The future is here – introducing new LDC Group negotiators!

Alexandra Ditti

I am a junior climate negotiator from Benin, following the agriculture agenda items in the UNFCCC process. With a degree in agricultural engineering from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Abomey Calavi in Benin, I’ve always been passionate about creating green jobs in agriculture.

I currently serve as a regional expert on sustainable value-added chains for the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), where I work with vulnerable populations, especially women, in northern Benin, southern Niger and eastern Burkina Faso, to help them cope with the effects of climate change by developing sustainable economic activities that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. I also develop environmental education activities for children and youth.  

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Fatoumata Manjang

I'm a young climate negotiator based in The Gambia with experience in adaptation. I hold a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and work with the National Climate Change Secretariat, under The Gambia’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources. I have also been involved as a youth negotiator since June 2023 on climate change adaptation and resilience building of local communities.

I'm currently following two thematic areas in climate negotiations: adaptation and loss and damage, which are both as important as mitigation from our perspective because poor people are more impacted by extreme weather events. I'm proud to represent my country in international climate decision-making forums.

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Hortense Traoré Kagambega

I am an environmentalist and hydrogeologist engineer from Burkina Faso. With degrees from Joseph Ki-Zerbo University in Ouagadougou and Mali's National School of Engineers, I am completing my PhD on water and climate change. I have 15 years of experience conducting and teaching environmental and social impact assessments in Burkina Faso and Mali, and I'm also the general secretary of Women Environmental Programme Burkina’s board of directors.

Due to a lack of funding, I have been unable to take part in the UN’s climate negotiations since 2019, but in 2022, COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh was my opportunity to become a delegate for Burkina Faso, following the technology and just transition thematic areas.

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I am an environmental scientist and environmental educator from Malawi, with a BSc in environmental science and currently pursuing an MSc in environment and climate science. I am the founder and current executive director of Green Girls Platform, a female-led initiative that works to address the unique challenges that girls and women face due to climate change in Malawi.

I am passionate about providing sustainable climate adaptation strategies that work for girls and young women in Malawi and other LDCs, and enjoy carrying out voluntary work with the youth to ensure that their climate rights are fully realised. This is what inspired me to become a negotiator on adaptation and gender in the UNFCCC process.

I was Malawi’s youth delegate at the 25th Conference of Parties (COP25) in 2019, at the Youth4Climate in 2021 and 2022, at the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum in 2023 and at the 12th World Environment Education Conference in 2024. I am also an advisor for the Global Resilience Fund and the Global Environment Education Partnership, and a Youth Sounding Board Member for the European Union delegation in Malawi.

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I am a young specialist in water and climate change from Benin, working with structures at both national and international levels for the wellbeing of grassroots communities, especially the most vulnerable. I am currently a consultant in the energy, climate and resources department at Eurasia Group. My role includes researching precise climate data to induce effective change in national policies as well as in the large companies’ actions. I am also the assistant coordinator of the youth delegates’ programme of the Ministry of Environment and Transport in charge of Sustainable Development of Benin.

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is the only article that allows both the direct involvement of the private sector in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and voluntary cooperation between countries. Since COP26 in Glasgow, Parties have been discussing the guidance for implementing this article on carbon markets. Ensuring that the special circumstances of LDCs (and thus Benin) are reflected in the final decisions, with a high degree of ambition and environmental integrity, is what has motivated me to closely follow these negotiations.

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Ambinintsoa Heritokilalaina (Lalainà)

I'm a junior climate negotiator based in Madagascar. With a background in forestry, I also hold a master's degree in environmental science and management from the University of Liège in Belgium. Since 2018, I have been dedicated to combating climate change, and currently hold the position of head of the databases and monitoring and evaluation department of the national office for climate change and REDD+ at the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development in Madagascar.

In the context of climate negotiations, I follow two thematic issues: the global stocktake and transparency. I also actively advocate for the representation of women from least developed countries in international climate decision-making spaces.

