The Women Behind the Fastest Climate and Clean Air Wins

by Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat - 9 March, 2026

On this International Women’s Day, we asked partners and implementers across the climate and clean air community to share a little about their work tackling super pollutants. From advancing methane mitigation to developing innovative solutions to cut black carbon and HFCs, women around the world are helping drive some of the fastest opportunities to protect the climate and improve air quality. The profiles below highlight their experiences, insights, and the vital role they play in advancing action on super pollutants.

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Daira Gómez Mora
Executive Director
CEGESTI, Costa Rica

 

Daira is dedicated to identifying opportunities and mechanisms that lead to climate change mitigation, particularly through improving the integrated management of solid waste and promoting the circular economy. 

"The CCAC project has allowed us to create municipal planning instruments for organic waste management with a gender perspective, which facilitates the participation of the most vulnerable members of society. It has also helped highlight the excellent work carried out by women professionals in their roles as environmental managers within municipalities."

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June Yeonju Jeong
Asia Pacific Regional Lead
Sustainable Mobility Unit, UNEP (Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific)

 

June is the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Mobility Lead at UNEP, overseeing transport decarbonisation work across the region. Since 2017,  she has worked with governments and partners to improve vehicle emissions under the Climate and Clean Air Coalition as well as supporting e-mobility transition. She is also working with Viet Nam and Indonesia to expand women's participation in the electric mobility transition. 

"Women walk and use public transport more, leading to higher exposure to transport pollution. Children's developing lungs are vulnerable at tailpipe level. The ASEAN Electric HDV Roadmap and Euro 6/VI Roadmap for Cambodia help prevent polluting vehicles from entering roads—protecting the most exposed. "

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Jane Akumu
Deputy Unit Head
Sustainable Mobility Unit, United Nations Enviroment Programme (UNEP), Kenya

 

In addition to deputizing the Unit Head, Jane is the Team Lead for Global Campaigns and Projects promoting cleaner, more sustainable mobility in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). She joined UNEP about two decades ago to support Africa’s shift to cleaner fuels - at the time to unleaded petrol and low sulphur fuels – and cleaner, more energy efficient vehicles, with a focus on helping the continent combat air pollution and mitigate climate change. This came about on the realization that transport emissions were on the rise in LMICs due to poor or weak fuel and vehicle regulations. 

"I have implemented CCAC projects that focus on soot-free electric buses in cities, country-level projects on implementation of clean fuel and vehicle emission standards, and sub-regional projects that focus on regional harmonisation of clean fuels and vehicles projects. These projects benefit the most vulnerable members of the society including women and clean air benefits. Children are more impacted by poor air quality and most markets and informal businesses, in Africa for example, are mainly run by women and are found along busy roads with poor air quality. Another example is the Eastern Africa freight corridor that I worked with to develop a green freight strategy that not only addresses air quality along the corridor, but also includes road safety considerations, impacting school going children along the busy corridor."

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Shania Esmeralda Manaloe
Research Analyst
Fossil Fuel and Minerals Department, ASEAN Centre for Energy 
 

Shania's first exposure to the energy-climate nexus was from her master’s study in Energy and Climate Law, which led to a career that began at the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), as a Research Analyst in the Fossil Fuels and Minerals Department. Working in ACE was where she learned the intricate challenges of an “emerging economies” region that must still rely on fossil fuels to sustain economic growth and energy security, while still needing to act on climate change.  

"One time, during a workshop, we were asked: 'Why does just energy transition and climate change matter personally to you, and what are you going to do about it?'— the question stayed with me and made me rethink my role. When ACE launched its first methane emissions project to manage emissions in the oil and gas sector, I finally felt that I had found a way for my work to make a meaningful impact. Since then, I have been continuously learning more about methane reductions in the energy sector and leading projects focused on methane emissions reduction to drive more meaningful change."

"The Optimising Methane Emissions Governance and Abatement in ASEAN Oil and Gas Sector (OMEGA) project helps create clean air benefits and improve the quality of life, especially for those most at risk and vulnerable in ASEAN countries, by targeting methane emissions reduction in the oil and gas sector that contributes 10% of ASEAN’s total methane emissions in 2024.  

