Monica Araya works towards a world without tailpipes. She has lived and worked in Latin America, Europe and the US and has had roles in government, private sector and civil society. In 2020, she joined the Climate Champions team to accelerate the global adoption of emission-free mobility, as part of the Race to Zero campaign for COP26 - the global UN climate conference in 2021.

Working with global and local networks and coalitions to move to a net-zero economy has been a constant feature of Araya's work. Over 20 years, she has worked with climate activists, strategists, communication experts, champions of electric mobility, utilities, car dealers, automakers, charging infrastructure providers, urban activists and lawmakers. She cocreated several initiatives, such as Costa Rica Limpia, and she serves as advisor to various initiatives, including the 2050 Pathways Platform, a global climate initiative, and Chile's Center for Climate and Resilience Research CR2. She writes frequently and hosts the podcast "Ponerse Las Pilas" to engage the public in the zero-emission transformation.

In 2019, Araya was named "Crusader of the Year" for her role in advancing electric mobility in Costa Rica, her home country. BMW and TED appointed her as mentor to "Next Visionaries," an initiative exploring the future of mobility. She studied economics in Costa Rica and holds a PhD in Environmental Management from Yale University. In 2016, she was selected to the first all-female expedition to Antarctica in 2026, where she reaffirmed her commitment to advance climate solutions. She is currently based in Amsterdam. More information: www.monicaaraya.org