Monica Araya

Dr. Mónica Araya is a Costa Rican climate strategist and advocate whose career spans more than 25 years at the intersection of government, business, philanthropy, and civil society. Araya studied economics in Costa Rica and holds a doctorate in environmental management from Yale University. She has worked at the Ministry of Foreign Trade in Costa Rica, Climate Change Capital, United Nations negotiations, and E3G, building a multidisciplinary foundation for addressing global climate challenges. Araya has guided mobility, climate, and energy strategies across Latin America, the United States, and Europe, advocating for voices from the Global South and focusing on sustainable transportation systems and clean energy transitions.

Araya served as executive director of the European Climate Foundation's international programs and was a member of its executive management team, overseeing work and grant-making on trade, diplomacy, decarbonization plans, and global climate policy. She contributed to the development of Costa Rica's national decarbonization plan and served as special adviser to the High-Level Champion for Climate Action at COP26 in Glasgow. Araya also joined the Climate Champions team to accelerate the global adoption of emission-free mobility as part of the Race to Zero campaign for COP26. Her work in international climate diplomacy has positioned her as a trusted voice in shaping global policy frameworks.

In Costa Rica, Araya co-founded Costa Rica Limpia, a citizen group that advocated for a national fossil-free plan. She also co-created the EV Association of Costa Rica and serves as senior advisor to programs including the 2050 Pathways Platform, Chile's Center for Climate and Resilience Research CR2, and the Chilean Advisory Council on e-mobility. Araya hosts the podcast "Ponerse Las Pilas" to engage the Spanish-speaking public in the zero-emission transformation. Her contributions to electrification and clean transportation have been recognized by the BBC's 100 Women list as a defender of emission-free transport.

Araya is a widely watched public communicator. Her TED talks on climate solutions have received more than five million views. Using Costa Rica as an example of environmental protection and renewable energy, she has outlined a vision for a world committed to clean energy across all sectors. Araya was named Crusader of the Year for her role in advancing electric mobility in Costa Rica, and BMW and TED appointed her as mentor to Next Visionaries, an initiative exploring the future of mobility. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognized her as a Personality of the Future.

Araya is a distinguished fellow at ClimateWorks Foundation and a founding member of Drive Electric's steering committee, which is composed of key strategic philanthropies. She is a director of the Natural Resources Governance Institute's governing board and a member of the advisory board at the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and Climate Lead's Council. As a media commentator on energy and climate policy in Latin America, her ideas have been featured in TIME Magazine, Financial Times, National Geographic, El País, and The Guardian. Araya bridges grassroots action and global institutional strategy, contributing to the global climate movement and the advancement of sustainable energy and transportation solutions.