The rationale behind the OMEGA project was the evident lack of methane-specific oil and gas policies in ASEAN countries. Through gap analysis reports that include gender gap assessment, assisted policy Writeshop, and regional engagements, OMEGA aims to increase the capacity and awareness of ASEAN policymakers to draft the necessary policy regulations, and for ASEAN oil and gas companies to amplify their methane emission reduction efforts."

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Gabriela Román Méndez
Project Manager
CEGESTI, Costa Rica 

 

Gabriela's motivation for climate action is born from a deep desire for the well‑being of her community. "I have been able to channel into technical and collective actions that help us restore a more balanced connection with our planet.” 

“Acting on superpollutants allows us to reduce risks to health, the environment, and the global economy; it is about building a fairer and more equitable relationship. The organic waste roadmap project supports capacity-building to integrate local solutions into the comprehensive management of organic waste, where everyone contributes.” 

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Alexandra Maciel
Architect, Infrastructure Analyst, Energy Efficiency Coordinator
Secretariat of Energy Transition and Planning, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Brazil

 

After specializing in energy efficiency of buildings with a PhD at the University of Santa Catarina and PhD in Bioclimatic Design at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, Alexandra started in 2008 working for the government as infrastructure analyst leading during 11 years the activities related to energy efficiency and working as coordinator of Climate Change Mitigation Policies at the Ministry of Environment. After 2019, she started working at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, as coordinator of energy efficiency projects and coordinating the Technical Group of Energy Efficiency of Buildings. 

“It is important to consider that establishing a regulation that promotes more efficient air conditioning in commercial and public buildings, what embraces schools and hospitals, it is being provided a more comfortable, healthier, and productive environment for the users and its workers.” 

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Siwaporn Rungsiyanon
Deputy Director General
Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), Niigata, Japan 

 

Siwaporn is an environmental leader committed to advancing clean air, climate resilience, and public health through science-driven and cooperative solutions. Her career has been guided by one principle: turning evidence into action by bridging science and policy. Through regional collaboration across region, she works to harmonize regulatory systems, strengthen institutional capacity, and promote integrated strategies that reduce SLCPs. She envisions a forward-looking network that connects governments, academia, industry, and communities—ensuring that climate and clean air solutions deliver measurable benefits for the most vulnerable, especially women and children.

“My journey in air quality and climate action has shown me that real change happens when we build trust across borders and sectors. By advancing data-driven, gender-responsive solutions under the CCAC, we are creating cleaner air, stronger institutions, and opportunities for women to lead in shaping a healthier future.” 

Read more about the Thailand Integrated Assessment

 

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Dr. N’Datchoh E. Toure
Researcher
University Felix Houphouet-Boigny Abidjan-Cocody, Cote d’Ivoire

"In my current position, as a researcher, my work primarily focuses on the intersection of atmospheric physics, air quality, and climate change in West Africa. My work aims to contribute to climate mitigation and air quality improvement in Africa, while engaging with the communities for science based solutions in order to positively impact women and children vulnerability to both climate change and air quality."

Read more about the Africa Clean Air Programme

 

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Ana Lucía Alfaro Ochoa
Coordinator of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Auditory Quality
Analysis Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
 

Ana holds a degree in Aquaculture and a postgraduate specialization in quality management systems. She has more than 13 years of experience in environmental management, four of which have been dedicated to establishing an air quality unit at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and implementing Guatemala’s first regulatory grade automatic PM2.5 monitoring network.

"CCAC contributes to clean air and climate by aligning all the tools being developed in relation to climate action and airquality improvement with the control and reduction of superpollutants—mainly the monitoring of PM2.5 as a primary source of black carbon and the harms associated with vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children, and the elderly."

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Joy Aderele 
Country Director
Self Help Africa  

 

Joy is dedicated to the vision of ‘Sustainable livelihoods and healthy lives for all in a changing climate’. She has over 20 years of experience in strategic leadership, gender equality advocacy, and management of large and complex donor-funded interventions. Her experience supporting smallholder farmers paved way for addressing the issues they face such as post-harvest losses and crop residue burning that impacts climate change.

