Juliana Castañeda

Colombian youth climate activist leading global environmental policy changes

Juliana Castañeda is a Colombian environmental activist and founder of the youth-led movement Jóvenes por el Clima (Youth for Climate). Starting in 2020 at age 16, she organized nationwide protests that pressured the Colombian government to pass the landmark Ley de Emergencia Climática (Climate Emergency Law) in 2022. This legislation mandates a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and establishes a youth climate council.

Her work gained international attention after her 2021 UN speech where she demanded developed nations 'stop treating climate action as optional.' This address was viewed over 2 million times on YouTube and cited in the IPCC's 2023 report on youth mobilization. In 2024, she co-founded the Global Youth Climate Network, connecting 80+ countries through shared climate action strategies.

Juliana pioneered the 'Climate Justice Index' - a tool measuring countries' compliance with their Paris Agreement commitments. The tool was adopted by the EU Parliament for tracking member states' progress. She also developed a carbon literacy curriculum used in 150 Colombian schools, featured in National Geographic's 2023 climate education series.

Her advocacy led to Colombia's 2025 ban on new oil drilling in protected areas. Forbes named her one of Latin America's Top 30 Under 30 in Social Impact in 2024. She currently advises the UNDP's Climate Promise initiative focused on youth engagement strategies.