Marinel Sumook Ubaldo
Philippines
Marinel Sumook Ubaldo is an advocate for climate justice and the environment who helped organize the first youth climate strike in her country. She is one of the leading young female climate activists that is driving change in Asia. An advocate for climate justice and environmental issues, Marinel has been a vocal figure and changemaker in the Philippines from collaborating on the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to implementing a Conference of Youth at a local scale. She is a Registered Social Worker and one of the Founders of the Youth Leaders for Environmental Action Federation, a youth-led organization based in Eastern Visayas that aims to mentor youth individuals and organizations in climate advocacy. She is also the Advocacy Officer for Ecological Justice and Youth Engagement of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines and was the Philippine Country Coordinator for UN COY16 Glasgow while co-leading the implementation of one of the most comprehensive youth gatherings, the Local Conference of Youth 2021. She also serves as the Philippine Focal Point for Climate Science Olympiad.
Marinel has been actively involved in educating communities – especially, youth and children – about climate change and the roles they can take to adapt and mitigate its effects. She has spoken to world leaders on behalf of Filipinos during the opening of the UNFCCC COP 21 in Paris and at UNFCCC COP 25 in Madrid. She has been trained by former US Vice-President Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader. Her global campaign with Amnesty International calling on the Philippine government to ensure the relocation of Super-Typhoon Haiyan survivors generated 528,070 actions from around the world. She has been building impactful campaigns, and forming strong collaborations with the government, social and environmental organizations, and youth. Most of all, Marinel aims to co-power and build agency among frontline communities around the world, and to have a safer place to live. She continues to tell her story on the global platform aiming to shed light on the reality of climate change, and the urgency for world leaders to keep their climate commitments and for the rest of the world to act on it.