risks, and the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), along with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). Young individuals may feel they lack financial influence, but a movement of 20 or 30 students cutting up their credit cards can spark significant action from top decision-makers.

Sandra C. Chukwudozie is the founder and CEO of Salpha Energy, an innovative company dedicated to delivering clean energy to underserved communities in Nigeria and Africa. Salpha has positively impacted over 1.5 million off-grid Nigerians, receiving global recognition and investment from organizations like The World Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation. In 2023, Salpha launched the first female-owned solar home system assembly plant in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sandra was included in Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2022 and received the Ashden Award for Energy Innovation in the Global South. She was recognized as an African Business Hero by the Jack Ma Foundation. Her background includes roles at the United Nations, focusing on clean energy and sustainable development. She earned degrees from the University of Manchester and the University of Dundee and is a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner.

One of the greatest gifts one can offer a young person is belief—the belief that they are deserving of grand aspirations. This vital belief is often lacking in many organizations today.

Anya Doherty is the founder and director of Foodsteps, a UK-based platform that aids food businesses in measuring and reducing their environmental impact. Foodsteps has assisted over 150 food businesses, including Compass Group, Tesco, and KFC, in enhancing their sustainability efforts. Anya established Foodsteps at 22 after conducting research at the University of Cambridge on food supply chain impacts and co-authoring a major study on carbon labeling in food. She also serves as a trustee for two environmental charities, including Youngwilders, which she co-founded in 2019 to support youth-led nature recovery initiatives in the UK.

Her advice to other young sustainability advocates is to be bold, as time is limited for making significant changes needed to combat climate change and nature loss.

Maria Eugenia Filmanovic is the co-founder of Abatable, a premier provider of carbon market solutions based in the UK and Netherlands, where she leads initiatives to deliver innovative climate finance and research solutions to over 200 organizations in the voluntary carbon market. Previously, she was a vice president in impact investing at Goldman Sachs, advising major corporations on nature-based carbon removal and impact portfolios. Maria has spearheaded innovative projects, such as the Apple Restore Fund, which accelerates natural climate solutions through significant investments in forest restoration. At Abatable, she focuses on scalable solutions for carbon market project developers and investors.

Maria emphasizes that changing the system is complex and cannot be approached as an urgent sprint. While urgency is vital, understanding that system change requires extensive negotiation with various stakeholders is essential. Progress often occurs incrementally, necessitating persistence and strategic thinking.

Sophia Kianni is an Iranian-American social entrepreneur and activist who founded Climate Cardinals, the largest youth-led climate nonprofit globally, with 16,000 volunteers across 80+ countries. As the youngest U.N. advisor in U.S. history, she is currently a member of the EPA’s National Youth Advisory Council. A dynamic storyteller, Sophia has spoken at prestigious universities worldwide and has received recognition for her advocacy work, including winning the TED global idea competition.

She believes organizations can engage the next generation by providing meaningful opportunities such as internships or volunteer positions with real responsibilities and potential for growth.

Xavi Laguarta is the co-founder of Mitti Labs, a 2023 startup dedicated to assisting farmers in transitioning to more environmentally sustainable and productive rice cultivation methods. Rice farming contributes significantly to methane emissions and freshwater usage, yet smallholder farmers often lack access to essential training and resources for change. Mitti Labs incentivizes and supports over 30,000 farmers in India through its technology platform, leading to substantial reductions in CO2e emissions and water use, while increasing farmer profits. The company aims to support 300,000 farmers in South Asia, targeting over a million tonnes of CO2e reductions by 2027. Originally from Barcelona, Xavi has experience in sustainability consulting and holds an M.Eng from Imperial College London.

Xavi urges others to seize the moment for innovative agricultural climate solutions, to work on ambitious ideas collaboratively, and to trust that others will join their mission.

Alex Lombos, an English-qualified lawyer in ClientEarth’s Purposeful Markets group, leads the organization’s efforts on commercial banking and transition finance to mitigate the climate impact of the banking sector. He develops litigation strategies to hold major financial institutions accountable for their roles in climate change and has created a framework to combat greenwashing while promoting climate transition finance. Alex is also exploring legal changes that could foster a more sustainable financial system. He believes empowering employees with agency and the right support can inspire them to create meaningful change.

John Tyler McCullough co-leads strategy on climate transition plans for the nonprofit Ceres, assisting S&P 500 companies in publishing their initial transition plans and supporting investors in engaging with portfolio companies. Tyler regularly hosts workshops on these subjects and has written reports featured in prominent financial publications. Before joining Ceres, he worked in various environmental and clean energy organizations and holds degrees in Environmental Science and International Relations from Tufts University.

He advises aspiring advocates to read extensively, learn through experience, network, and find their cause, while also seeking assistance along the way.

Boyan Slat, a Dutch inventor and entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit based in Rotterdam focused on developing technologies to eliminate ocean plastic. The organization aims to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040 and has already deployed 15 Interceptors worldwide, successfully removing over 16 million kilograms of trash. Boyan hopes that The Ocean Cleanup can motivate others to adopt a proactive approach to global issues by showcasing the power of collaboration and innovation. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance, learning from failures, and approaching significant challenges with optimism.

Anastasia Volkova is the co-founder and CEO of Regrow, a startup focused on transforming the agrifood sector to become carbon neutral. Through software solutions, Regrow assists enterprises in measuring, reporting, and optimizing carbon footprint reduction through sustainable practices. Anastasia has received several awards for her work in climate tech, including being recognized as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30. She encourages young people to pursue their interests boldly, emphasizing that change is driven by the passionate commitment of individuals willing to step outside their comfort zones.

This revised version of the article maintains the core information while ensuring a clearer and more engaging flow, as well as emphasizing key achievements and perspectives of the individuals highlighted. If you have any further adjustments or specific points you'd like to include, feel free to let me know!

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Source; Reuters‍