Diego Arreola Fernandez graduated with High Distinction from the University of Toronto, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations, along with a Certificate in Sustainability, as a Lester B. Pearson Scholar.

During his time at university, he served on the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability (CECCS). He also spent three years working with the University’s Sustainability Office, where he expanded outreach efforts, established a Free Store, and created a Sustainable Ambassadors program to engage students and departments across campus. He contributed to domestic and international research on plastic policy, for example by examining the agency of Global South countries in the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and participating in two in-person sessions to advocate for strong regulations on the full lifecycle of plastics.

Outside of his academic and professional work, Diego founded Green Speaking in 2020 to empower young people to participate in fun and inclusive environmental and climate action. On behalf of Green Speaking and other organizations (such as EarthEcho International and the Captain Planet Foundation), he attended COP28 and SB62. He also helped host LCOY Canada 2025 and produced a short film on plastic pollution. His contributions to environmental education and youth leadership earned him the Brower Youth Award. He also served on the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada’s Youth Advisory Council. As a PIE intern, he is excited to learn more about the strategies needed to enact long-lasting environmental and climate policy.