About

Multilingual environmental specialist with 5+ years of experience advancing climate policy, research, and strategic communications. Proven track record in project development and cross-sector engagement across the UN system and global NGOs.

Ivonne Serna is an environmental researcher, policy advisor, and documentary filmmaker working at the intersection of climate mobility, urban adaptation, and environmental justice. Her work combines field-based research, international policy experience, and visual storytelling to inform governance and support more just climate transitions, particularly across Latin America.

She has worked with the United Nations Environment Programme, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Geographic Society, and in 2024 served as Mexico’s lead negotiator on Just Transition and Response Measures at COP29 under the UNFCCC. Her writing has been published in Ecology and Society and is featured in a forthcoming volume on international climate politics with Edward Elgar Press. She has presented her work at global forums such as the International Studies Association, IMPAC5, and the Climate Mobility Summit.

As a filmmaker, Ivonne co-directed "Enraizados," a short documentary on Indigenous forest governance in Mexico, and is currently co-directing "Green Gold," an upcoming feature-length documentary supported by The Redford Center, the Rogovy Foundation, AlterCiné, and Creative Europe MEDIA. Her previous work has aired on PBS and screened at international festivals across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.

Ivonne is currently pursuing her PhD at New York University, where her research examines climate-driven human mobility, urban systems, and the role of narrative in environmental governance. She holds a summa cum laude degree in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Middlebury College and is an alumna of the Documentary Campus Masterschool. Fluent in Spanish, English, and French, she works across borders to advance research and strategic media that can shape equitable climate futures.

Honors & Awards

2024

2023