Sophie Handford

Award-winning climate-activist and elected member of Local Government, advocating for systems change.

Sophie Handford is a 22-year-old Councillor, activist from Kāpiti, New Zealand. She founded School Strike 4 Climate in Aotearoa NZ and went on to coordinate the movement which mobilised 170,000 people across the country in September of 2019, united for climate justice.

Sophie then ran for Council at the age of 18 and was elected as one of Aotearoa’s youngest Councillors, onto the Kāpiti Coast District Council. Now in her second term as a Councillor, Sophie chairs the Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee. She is also studying part time at Victoria University of Wellington, doing a Bachelor of Communications, Majoring in Political Comms and has represented NZ through APEC Voices of the Future and Ship for World Youth.

Sophie was awarded the inaugural Impact Award for Climate from Inspiring Stories in 2019, and the Supreme Wellingonian of the Year Award in 2019.

Speaking Themes: Activism and advocacy, climate change and sustainability, leadership, local government and democracy, systems change.
Offering: Keynote Speaker, Panelist, MC