Katia Pilar Carranza

Katia Pilar Carranza is a researcher, advocate, educator, and strategist, focused on the intersection of sustainability, agroecology, conservation, and climate action while uplifting equity for multicultural communities.  Working for a just and sustainable future became her passion fifteen years ago when she learned that climate change is threatening the health of our peoples and environments. Since then, she became motivated to take action, and with specialization in equitable collaboration, she has worked with diverse communities from the local to the international levels by directing transdisciplinary initiatives focused on improving environmental, social, and climate conditions.

With local and national organizations like Food and Water Watch, Public Citizen, and Sierra Club, she has led educational and advocacy coalitions empowering diverse marginalized communities to advocate for a just transition, equity, zero waste, and fair economies. As a researcher, she has also implemented holistic assessments of cross-scale systems to develop policy recommendations for advancing sustainable agriculture, equitable engagement, conservation justice, and climate resilience with Natural Resources Defense Council, American Bird Conservancy, and Cities in California.

Across sectors, she has further worked to guide community and science-driven solutions that can facilitate holistic change with the Indigenous Kinship Circle, Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance, and Central Grasslands Roadmap. Her passion for equitable sustainability led her to serve as a UN Global Goals Ambassador for the SDG 15: Life on Land, Young Professional Focal Point with IUCN's Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy in North America, Steering Committee Engagement Lead for GYBN USA, and Board Member of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals.