Radhika is one of seventeen inaugural members of the IUCN Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). The first of its kind, the YAC was launched in April 2024 to support the implementation of the IUCN Youth Strategy across the Union. The YAC is comprised of youth from across the globe, each bringing their own diverse experiences to support meaningful youth engagement in IUCN’s policies, processes and programmes. Get to know Radhika and other YAC members as we introduce them.
Hi everyone, my name is Radhika Rao and I am one of the IUCN Youth Advisory Committee members! I am currently a Research Associate in the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) & Climate Private Sector at the World Resources Institute (WRI), based in Washington, D.C., where my work focuses on identifying and developing opportunities for the scaling of private finance for NbS.
Before joining the WRI in 2023, I worked as a campaign manager for farm animal welfare at Humane Society International/India. Here I led collaborations with businesses to implement ethical animal protein procurement policies, and engaged policymakers, the business community, scientists and other stakeholders to foster the growth of the alternative protein sector in India.
I hold a master’s degree in public policy with a specialization in economics & development from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. My graduate research work included the analysis of carbon markets with the Energy Studies Institute, market-based governance in Southeast Asia at the Institute for Environment and Sustainability and climate philanthropy opportunities at the Asia Philanthropy Circle.