Sebastian Duque Rios

Sebastian Duque Rios joined the Environmental Law Institute as a Research Associate in August 2024. His current work includes supporting ELI’s Local Government Environmental Assistance Network and contributing to the Environmental Law Reporter’s federal updates. Before joining ELI, he was an intern at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), supporting performance management efforts in the Agency’s Office of Planning, Analysis, and Accountability. He also previously researched the use of human rights in climate litigation in the Global South at Dejusticia.

Sebastian was born in Pereira, Colombia but grew up in Miami, FL, where he developed an interest and passion for both the environment and equitable policymaking. Sebastian received two BAs from Yale University in May 2024, one in Environmental Studies and one in Political Science. As an undergrad, he was honored to be a Director’s Fellow at the Institution of Social and Policy Studies, a President’s Public Service Fellow, and a Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies Fellow. He also served as the President of the Yale Student Environmental Coalition; during his tenure, he co-led a delegation of students to COP28. For his senior theses, Sebastian explored the linkages between environmental justice and peacebuilding in post-Agreement Colombia as well as the geopolitical implications of Chile’s domestic lithium policies.