Shakil Karim

Head of Sustainable Planet, World YMCA

Sedro-Woolley, Washington

Shakil Karim is the head of sustainable planet at the World YMCA, where he leads sustainability initiatives across 91 countries and 10,000 communities. Shakil has trained numerous young climate leaders from 36 countries to advocate at UN Climate Change Conferences and drive sustainability efforts in their communities. Under his leadership, the YMCA has deepened its global commitment to environmental sustainability, launching renewable energy projects across multiple regions, including Texas, California, and Colorado: protecting ecosystems through land conversion; and driving policy shifts in 80% of the U.S. YMCA facilities. Placing climate justice, intergenerational equity, and participation in the democratic process at the core of his approach, Shakil centers the hopes and needs of the most impacted while amplifying voices in global settings where they are too often unheard.