Environment and Climate Change Youth Council

Originally from Mayorga, Leyte, Philippines, Pearl Pique Carpina is a proud Filipina Canadian residing in Whitehorse, Yukon. She holds a BSc in Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences from Yukon University and the University of Alberta. 

Pearl has worked with the Yukon Research Centre and the Government of Yukon on climate change, permafrost, and land-use projects. She has also served as a communications coordinator and environmental intern on Parliament Hill. Currently, she works as an Assessment Officer with the Yukon Environmental and Socioeconomic Board (YESAB). 

An alumni of the SOI Foundation, Pearl is a Board member and Secretary for the Yukon Invasive Species Council. Her curiosity has taken her to study and participate in conferences in Sweden, France, Norway, and Iceland. 

Passionate about environmental sustainability, climate change research, and amplifying youth voices, Pearl is dedicated to fostering collaboration and inspiring change. She strives to contribute to sustainable solutions in her community and beyond. 

Outside of work, Pearl enjoys hiking, spending time with her family and dog, Riven, reading, playing guitar, and learning Spanish. 

From Truro Nova Scotia, Chloé is currently in her final year of pursuing a bachelor's degree in International Relations at Mount Allison University, with hopes to continue onto graduate studies. Enthusiastic about travelling and gaining a global perspective, she has taken her studies abroad to experience the international organizations she has studied in textbooks. Her academic area of interest resides in the intersection of climate security and migration studies. Building on her studies, Chloe has a particular interest in the Sustainable Development Goals, working most often with goals 11,13 and 16. 

A firm believer in the power of education and community development, her academic pursuits build upon her personal endeavours. This includes serving on the inaugural Nova Scotia Youth Climate Council and working as a Communications Advisor for Young Diplomats of Canada. In both of these positions, Chloe works to create more sustainable, equitable and engaging spaces in Atlantic Canada. 

In her spare time Chloe enjoys playing the trumpet in orchestra, hiding out in a café and spending as much time as she can with friends and family.

Sam Fahrngruber is from Johnstown, Ontario - a small town famously known for being south of Ottawa. In Johnstown, Sam grew up on a farm where his passion for the environment was cultivated (pun intended).

He spent five years at Queen's University studying chemical engineering and contributing to climate change initiatives, such as co-founding a carbon capture design team and developing first-year design projects centered around direct air capture. In his final year, he joined the Baker and de France labs and completed a thesis investigating the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into value-added chemicals using sustainable materials.

Nowadays, Sam can be found at McMaster University diving into the realm of green hydrogen production and ocean alkalinity enhancement as a Master's student in the Higgins and de Lannoy labs. Current research on electrocatalysis and carbon dioxide removal technologies excites Sam, and he is optimistic about their future large-scale deployment.

In his free time, Sam enjoys playing sports, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.

Rowan Gentleman-Sylvester is the Executive Director of CityHive, a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging youth in shaping their cities. Based on unceded Coast Salish territories, Rowan brings over a decade of experience in equity-centred climate action, civic engagement, and education. Her climate involvement began with SFU350 and DivestSFU, and she has contributed to youth engagement initiatives with CleanBC, BC Hydro, and TransLink among many others.

Having held roles as Coordinator and Manager at CityHive, Rowan now oversees the strategic development of key programs. This includes CityShapers in Schools and Urban ReVision: BIPOC Mentorship Studio, which engages youth in democratic processes and key urban issues. She is also a sought-after speaker and advisor on youth engagement, volunteering her expertise to organizations and initiatives across the sector.

Outside of her professional work, Rowan enjoys exploring local food, thrifting, and hiking with her dog Bella.

Yseult Gibert is a young doctor from Montreal, passionate about the intersection of climate and health. After obtaining her medical degree at McGill University, she pursued a master's in international relations at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, with a focus on climate and governance. 

Her active engagement in planetary health led to her selection as a youth delegate at multiple high-level international meetings such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences of the Parties (COPs), and the World Health Organization's 76th World Health Assembly. She used health arguments to push for more impactful resolution texts and environmental policies while working alongside civil societies like the International Federation of Medical Students Associations, the Global Climate and Health Alliance, and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

Having seen first-hand the impact of climate change and pollution on the populations she has sworn to heal and protect, Yseult is determined to advocate for better and fairer climate policies, and to strengthen the climate resiliency of healthcare systems.