"Our CCAC project promotes gender-responsive climate action by ensuring women farmers are actively included in capacity building sessions, cluster leadership and decision-making processes around sustainable climate-smart agriculture and crop residue management practices.

By introducing sustainable alternatives to crop burning such as Briquette making and improving post-harvest value chains, the project created opportunities for women to increase productivity, reduce losses, and participate more actively in agricultural markets."

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Luz Ledesma Clavell
Senior Policy Associate 
Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP)

 

Luz entered the field 18 years ago as a volunteer with a recycling pickers group in Buenos Aires. She later co-founded the “Goes Green” consultancy, and in 2012,  joined the city’s Environmental Protection Agency, where she helped launch the first Green Point, implemented the “bag law,” advanced e-waste management and designed and implemented a Batteries Extended Producer Responsibility Act. In 2021, Luz created the Buenos Aires Circular Economy Network, and in 2023, she coordinated the city’s first Circular Economy Strategy with government, private and academic partners—alongside wonderful teams, including many great women. She joined CCAP in December 2024. I’m also a mom of two, and together, we enjoy using the compost we produce in the trees of our neighbor. 

"The CCAC project in Argentina aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from short-lived climate pollutants—especially methane—by strengthening the recovery and treatment of organic waste. We work on three fronts: We collect and gather evidence from the waste and agriculture sectors. We then help improve data calculations for the  national government to increase accuracy and transparency. We also develop legal tools and training so municipalities, provinces and the private sector can implement solutions and measure their impact

All this enables a better framework for delivering climate benefits as well as cleaner air because it reduces decomposition hotspots and informal practices that impact quality of life. Highly vulnerable communities often live near the dumpsites (Argentina still has 5,000) and landfills, and their livelihoods are often based on what they can recover from these sites. Women and children are frequently more exposed in their neighborhoods and also bear greater impacts when sanitation problems arise. The goal is to turn an environmental problem into a solution: lower emissions and better living conditions."

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Rebecca Garland 
Professor 
University of Pretoria, South Africa 

 

Rebecca is a professor in the Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Her research focuses on improving the understanding of air quality and atmospheric science in southern Africa through an integrated approach.  Her work aims to improve the quantification and simulation of ambient air pollution levels to better understand the pollution itself, its drivers and impacts, and how policies and actions can affect pollution levels to support policy devel

'"Air inequality' exists both within and between countries, where the poorest and most vulnerable communities are exposed to the highest levels of air pollution. Actions to reduce emissions of super pollutants from sources such as domestic and waste burning can have large positive impacts on air quality in these areas, helping ensure climate and clean air action is inclusive and equitable."

Read more about the Africa Clean Air Programme

 

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Swati Hegde
Manager
Agricultural Methane, WRI

 

Swati is  the Manager of Agricultural Methane at the World Resources Institute, where she shapes efforts to develop practical, scalable solutions to reduce methane emissions from agriculture. She grew up as a farmer’s daughter in one of India’s most biodiverse regions, where her family grew rice, raised livestock, and produced most of their food themselves. That early experience influences how Swati understands the connection between food, land, livelihoods, and climate. Trained as a biochemical engineer with a PhD in Sustainability, she approaches methane mitigation as part of a broader effort to strengthen food systems, farmer livelihoods, and sustainable development. 

"The CCAC project on upgrading crop residues into higher-quality livestock feed in Ethiopia and Nepal supports dairy and livestock production, where women play a central role in animal care. In collaboration with local partners, including women-led cooperatives and feed enterprises, we are testing practical business approaches that improve animal productivity, reduce methane, and create new income opportunities for women and men farmers."

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Tshering Choden
Senior Environment Officer
Department of Environment & Climate Change, Bhutan

 

Tshering is a Senior Environment Officer with the Climate Change Division, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan. She played a critical role in Bhutan joining the CCAC as a member state partner. She currently works in the Transparency Section, where she is involved in the implementation and formulation of the Biennial Transparency Report, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Long-term Low Emission Development Strategy, National Communication, and Technical Needs Assessment.

"Bhutan is implementing two CCAC-funded projects, including the TEA which successfully integrated SLCPs into Bhutan’s NDC 3.0 submitted to the UNFCCC in November 2025. Our NDC and CCAC-funded National Plans specifically prioritize the needs of the social sector, ensuring that climate and clean air actions remain inclusive with a focus on women and children." 

