Melati Wijsen

A 12-year-old environmental activist who founded the world's largest youth-led environmental movement to clean Indonesia's beaches

Melati Wijsen is a pioneering environmental activist from Bali, Indonesia, best known for co-founding the Bali Plastic-Free Generation at age 12. Alongside her sister Isabel, she mobilized over 20,000 students through a 'Beach Clean-up Movement' that led to Bali banning single-use plastics in 2018. Their initiative inspired similar movements globally, including in Australia, Canada, and the UK. Wijsen's work has been featured in National Geographic and UNEP reports, and she's a TEDx speaker. Her leadership exemplifies how youth activism can drive systemic change - since 2013, her movement has removed over 1.3 million pieces of plastic from Bali's beaches. Wijsen's approach combines education, policy advocacy, and community engagement, creating a replicable model for grassroots environmental action. She currently serves as UN Youth Envoy advisor, expanding her impact to global climate initiatives.