When Omnia El Omrani enrolled in medical school in 2013, she wanted to be a surgeon. But by the time she started her surgical residency, a succession of events had put her on course to becoming the leading voice for youth climate justice in her home country of Egypt and beyond. After witnessing the wrath of Hurricane Irma during her 2017 internship at a Miami hospital in Florida, Omnia knew that her work would be intrinsically linked to health and climate change. Five years later, she was appointed the first-ever youth envoy at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP27.
We asked Omnia five questions as she begins her new role at YCJF.
1. How did you first get involved in climate work?
During my third year at medical school in Egypt, I joined the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA). That's where I first learned about the impacts of climate change on health. That really opened my eyes because at the time, there was no awareness around this nexus in Egypt. The following year, I attended my first COP in Katowice, Poland
Then I had to take a break to do my surgical residency, but by then I knew that the intersection of climate change and health is my passion. In 2022, halfway through my residency, Egypt hosted COP27 and appointed me as the first-ever youth envoy to the conference. And so, I led a team of fifteen young Egyptian leaders, including entrepreneurs, researchers, activists and academics. In the end, we delivered a youth engagement strategy for Egyptian youth and for all the international youth climate delegates coming to Sharm El-Sheikh for COP. This led to the creation of the COP Youth Envoy role, with four generations of youth climate champions from the UAE, Azerbaijan, Brazil, and Australia
Because I wanted to continue investigating the impacts of climate change on health, I then joined Imperial College London to research how climate change affects mental health across 80+ countries, working with local communities and young people to co-design policy recommendations.
2. You served as the first COP Youth Envoy in 2022, working closely with young leaders from around the world. From that experience, what did you learn about how youth movements can influence climate decision-making?
First, we're extremely well organized in our own communities and organizations. We put a ton of effort into ensuring we understand the policies that affect us. To do that, we engage in peer-to-peer education, and that's not only effective but also really beautiful. At COP27, for example, we had the first children and youth pavilion, where we spoke with youth and children about the negotiation process at COP and created more mechanisms for justice and accountability at the country level.
Next, we are truly inclusive, and we see value in co-design and co-creation of advocacy and policy strategies. As members of youth movements and organizations, we ensure that all our voices and needs are reflected in our demands and action plans. Because a young child, for example, is affected by climate change differently than, say, an adolescent, and consequently also has different needs. So we always make sure that these diverse perspectives are heard.
Last but not least, we are more than our age bracket, and that's undeniably our strength. Each of us brings a unique experience and perspective to the table. Maybe you are a doctor, or an engineer, a mental health expert or a young adaptation specialist. We really tapped into this wealth of knowledge and experience at COP27 when we organized roundtables on climate change adaptation, which were packed with young people who are experts in agriculture, resilience, and adaptation, working with their own communities.
Omnia served as the first COP Youth Envoy in 2022, working closely with young leaders from around the world.
3. How have your past experiences working with youth movements shaped the way you see YCJF’s role in strengthening youth-led climate solutions globally?
There are many lessons from my past experiences that I’d love to bring into this new role. The first, and one that I am really passionate about, is active listening. During my policy and research work on the adverse impact of the climate crisis on the mental health of youth around the world, I participated in countless dialogue sessions with affected communities and local groups. Only when we really listen will we better understand the context and daily realities of our grantee partners and provide them with ongoing, tailored support to do the work they want to do.
This, in turn, is closely connected to working in unison, not employing a top-down approach of funder and grantee partners, but really working together. I look forward to working closely with them and collaborating to learn from each other and move toward the same goal. It really is such a beautiful way to work. I really hope to draw on my experiences to support new and existing climate leaders and youth-led movements. I would love to bring that support to the community and grant-making teams, work to support and empower youth, serve as a sounding board, and create a safe space for everyone, delivering the work on a day-to-day basis.
I'm also really excited about bringing that long-term strategic thinking to the realization of YCJF's vision. We want to support the youth climate movement and young people in holding policymakers accountable, emphasize a shared leadership approach and shift the narrative.
4. Could you share a moment in your journey that has redefined your hope in the next generation of climate leadership?
I'm an optimist, even though that can be difficult in today's geopolitical climate. One such moment was about a year ago in Oxford, where I had done my Master’s. During the Skoll World Forum, the YCJF team and their grantee partners were there, and they invited me to join them for dinner. What stayed with me was hearing each partner share their work and their journey, what they do, what makes them hopeful, but also the challenges they are facing and how they are working through them. Seeing them open up like that was a very emotional moment. I was also struck by the brilliance of the grantee partners cohort, and by how much YCJF has grown from an idea at COP26 into a fully-fledged, movement-driven and professional fund. That dinner left me with a lot of hope, seeing what YCJF is doing with real faith in change.
5. Finally, what are you most excited about as you join the team?
Where do I start? I'm particularly excited to meet the grantee partners and Regional Facilitators, and I feel fortunate to have had the experience of attending the 2026 Skoll World Forum with them. It was a full-circle moment for me, and I really valued witnessing the partners' peer-to-peer learning journey as they shared their work. I'm also excited to connect with the committed partners supporting this work.
Another thing that gets my heart racing is highlighting the work of our grantee partners on the global stage. I'll be speaking at the Philea Forum in Copenhagen in May about climate change and mental health. I'll bring the work of our grantee partners at YCJF and my experience on climate change and mental health into a panel I'm speaking on, with mainly European funders.
Learn more about Omnia here.