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Gillian Mercy Apondi  
Gender and Social Inclusion Officer
Solidaridad East and Central Africa

 

Over the years, Mercy has worked to strengthen the recognition and participation of women and other vulnerable groups in climate change mitigation efforts, including Climate Smart Agriculture and carbon markets, while enhancing their income opportunities and decision-making power through the Gender and Action Learning System and Economic and Social Empowerment Methodology. This experience has shaped her approach in ensuring that climate change solutions are both socially inclusive and economically empowering 

"We enhance women's economic empowerment by strengthening decision-making power within households to ensure that they can benefit economically from these improvements. Methane mitigation delivers not only cleaner air, but also stronger livelihoods and economic resilience for women through active participation.

By promoting low-methane feeds, climate-smart dairy practices, and biogas adoption, our CCAC project helps reduce methane emissions while improving air quality for rural households. Cleaner cooking solutions mean fewer respiratory illnesses among women and children, who are often most exposed to smoke from traditional fuels."

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Dr. Kenza KHOMSI
Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Morocco 

 

Dr. Khomsi loves turning complex science into practical solutions that make the air cleaner and people’s lives better, while supporting a more sustainable and fair development path. After years in Morocco’s meteorological services -- and now combining global roles with CCAC, WMO, and UNIDO -- she works with governments and partners to co-create smart, evidence-based strategies that cut emissions, protect health, and unlock real social, economic and sustainable development wins for communities. 

“CCAC projects are all about cleaning the air and cooling the climate in ways you can actually feel, especially if you’re a woman, a child, or living in a low-income neighborhood. By turning better air quality data into smart, health-savvy decisions, we help reduce harmful emissions, keep people out of hospitals, and make everyday life safer."

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Susan Mwihaki Ngure
Farmer in Kenya and CCAC project beneficiary  

 

Susan is a dairy and horticulture farmer in Nyandarua County, Kenya. She is a member of the Forester Dairy, a group of 31 farmers, (22 women and 4 youths). She will serve as a dairy model and fodder demonstration farmer under the CCAC project,  where she  will open her farm as a learning site for fellow farmers to improve dairy management and climate-smart fodder production. She harvests rainwater through a water pan to cushion against dry seasons, integrates trees and operates a biogas system that converts dairy waste into clean household energy and nutrient-rich slurry for her crops to increase productivity through  environmentally responsible farming systems. 

"The project aims to promote the inclusion of youth, women, and men across all interventions, including the selection of demonstration host farmers and participation in key activities such as farmer group identification and training sessions. This approach ensures equitable involvement and shared benefits at household and community levels.  

By empowering more farmers to adopt good dairy and fodder management practices, Susan hopes the CCAC project will reduce household smoke through biogas use, protect the health of families, especially women and children, enhance soil fertility, boost crop productivity, and deliver safer, more nutritious food, while improving farm efficiency and profitability."

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Saule Sabiyeva  
Director of Climate Policy
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Republic of Kazakhstan 

 

Saule is the Head of the Climate Policy Department at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and serves as the CCAC National Focal Point and the  Operational Coordinator for the Global Environmental Fund. With over 15 years of public service experience, she joined the Green Economy Department in January 2017. She and her team are responsible for implementing the Paris Agreement and Kazakhstan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as well as promoting the green economy model and green technologies in the country. Ms. Sabiyeva holds a Master's degree in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan. 

"The CCAC and its projects emphasize the importance of gender-responsive solutions, ensuring that women are active agents of change in climate and air quality initiatives. Inclusive approaches create more effective and equitable outcomes for all." 

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Martina Otto
Head of Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat

 

As Head of the Secretariat of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Martina is committed to driving global action on super pollutants and advancing integrated solutions that deliver cleaner air, a safer climate, and real socio‑economic benefits.  

"My journey has taken me across continents, supporting countries, designing innovative approaches and building strong partnerships — because creating healthier, more resilient communities is far too big a task for any one actor alone. One of my first mentors in UNEP, an extraordinary woman, taught me that 1 + 1 can equal 11 when we harness the multiplier effect of collaboration.  

