ESTHER AGBARAKWE Minister of the Environment, Nigeria As a child Esther witnessed the destruction of one of the most beautiful natural springs in Cross River, which inspired her environmental activism and endless blogging beginning at age 9 and leading to the nickname ClimateEsther. She has been involved in projects that include high level targeted advocacy in climate change, biodiversity, sexual and reproductive health/Family planning locally and internationally. She founded the Youth Climate Movement though The Nigerian Youth Climate Change Coalition, and worked as an international advocacy fellow (population, health, environment and climate change) at Population Action International, Washington DC, USA. She has led several youth representations to major climate change and development conferences including Rio+20, Durban Conference and COP17. Esther has also worked on other projects with UN Commission on Sustainable Development, UNICEF and the Society for Family Health. She has been recognized with a Dekeyser and Friends Foundation Leadership Award in 2009 in Germany, the Ford Foundation/LEAP Africa Nigerian Youth Leadership Award in 2010, Commonwealth Youth Climate Fellowship in London 2010, and Atlas Corps Fellowship Award, USA 2012 and nominated in 2011 and 2012 for Best Use of Advocacy category of the Future Awards in Nigeria. She has worked with The Elders; Gro Harlem Brundtland, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu and Fernando Cardozo on UN Rio+20 as one of the famous four “Youngers” demonstrating true intergenerational dialogue on sustainability. She has twice chaired Actionaid Nigeria General Assembly. In 2015 she became Minister of the Environment in Nigeria and in 2017 was awarded the Crans Montana Forum of New Leaders of Tomorrow Award in Barcelona.