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Marlène Joy Kodo

I'm a food technologist from Benin with a strong dedication to activism and community service. I currently serve as the regional focal point for the girl-led action of climate change (GLACC) programme under the World Association of Girls Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), which aims to increase the resilience of girls and young women to climate change.

I'm particularly passionate about gender issues and adaptation to climate change because women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and lack capacity to adapt and recover. This is why I follow adaptation in the UN climate negotiations to defend the interests of Benin and the LDC Group in a gender-oriented approach.

Find me on X and LinkedIn.

Mustafa Yahia

I'm a Sudanese climate activist and social entrepreneur who graduated in chemical engineering from Sudan University of Science and Technology in 2017. With a passion for climate action, I operate at the crossroads of climate mitigation, sustainable finance and circular economy.

Through Sudan Zero Waste, an NGO that I founded in 2020, I have spearheaded innovative and impactful climate mitigation projects, successfully designing, piloting, scaling and raising sustainable funding for developmental projects. I also actively contribute to organising climate awareness activities to accelerate collective climate action. In the UN’s climate negotiations, I follow climate mitigation agenda items.

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I am a quality, health, safety and environment engineer from Burkina Faso, with an MSc in environmental aspects management from the Institute for Industrial Risk Management and Sustainable Development in Ouagadougou. I currently work as health, security and environment expert on a development project in Burkina Faso.

As part of my civic engagement, I am the co-founder and president of the Parlement National de la Jeunesse Burkinabè pour l’Eau (Burkina Faso National Youth Parliament for Water). Through this organisation, we work to catalyse the potential of youth to make them the driving force behind tackling climate and environmental challenges, and to ensure that they keep a watchful eye on the water sub-sector by monitoring government action, following up public policies, raising awareness and participating in the sustainable governance of water resources.  

I am also a member of the executive board of the Réseau des Jeunes Sahéliens pour le Climat (Sahelian Youth Climate Network), that educates youth and supports innovation in the environment and sustainable development sectors.

As part of the UNFCCC climate negotiations, I am a junior negotiator following the adaptation thematic area for my country and the LDC Group.

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I am a passionate socio-climate justice activist from Nepal, currently pursuing an MSc in development studies at Kathmandu University while working as a policy advisor for NGO Clean Energy Nepal.  

Recognised as an ‘EE 30 under 30’ for my work in environmental education, I also host a podcast, Digo Bahas, which showcases stories of hope and inspires people to take action. Recently, I wrote a report on the youth’s perspectives on challenges and opportunities for city leadership in loss and damage. I follow the global stocktake as a junior youth negotiator for the LDC Group.

Since 2019, I have been following the global stocktake thematic area at the UN climate negotiations, and using my deep understanding of the process to champion the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making spaces. I coordinated the global stocktake engagement for the Children and Youth Constituency (YOUNGO) from 2021-23, and currently coordinate the advocacy working group in the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition.  

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Simret Terefe Leggese

I work as a climate change mitigation expert at the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EEPA). My role involves actively participating in the development of national climate change plans, strategies and guidelines to support the implementation of the Ethiopian Climate Resilience Green Economy (CRGE) strategy. I also served as an environmental training and research officer at the EEPA. I have been taking part in the UN’s climate negotiations since 2019, following loss and damage as well as gender and climate change.

I hold an MSc in environment and development from Addis Ababa University and completed my undergraduate studies in environmental science at Haramaya University, Ethiopia. Engaging in various community service activities, I'm also an enthusiastic volunteer.

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Tasneem Sied Ahmed

I'm a Sudanese advocate for social justice and sustainable development. With a background in plastic engineering and development studies, I'm passionate about driving positive change through projects and initiatives. From working on development projects to co-organising Sudan’s Local Conference of Youth, which gathers young people ahead of COP to discuss climate change and environmental topics, my work reflects my commitment to creating a more equitable and sustainable future for Sudan.

I have been taking part in the UN’s climate change conferences since 2022, following loss and damage agenda items. I hope to become a lead negotiator, actively contributing to my country's mission to combat climate change effectively.

Find me on LinkedIn.