Nigar Arpadarai is the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29 Azerbaijan. In her role as UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, Ms. Arpadarai contributes to stronger and more ambitious climate action by strengthening the engagement of non-State actors in supporting the parties to deliver on climate goals.She also works with the private sector to ensure that they have the awareness, capacity and tools to make sustainability central to their operations and activities.

She is supporting our MCOP by sending a message to the participants!

Leyla Hasanova is the Youth Climate Champion for COP29 Azerbaijan. Ms. Hasanova is the Chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization, and has previously worked as Head of the Secretariat of the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization and Program Coordinator at the Institute for Development and Diplomacy at ADA University. In her role as Youth Climate Champion, Ms. Hasanova will amplify the voices of youth-led and youth-focused organisations to ensure that they are mainstreamed into climate diplomacy and the COP process

We are glad to have her support for the MCOP !

He provides strategic direction for sustainable supply chains and green finance, working with large organizations on UN SDGs 12, 13, and 15. Kamal manages global partnerships to halt deforestation and improve smallholder livelihoods. He co-chairs key the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s (RSPO) committees and has served on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Expert Review Panel and various multi-stakeholder advisory groups.

He will join us at the main event for Panel Discussion

Business leader with an engineering and management background having 17+ years of experience in the energy and Industrial automation sector. Skilled in spearheading ESG strategy, sustainable reporting standards and frameworks and driving value chain decarbonization. Passionate about fostering stakeholder engagement and implementing social business programs with the purpose of enabling a just and equitable energy transition.

He will join us at the main event for Panel Discussion

A key part of the central leadership team at GSF. He is instrumental in ensuring smooth operations of all 64 GSF campuses in 11 countries.

He has over 22 years of experience in a variety of sectors such as Consumer Products Marketing, Banking, Investment Management and Education across North America and Asia. He was most recently the CEO for K12 schools at Lighthouse Learning Group, a network of 50 K12 schools across India. 

He will join us at the main event for Panel Discussion

Youth leader in sustainability innovation, combining technology with social impact. He founded TinkerThings Global, focusing on reducing food waste through regenerative practices. Niki was globally recognized in 2022 with the Global Grand Prize at the Intel AI Global Impact Festival. He co-founded VolunteerSG, engaging over 8,600 youth volunteers in Singapore, and is an active member of the IVCO Climate Action Group.

He will join us at the main event for Panel Discussion

Swati is an applied researcher focused on climate change and nature-based solutions, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and developing nations. She examines climate impacts, assesses vulnerabilities, and develops adaptive strategies. Her work spans policy frameworks, social determinants, and technological innovations. Swati has collaborated with organizations like World Resources Institute (WRI), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Currently, she is working with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

She will join us at the main event for Panel Discussion

Timothy Ogenyi is a Climate Policy Analyst, with over a decade of expertise specialising in Climate Policy, Environmental (ESIA) Consultancy, Sustainability, and SDG Advocacy, with a passion for climate education and raising awareness on green skills for youth career pathways. As a Climate Governance Expert, he co-led and co-authored a pioneer project on Mapping Climate Impacts, Policies, and Actions at the Subnational Levels in Nigeria. This innovative project aimed to measure the extent of climate awareness and governance in the 36 Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory.

​​Dr. Vinod B. Mathur, a distinguished 1983 IFS batch member, dedicated 33 years to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), retiring as Director in 2019. He then served as Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority of India for three years.

Dr. Mathur contributed significantly to biodiversity research-policy interface issues, including serving as Regional Vice-Chair of the UN-IPBES Multi-disciplinary Expert Panel (2014-2018). He currently works as a Strategic Advisor for the IUCN-Asia Protected Area Partnership Program and as an International Biodiversity Expert for the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

He will be leading Pre-MCOP Sessions on Biodiversity and Climate, the New Global Biodiversity Framework, and the intricacies of Negotiations and Consensus Building.

Radhika Suri is an educationist deeply committed to transformative initiatives with a career spanning over three decades. Formerly serving as the Director of Environment Education at the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), India, she spearheaded programs reaching millions of students, youth, and educators nationwide. Her exceptional track record includes seamlessly executing organizational transformation projects, implementing pioneering best practices, and leveraging optimal pedagogical knowledge to enrich the learning experiences of children and youth.

She designed and implemented the initiative  Mock COP (Biodiversity) for WWF India which was run for schools across India with strong partnerships from  UN agencies  and various Ministries in India . Her specialization lies in early childhood education, environment education, and literacy.

She will be leading Pre MCOP sessions on Setting SMART Goals, Collaborative decision making, Capacity building of teachers

Dr Stephan Singer has spent the last 23 years with WWF Germany, WWF Europe and WWF International. His last role, starting in 2009, was ‘Director of Global Energy Policy’.

Stephan has a PhD in soil physics on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in impoverished Indian soils. His work includes providing support and advice to CAN member organisations on renewable energy expansion in all countries, which is a prerequisite staying below 1.5 degree C.

Stephan is a regular and invited peer-reviewer of the annual IEA World Energy Outlook, a regular CSO reviewer of some of the IPCC work (WG III, mitigation), and chairperson of the Renewable Grid Initiative (RGI) in Europe.

Ms. Dorothy Ashmita Biswas is a Research Associate at the Centre for Climate Change Research within TERI’s Earth Science and Climate Change Division. In her role, she focuses on climate policy and finance, with a particular emphasis on multi-level finance flows, decarbonization pathways, and transition strategies.

Ms. Biswas has worked extensively with various stakeholders, particularly policymakers, on both national and international climate policies. Her expertise extends to integrating diverse perspectives and fostering collaboration to drive effective climate action.

She holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Development Practices from the TERI School of Advanced Studies and would be sharing about UNFCCC COPs, Kyoto & Paris agreements.

Dr Byju Pookandy is a climate science researcher who specializes in climate modeling and large-scale variability. His expertise extends to the field of Data Science. His deep passion lies in advancing our understanding of climate and ocean dynamics through dedicated research initiatives. He is committed to making significant contributions that lead to improvements in our knowledge of the Earth’s climate system and its impact on our planet.

Dr Byju holds a PhD in Oceanography from Monash University. He would be speaking about Climate Science and models with our students