Inés Yábar is a storyteller, changemaker, and community builder. She has been recognised as a Stellar Storyteller by Canva, an eco-hero by CNN, and an inspiring young leader by the UN. Inés has been leading, sharing and supporting sustainable solutions for over 10 years. At 15 years old she built... Read more
Inés Yábar is a storyteller, changemaker, and community builder. She has been recognised as a Stellar Storyteller by Canva, an eco-hero by CNN, and an inspiring young leader by the UN.
Inés has been leading, sharing and supporting sustainable solutions for over 10 years. At 15 years old she built houses in shanty towns which led to building an NGO at 19. At 18 she led a national beach cleanup in Peru which resulted in a law establishing a single-use plastic bag ban in her country.
She currently serves as the Lead Next Generation Fellow at the UN Foundation supporting young leaders to achieve the SDGs through local and global actions. Inés is also the Curator of Global Shapers Lima, a World Economic Forum initiative, and a board member for multiple organizations based in Peru, the Netherlands, and Kenya.
Her fierce belief in responsible stewardship of the world has taken her to multiple COPs – from the Conference of Youth in 2014, where she served as an interpreter just ahead of the historic Paris Agreement, to being part of the Peruvian delegation at COP25 and COP28 and representing the Missing Majority at COP26 and COP27. The pioneering storyteller has addressed, amongst others, the United Nations, Unilever, The World Bank, UN Youth Envoy, TEDCountdown, UN SDG Action Campaign, Plan International UK.
Drawing from her experience in facilitating discussions with prominent global leaders – including the President of Costa Rica, the Prime Minister of Sweden, and Laurent Fabius, former Prime Minister of France and architect of the Paris Agreement – Inés ignites conversations that inspire meaningful change through the power of storytelling. Bridging gaps across generations Inés can confidently sit between decision makers and grassroots advocates generating space for meaningful conversations and inspiring action.
Her journey has taken her to Sierra Leone (focusing on youth-led solutions to Education), Lebanon (linking the refugee crisis and the garbage crisis), Japan (sharing her love for nature with children), France (helping social entrepreneurs at the start of their journeys) and online as a mentor to solutions for the sustainable development goals around the world.
Whether as a fire starter, consistent leader, or creative solution builder, Inés is at the forefront of inspiring change across borders – “it’s not because we cannot do everything that we should do nothing. We should always do something, anything.”