During her free time, Yseult loves running outside, and maintaining her Arabic Duolingo streak. She secretly wishes to become a scuba-diving instructor and seizes any opportunity to discover new underwater landscapes.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Jessica Jiinn Lee is a recent graduate committed to climate action, community well-being, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). She holds a master's degree in environmental management – climate change – and a bachelor's degree in business administration – finance – from the Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS).

Curious and involved, she completed an academic exchange semester in Geneva in 2019 to explore international practices in CSR and sustainable finance. In 2022, she represented the Université de Sherbrooke at COP27 as part of a microprogram on climate negotiations. She also contributed to a youth advisory on carbon neutrality in 2023. Recently, she published an essay on the ecological footprint of Canadian municipalities, deepening her understanding of sustainability issues.

Driven by a strong sense of purpose and a desire for real impact, Jessica launched an initiative to recycle used clothes during her studies, which was rewarded with the "Coup de cœur régional" award from Québec Circulaire. Elected for two years as a representative of the Réseau Environnement Estrie by her student association, she also organized networking activities for her peers. These commitments earned her the Faculty Award in recognition of her exceptional student involvement.

Today, Jessica coordinates research activities, develops training programs in sustainable finance and holds a position as a communications manager for a company specializing in marine hydrokinetic energy. True to her quest for learning, she is also pursuing a certificate in public relations and loves to get involved with Actions Interculturelles to promote cultural diversity in the Eastern Townships. In her spare time, Jessica loves to explore festivals, comedy shows, new restaurants and cafes, as well as practice yoga.

Tia Kennedy is from Oneida Nation of the Thames and Walpole Island First Nation. She is a passionate advocate for Indigenous governance, youth empowerment, and environmental stewardship. She holds a BA in Public Administration and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University. She is currently pursuing a Master's in Indigenous Studies at McMaster University, focusing on a community-based research project related to Anishinaabe governance supporting environmental leadership.

Tia has spoken at the United Nations Right Here Right Now Summit in Boulder, Colorado, advocating for clean water access in First Nations communities. As part of the inaugural Future Rising Fellowship with Girl Rising, she collaborated with global leaders to address environmental and social challenges. Tia serves on the board of the 13 Moons Land-Based Learning Camp, connecting Indigenous youth to cultural traditions, and advises Research for the Front Lines, which supports grassroots climate justice movements. She has contributed to the Indigenous Environmental Justice Project, advancing frameworks rooted in Indigenous knowledge and laws.

Beyond her academic and policy work, Tia enjoys sewing, hunting with her family, and organizing community events. Her dedication to connecting policy with grassroots efforts reflects her commitment to creating sustainable and just futures for all.

Aaliyah is a Liberian settler from the Krahn-Tchien and Kpelle tribes (West Africa). She arrived on the unceded shores of Mi'kma'ki (Atlantic Canada), the ancestral homeland of the Mi'kmaq People, as a refugee.

Her upbringing immersed her in the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental systems while exposing her to the challenges posed by rising sea levels, shifting storm patterns, and coastal erosion. These environmental pressures, compounded by the historical and contemporary realities of environmental racism in the region, disproportionately affect low-income and BIPOC communities. Issues such as proximity to landfills, food deserts, energy poverty, and neighbourhood flooding further exacerbate systemic vulnerabilities. Witnessing these environmental and social inequities firsthand inspired Aaliyah to intertwine her passions for policy, environmental science, and community engagement.

She holds a B.Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology, Sustainable Development, and a certificate in Environmental Impact Assessment from Dalhousie University. Aaliyah has contributed to numerous nonprofit research projects and committees focused on community development through interdisciplinary collaboration. Her work has involved designing innovative monitoring and evaluation plans, facilitating participatory grant-making processes, and developing community-informed policies.

As a Canadian Delegate for Fora's Global Summit Program, Aaliyah engaged with global leaders and youth changemakers. This broadened her understanding of sustainability and advocacy on an international scale. Through sustainability consulting fellowships, she collaborated with Canadian social enterprises to advance community-focused and sustainable programs within the social innovation landscape. Aaliyah's work reflects a steadfast commitment to fostering equitable, community-centred systems and addressing complex challenges through a systems-thinking approach. She remains dedicated to advancing policies and programs championing sustainability, justice, and equitable responses to the climate crisis.

