Mónica Araya
| Mónica Araya | |
|---|---|
| Born | Costa Rica |
| 🏳️ Nationality |  Costa Rica |
| 🏫 Education | Yale University (Ph.D., M.A.) National University of Costa Rica (M.A.) |
| 💼 Occupation | Climatologist, Decarbonization Strategist |
| Known for | Founder of Costa Rica Limpia TED Speaker BBC 100 Women (2021) |
| 🏅 Awards | Crusader of the Year (2019) BBC 100 Women (2021) |
| 🌐 Website | Official Website |
Mónica Araya is a Costa Rican expert in decarbonization and electric mobility. She is a Distinguished Fellow at the ClimateWorks Foundation and served as a Special Adviser to the High-Level Climate Champions for COP26.
Araya is known globally for her advocacy of fossil-free transportation and for founding **Costa Rica Limpia**, a citizen group that promotes renewable energy and electric mobility in Costa Rica.[1] In 2021, she was named one of the BBC's 100 most influential women in the world.[2]
Education
Araya holds a Master's degree in Economic Policy from the National University of Costa Rica. She later moved to the United States to attend Yale University, where she earned a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment.[3]
Career
Advocacy and Strategy
Araya has over 20 years of experience in environmental policy. She founded **Nivela**, an international think tank focused on development and climate change, and **Costa Rica Limpia**, an initiative dedicated to empowering citizens to demand clean energy solutions.
She played a crucial role in the development of Costa Rica's **National Decarbonization Plan**, which aims to make the country a net-zero economy by 2050. She is particularly known for her work in the "Drive Electric" campaign, advocating for the global phase-out of internal combustion engines.[4]
International Leadership
- **COP26:** She served as the Special Adviser on Transport for the High-Level Climate Champions during the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
- **TED Talks:** Araya has delivered multiple TED talks on sustainability. Her talk *"A small country with big ideas to get rid of fossil fuels"* has been viewed over 4 million times.
Awards and Recognition
- **BBC 100 Women (2021):** Recognized as a "defender of emission-free transport" and one of the most influential women in science.
- **Crusader of the Year (2019):** Awarded for her leadership in advancing electric mobility in Costa Rica.
- **Personality of the Future (2014):** Recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France.
References
- ↑ Monica Araya: The billion-dollar campaign to electrify transport. TED. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ↑ BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?. BBC News. 2021-12-07.
- ↑ About Monica Araya. Official Website. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ↑ Dr. Monica Araya: Distinguished Fellow. ClimateWorks Foundation. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
