Meet Lily YangLiu, Top 25 Women of Influence+ Award Recipient

Lily YangLiu is a student, social media educator, and advocate dedicated to climate action, international human rights, and education. Through her social media platforms, she shares daily climate news, highlighting the disproportionate effects on marginalized communities. Lily has also interviewed Members of the Legislative Assembly and Members of Parliament, engaging in discussions about youth empowerment and climate policy. 

As a United Nations youth delegate, Lily has participated in high-level global forums, including the GEF Assembly, the United Nations High-Level Political Forum, and the IMF/World Bank meetings, contributing to sustainable development and environmental policy discussions. At COP29 in November, she served as a youth climate negotiator for ACE (Action for Climate Empowerment), advocating for the integration of climate literacy into national curricula. 

Recognizing the gap in climate education within school systems, Lily developed a climate curriculum for elementary schools to foster early environmental literacy. This program is currently being implemented, refined, and workshopped across British Columbia. She serves as a youth advisor for Children First Canada, advocating for children’s rights and civic engagement, and as a board member of Youth Climate Corps BC, where she promotes accessible, well-paying green jobs and contributes to strategic planning.

As the Director of the Katija Hyoungjoo Neuber Institute, an NGO dedicated to expanding youth participation in decision-making spaces, Lily collaborates with the UN Youth Office, organizes youth delegations to the United Nations, IMF, and World Bank, and oversees the institute’s research initiatives. She is also a youth council member for World Ocean Day, a UN-recognized initiative established in 2008, where she advocates for ocean-climate literacy and marine conservation. As an active member of YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the UNFCCC, Lily is a part of the Global Coordination Team and serves as a liaison for the Internal Organization Team, helping manage and support a network of over 10,000 young climate advocates worldwide. 

Lily is also a leader at school within the Environmental and Sustainability Council, the student council, and the TEDx organizing team. Most recently, she delivered a TEDx talk on the importance of youth advocacy and climate literacy.