Milag San José-Ballesteros
Co-Founder, Karunā Climate Collective Pte. Ltd.
Milag has spent more than three decades working at the intersection of climate action, social justice, and community empowerment — driven by a belief that the people most affected by environmental decisions deserve a seat at the table. Across Asia and the Pacific, she is known for her strategic leadership, technical expertise, and a grounded, human-centred approach that brings people together across sectors and cultures to build solutions that endure.
Her journey began in the Philippines, shaped by grassroots work with the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRCKSK) and Friends of the Earth–Philippines, where she worked closely with Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and local organisations on land, forest, and livelihood issues. Those years established the conviction that guides her career: development must be inclusive, policy must be people-centred, and climate solutions must uplift the voices of those most impacted. From 2002 to 2004, she served as Executive Director of Friends of the Earth–Philippines, leading advocacy strategies and deepening partnerships across civil society, environmental coalitions, and donor networks.
Her regional reach expanded significantly through her role as Regional Environmental Governance Specialist with the USAID-supported Environmental Cooperation–Asia Program (2006–2012), where she coordinated the Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN) across 16 countries. She worked with governments, regulators, and NGOs to strengthen environmental laws, improve compliance mechanisms, and support reforms in urban environmental management, environmental impact assessment, and climate adaptation.
Her most visible role came with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, where she served a full decade (2014–2024) as Regional Director for East, Southeast Asia and Oceania. Leading work across 13 member cities in 10 countries, she bridged local governments with global climate commitments, overseeing strategic planning, technical assistance, and relationship-building across political and cultural contexts. She also served as Co-Chair for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Global South Diversity Lead, shaping C40’s internal culture and advocating for program approaches that reflected the priorities of developing economies.
Beyond formal roles, Milag has contributed to UN scenario-planning efforts, served on jury panels for major environmental awards, mentored emerging sustainability leaders, and spoken on platforms ranging from Channel News Asia and CNN Indonesia to international climate governance forums.
She holds a Master of Science in Social Development from Ateneo de Manila University and a Bachelor of Secondary Education from the University of the Philippines, with specialised training in environmental economics, natural resource decision-making, and GIS. Her leadership remains guided by a simple conviction: meaningful climate action requires inclusive governance, empowered communities, and leaders willing to listen and build bridges.
“Lasting climate action isn’t about choosing between ambition and inclusion; it’s about designing systems where both can thrive.”