Juliana Ponce Gutierrez

Colombian climate activist leading legal battles against environmental degradation through youth-led litigation

Juliana Ponce Gutierrez, a 22-year-old environmental lawyer from Colombia, has become a global figure in climate justice through her groundbreaking legal strategies. As founder of the Youth vs Climate Crisis movement, she pioneered the use of atentado ambiental (environmental harm) lawsuits targeting governments and corporations. Her 2021 lawsuit against Ecopetrol and the Colombian government over Amazon deforestation set a precedent when the court ordered the state to create a reforestation plan involving 10,000 young volunteers.

Ponce's approach combines legal expertise with grassroots organizing, training hundreds of young activists through her Jurisdicción Ambiental Juvenil (Youth Environmental Jurisdiction) program. This initiative has produced 37 successful court cases across Latin America between 2022-2024, including halting a major mining project in Peru and forcing Mexico to revise its climate targets.

Her work intersects with indigenous rights through collaborations with Wayuu and Emberá communities, resulting in landmark rulings that recognize environmental damage as a violation of children's rights. The 2023 documentary "The Earth's Guardians" (filmed during COP28) chronicles her team's efforts to pressure governments into binding climate commitments.

Awards include the Goldman Environmental Prize (2024) and recognition by Time Magazine as one of 2023's Most Influential Teens. Ponce's TED talk "How Kids Are Suing Governments Over the Climate Crisis" has become a rallying cry for youth activists worldwide. Her upcoming book Legal Fire: Igniting Climate Justice (2025) promises to share strategies for environmental litigation.