Draft:Cathy Yitong Li

Cathy Yitong Li is a multilateral climate advisor, youth and gender advocate, and public speaker. Cathy has been focusing on multilateral sustainable development processes and civil society advocacy since she was a teenager, including serving advisory and governance roles across seven United Nations agencies and various international organisations.

With a focus on the synergies between climate and nature, Cathy is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Climate Commission Deputy Chair and by profession, the Nature Programme Manager of the High Level Climate Champions Team.

Besides working with intergovernmental organisations and NGOs, Cathy has advised governments and businesses on sustainability and strategy, including as a Young Leader of IKEA (Ingka Group) advising its group management and previously with Deloitte and JP Morgan.

Cathy regularly speaks at international conferences and authors publications. Started as a policy advocate with a focus on empowering civil society stakeholders and movements in UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes, Cathy has been a long-term member of its youth constituency coordination team, and co-led the years of efforts to secure the first ever seats for youth and gender representatives at a UN climate advisory board.

Within international environmental processes, Cathy has served on the UNFCCC Women and Gender Constituency committee, UN Biodiversity Technical Expert Group on Financial Reporting , and as Global Center on Adaptation CEO advisor. During the UK Presidency of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26, Cathy was appointed as COP26 One Step Greener Ambassador.