Ms Sally Higgins

Youth Climate Champion for COP31

Sally is the Presidency Youth Climate Champion for COP31, focused on strengthening practical and meaningful youth engagement in climate decision-making. The role is an internationally mandated position under the UNFCCC, jointly supported by the Australian and Turkish COP31 Presidencies to ensure youth perspectives are reflected in global climate processes.

Sally works to ensure young people, particularly those from regional and climate‑exposed communities, have clear pathways to influence policy and outcomes.

She has experience across government, consulting and industry in climate, agriculture and natural resource policy. Most recently as a Director at Nous Group, she led work on community transition planning, regional economic diversification, and natural resource strategy, with a focus on place‑based and evidence‑driven approaches.

As a Nuffield Farming Scholar, Sally brings a global perspective on climate, land use and food systems, grounded in regional and agricultural communities.

In 2026, Sally is convening regional youth dialogues, elevating youth perspectives into COP31 preparations, and embedding youth input into climate policy processes.