I began my career working on transport and energy, often the only woman in the room — and usually the youngest. It was a tough but invaluable school. Ever since, I’ve made it my mission to open doors for women: through the projects we shape, the teams we build, and the voices we lift."

"Women are often among the most affected by air pollution and climate change — yet they are also among the strongest forces for change. Women are powerhouses. When we shift agency and open space for leadership, we see women transform entire systems: leading, innovating, and turning sectors once seen as part of the problem into drivers of the solution."

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Isabela Tsutiya Andrade
Researcher
Center of Studies and Promotion of Collective Agriculture (CEPAGRO), Brazil

 

Isabela is a Researcher at CEPAGRO and a PhD student in Resources, Sustainability and Environment at the University of British Columbia (Canada), where she works to understand how sustainable agricultural practices, such as composting, can enhance food security and climate resilience. "Growing up in São Paulo, the biggest city of Latin America, made me realize how challenging it is for cities to become more sustainable. This led me to pursue a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering focusing on organic waste management, an MBA in Social Responsibility to work with non-profit organizations, and an MSc in Agroecosystems focusing on sustainable development of rural communities, always working towards a more sustainable future."

"Small-scale composting is well suited for cities with fewer than 25,000 inhabitants, which is the reality of more than 80% of municipalities in Brazil. By having guidelines for its implementation at the national level, we can promote composting and benefit the most vulnerable members of society, such as women and children, improving food security, creating local jobs, and fostering environmental justice."

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Sarah Odame Afari
Technical Officer
CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Ghana

 

Sarah  is a Technical Officer representing the Youth Initiative for Land in Africa in Ghana and across West Africa. She works closely with women farmers through the CCAC-supported Agroecology and Circular Economy for Ecosystem Services (ACE4ES) project, promoting climate-smart and low-emission agricultural practices. Her work focuses on cassava improvement, agroecological farming systems, and the adoption of practices that reduce open biomass burning and other sources of super pollutants. Through training and field engagement, she has supported more than 500 women farmers to transition toward agroecology and sustainable biomass management. 

"Through the ACE4ES project supported by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, women farmers  and young girls are gaining the knowledge and confidence to replace open burning with practices such as composting, mulching, and biochar production. These approaches strengthen household livelihoods while protecting community health and reducing climate-damaging pollutants."

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Jenniffer Iveth Pedraza
Associated Researcher
Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

 

Jenniffer is a research associate focused on the design and implementation of initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change and reducing air pollution, collaborating with different governments in Latin America to develop public policies around these two agendas. Before joining SEIYork, she worked at Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, where she contributed to the development and implementation of national air quality and SLCP mitigation strategies, particularly in collaboration with the CCAC. This trajectory has allowed Jenniffer to strengthen the link between science, policy, and climate justice to advance solutions that generate lasting environmental and social benefits.

"By positioning the improvement of air quality as a strategic priority aligned with climate justice, it becomes clear that pollution disproportionately affects women, children, and lowincome communities, deepening health and inequality gaps. The implementation of national strategies aimed at reducing SLCPs not only accelerates climate action but also generates immediate publichealth cobenefits, reducing respiratory illnesses, healthcare costs, and productivity losses in the most vulnerable households. In this way, these projects contribute to more inclusive public policies, aligned with international commitments and guided by an approach centered on equity and sustainable development."

Caroline Sawe
Research Associate, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

 

Caroline has worked with with SEI York since 2023. She was drawn to the institute because it is one of the few organizations globally that works explicitly at the intersection of climate change and air quality, issues that disproportionately affect women and other highly vulnerable populations. 

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"The CCAC works to address climate change and air pollution globally. At SEI York, we conduct evidence-based research to support national planning and build capacity for climate and air pollution mitigation. In many of the countries where we work, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, biomass remains the primary cooking fuel for more than 70% of the population, especially in rural areas. Our research demonstrates how well-designed policies can significantly improve health outcomes for the most exposed populations while simultaneously reducing the impacts of climate change. 


In addition, our technical training and support to countries deliberately promote women’s participation in the activities we undertake. This approach helps to strengthen gender expertise in emissions quantification and to build women’s capacity to lead and implement mitigation actions."