Athirah Azlan

As a youth climate advocate, Athirah Azlan is one of four Malaysian representatives of UNICEF East Asia and Pacific’s Regional Young People’s Action Team (YPAT), granting her the mantle to deliver her voice on the local and international stage.

Athirah obtained her Bachelor’s of Science (Hons) in Economics from the University of Nottingham Malaysia in 2023 and her Master’s in Sustainability Science from Universiti Malaya in 2025. In 2024, Athirah co-founded SEAmply Sustainable, a youth-led non-governmental organisation built upon the foundation of sustainability awareness, education and participation for Southeast Asian youths, touching base in three Southeast Asian nations (Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia) from its annual SEA Youth Sustainability Summit.

Grounded in meaningful participation and intersectionality with environmental justice, Athirah is presently the Youth Participation and Advocacy Coordinator (Climate and Environment) at UNICEF Malaysia to help children and youth become co-architects of a future that is just, resilient, and theirs. As a Justice in Frames Fellow by UNDP’s Business and Human Rights Agents of Change initiative, she challenges corporate environmental narratives through content creation and digital storytelling.

Looking forward, Athirah hopes to continue her goal in amplifying young narratives to ensure their voices are heard, and building the capacity of the youth to lead inclusive, community-driven climate action that shapes the policies of tomorrow.

Impact, to me, is about building inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcomed, heard, and empowered to contribute meaningfully. It is about ensuring that participation is accessible to all, that individuals are equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and capacity to shape the very systems that affect their lives. True impact happens when inclusivity becomes not just a principle, but a practice that enables collective ownership of change.