Helena Molin Valdes is heading up the Secretariat for the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short-lived Climate Pollutants since 2021, hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Paris. This Coalition is a unique, voluntary partnership of governments, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organizations committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate through actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. Its global network includes hundreds of state and non-state partners, and hundreds of local actors carrying out activities across economic sectors (see: www.ccacoalition.org).
Helena is an experienced leader within the UN system. She was a senior executive with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) before joining UNEP, where she led work on resilient cities, disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and climate change related topics. She worked with the World Bank to establish the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, following the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action in 2005. Before this she set up UNISDR’s regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean and worked with the Pan American Health Organization on hospital mitigation and disaster preparedness. Before joining the UN Helena was a practicing architect and planner in Sweden and Central America.