Paris is a final-year civil engineering student and varsity tennis athlete at McMaster University. Driven by her Christian faith, she is committed to driving equitable climate action. Paris served as Co-President of Zero Waste McMaster for three years before co-founding Students for Bike Share, an initiative that created the most affordable student bike-share pass in Canada.

Her belief that engineers must play a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis led her to pursue an exchange in France to take climate change focused civil engineering courses. She then published a peer-reviewed paper which discussed best practices and gaps in incorporating climate change into Canadian civil engineering curricula. This paper earned an Editor’s Choice Award in the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. She also co-created a climate change focused civil engineering course and currently co-leads the Sustainability Working Group under the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students. Through this role, she advocates for the inclusion of climate change in all engineering disciplines through curriculum reform.

Paris' work at ICLEI Canada and her experience as a delegate at COP27 through the Christian Climate Observers Program deepened her interest in the intersection of climate change and infrastructure. She is keen to explore how low-carbon, resilient solutions can simultaneously address the climate and housing crises while fostering stronger, more connected communities. In her spare time, she enjoys playing piano, tennis, and hiking.

Gabrielle Moreau is a Métis youth from Toronto interested in addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on Indigenous and other marginalized communities and promoting Indigenous knowledge within the development of environmental policy. She serves as a youth representative on the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council, working to engage youth culturally and represent youth visions for self-governance. Gabrielle is also the Table Youth at the Goose Moon Climate Table, a bilateral climate table with the Métis Nation and the Government of Canada, where she works to ensure climate priorities reflect youth perspectives. She contributed to the development of the National Métis Climate Strategy and was part of the Métis National Council delegation to COP 16. Gabrielle was a summer intern with the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, where she initiated a scoping review of Indigenous conservation initiatives and landback efforts in the United States. She has also been a member of research teams studying impacts of saltwater intrusion and sea level rise on communities and racial vulnerability to natural gas pipelines. Currently, Gabrielle is a third-year student studying geography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and environmental science and policy at Duke University as a Robertson Scholar. 

In her free time, she enjoys beading, parliamentary-style debating, and canoe-tripping.

Anastacia is a student at McGill University currently pursuing a BA&Sc within the Sustainability, Science, and Society program with a minor in Political Science. She is passionate about studying complex global sustainability challenges from interdisciplinary angles of science, politics, and economics. Being raised surrounded by the Rockies and prairie landscapes of Calgary, Alberta, has been central to the meaning she finds in pursuing these interests. She hopes to pursue work that combines environmental policy, global governance, and innovation in the future. 

Anastacia has channeled environmental advocacy through various avenues. This includes previous work with the local youth climate advocacy group Fridays For Future Calgary (FFFC) and the Alberta Education Minister's Youth Council. She has also worked for the City of Calgary's Climate Mitigation team this past summer where she managed the city's annual Carbon Disclosure Project and conducted research on municipal climate progress reporting and green building standards. 

Beyond this, Anastacia is an active member of McGill's Debating Union and spends her free time staying active, exploring Montreal, reading the classics, and creating artwork.

Maahi is a young leader and environmental advocate. She grew up on Treaty 4 territory in Regina, Saskatchewan, which fueled her passion for the environment. She received a Bachelor of Arts and Science Honours in Environment and Society, as well as a Sustainability Certificate, from the University of Saskatchewan. Maahi's undergraduate thesis explored Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in the Canadian energy landscape. Professionally, she works in greenhouse gas verification and climate solutions, where she collaborates with industry, government, and communities to advance decarbonization strategies. As Project Manager for Re-Colour, Maahi led an initiative that diverted over 27,000 crayons from landfills, transforming them into crayon kits donated to children in Saskatoon. She has also volunteered with passion2action for over five years, hosting annual INSPIRE events that champion Saskatchewan leaders. Maahi was nominated the Eureka Fellowship for Youth Changemakers, enabling her to contribute to the One Young World. 

Maahi's work integrates sustainable energy transitions, environmental justice, and food security. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new vegetarian dishes, and hiking. She advocates for bold action, grounded in equity and collaboration, as the key for meaningful progress in Canada's fight against climate change.