Across every continent, women are driving effective, inclusive, and scalable solutions to the climate crisis. They are restoring ecosystems, rethinking food systems, securing Indigenous land rights, advancing clean energy, and integrating climate resilience into public health and urban planning. 

Yet despite their leadership, women - especially those in frontline communities - continue to receive a fraction of climate finance and decision-making power. Studies show that women’s leadership in environmental governance leads to stronger policies, improved conservation outcomes, and more equitable economic transitions. Yet gender-blind policies persist, limiting both ambition and impact.

The Impact Makers campaign was created to recognize and elevate the individuals – women and men – who are driving tangible, systemic climate solutions, often in the face of significant barriers. By amplifying their work, we hope to highlight the critical role of grassroots leadership in reshaping economies, strengthening resilience, and accelerating climate action at scale.

This International Women’s Day, we focus on a handful of the many incredible women from our campaign – leaders whose work is demonstrating what is possible when climate action is inclusive, locally led, and properly resourced.

Deep Lama

Deepa Lama is the co-founder and president of Kalpavaatika Society Nepal, leading efforts to tackle Kathmandu’s urban sustainability challenges through nature-based solutions. Her initiative, Enhancing Urban Sustainability through Nature-based Solutions, trains urban households in kitchen waste composting and rooftop farming, helping to reduce methane emissions and promote food security. With support from the UNDP Youth4Climate team and local government, her project has trained 500 community members, distributed compost bins, and provided grafted fruit plants to encourage sustainable urban living. Deepa’s passion for environmental conservation stems from witnessing the growing waste crisis in Kathmandu and experiencing firsthand the impact of urbanization on air quality, biodiversity, and resource availability. Since launching the project, she has helped transform unused rooftops into green spaces, reduced waste going to landfills, and increased community engagement in sustainable practices. 

Angela Chaudhuri

Angela Chaudhuri, Chief Catalyst at Swasti, is leading the way in climate-driven health innovation with the Precision Action Towards Climate & Health (PATCH) platform. Designed to protect marginalized communities from escalating environmental health threats, PATCH bridges the gap between complex data and life-saving decision-making. Under Angela’s leadership, the platform has been piloted in five cities, enabling early detection of health risks, improving resource allocation, and building collaboration between public health professionals, government agencies, and local communities. With a background in public health and a deep commitment to social justice, Angela believes that integrated, real-time data is key to addressing climate-induced health crises. Despite challenges in pandemic preparedness and data transparency, her team has worked to break down barriers, build government partnerships, and promote data-driven policymaking.

Shelly Jarina Kerketta

Shelly Jarina Kerketta, General Manager of Mlinda Charitable Trust, is driving rural transformation in India by bringing solar-powered mini-grids to remote villages. Under her leadership, Mlinda’s Clean Energy-based Micro-Enterprise Development project provides reliable, renewable energy that enables communities to move away from harmful kerosene use, improve agricultural productivity, and establish sustainable businesses. Before Mlinda’s intervention, nearly half of households relied on kerosene, facing daily power shortages that limited economic opportunities and posed health risks. Now, 98 per cent of households have access to clean energy, with significant reductions in CO2 emissions and improved incomes as residents harness electricity for irrigation, food production, and small enterprises. Despite challenges such as high installation costs and community skepticism, Shelly and her team address these through strategic partnerships, financial linkages, and local capacity building. Her vision is to scale this model across India and beyond, embedding clean energy within a thriving micro-enterprise ecosystem to ensure long-term economic and environmental resilience.

Sellah Bogonko

Sellah Bogonko, Co-Founder and CEO of Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA), is leading a monumental effort to create 30 million green jobs across Africa by 2033. At the intersection of youth unemployment and climate action, JLA is building pathways for young Africans to enter the green economy through research, policy advocacy, and climate entrepreneurship. Under Sellah’s leadership, JLA has launched the GreenLabs incubator to support sustainable ventures in food systems, energy, and waste management, while also running grassroots intrapreneurship programs in partnership with local governments. Through initiatives like the Africa Climate Ambassadors Programme, she is amplifying African voices in global climate discussions. Facing challenges such as limited climate capital and policy barriers to youth employment, Sellah has focused on forging partnerships that equip young people with the skills, resources, and networks to thrive. She envisions a future where Africa’s youth drive its green revolution, turning climate challenges into economic opportunities that build prosperity and sustainability across the continent.

Maryam Bello 

Maryam Bello, Co-Founder of Parker’s Mobile Clinic, is transforming healthcare access in Nigeria’s flood-prone regions through climate-resilient mobile health solutions. Recognizing the intersection of climate change and healthcare, she launched Parker’s Resilient Health to deliver life-saving medical services to communities isolated by extreme weather events. Since its inception, the initiative has reached over 100,000 individuals across 10 communities, deploying mobile health hubs and telemedicine to bridge gaps in healthcare access. Under Maryam’s leadership, Parker’s Resilient Health has trained 50 local health workers in climate-adaptive practices, integrated electronic health records for efficiency, and expanded outreach programs to serve more vulnerable populations. Despite challenges such as digital barriers and logistical constraints in remote areas, Maryam has built strong partnerships and innovative delivery models to ensure healthcare reaches those who need it most. With plans to scale operations, train more frontline health workers, and enhance telemedicine accessibility, she remains committed to building a robust, climate-resilient healthcare network that empowers underserved communities.

Fany Kuiru

Fany Kuiru, the first woman to lead the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), is a powerful advocate for Indigenous rights and the protection of the Amazon. As General Coordinator, she has championed initiatives like the Amazon for Life Fund, a groundbreaking effort to channel resources directly to Indigenous communities for sustainable development and conservation. Recognizing that less than one per cent of global climate funding reaches Indigenous-led efforts, Fany has worked to bridge this gap, ensuring that financial and technical support strengthens Indigenous governance and economic resilience. Her leadership is rooted in a deep commitment to dignity, self-determination, and justice, emphasizing that safeguarding Indigenous Peoples territories is essential for the health of the planet. Despite challenges such as the lack of recognition for Indigenous Peoples knowledge and rights, she continues to push for systemic change, urging global actors to respect and invest in Indigenous-led solutions. Through COICA’s efforts, Fany envisions a future where Indigenous Peoples governance is strengthened, conservation efforts are sustained, and the Amazon remains a thriving ecosystem for generations to come.

High-Level Champions 

Climate Justice is fundamental to achieving an effective global response to the climate crisis. Women - along with youth, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, people with disabilities, and the most vulnerable communities – hold the solutions, expertise, and lived experience necessary to address the climate crisis and the other interrelated challenges, from poverty eradication and food security, to social and racial justice, and gender equality. Yet they continue to face barriers to meaningful participation and decision-making. Addressing these barriers is core to the mission of the High-Level Champions, who work to ensure that climate action is inclusive, equitable, and responsive to those most affected.

The climate movement has been instrumental in raising ambition, holding leaders accountable, and reframing climate action as a justice issue. This momentum must be strengthened by ensuring that all voices are heard and that climate finance, policy, and decision-making are inclusive and accessible.

The High-Level Champions are committed to embedding inclusion across all activities by:

• Facilitating consultations, partnerships, and participation opportunities for youth, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples across workstreams and campaigns.

• Advocating for direct access to finance and resources for historically underrepresented groups.

• Promoting a multi-stakeholder approach that ensures all actors – national governments, subnational authorities, businesses, and finance institutions – support inclusion in tangible ways.