Mariana Gomes is a Portuguese legal professional working in environmental and climate law. Selected by the U.S. Department of State for the Study of the U.S. Institutes program on Environmental Issues, she holds a law degree from the University of Lisbon School of Law.
She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Último Recurso, a strategic climate litigation organisation based in Portugal. Through Último Recurso, she has advanced Portugal's first strategic climate case, raising novel questions of constitutional law and EU environmental obligations.
She has served as a member of the advisory Reflection Group convened by the President of the Portuguese Republic, contributed to the United Nations Secretary-General's consultative process on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, and serves as a European Climate Pact Ambassador for the European Commission. She has been a delegate to over ten international summits, including COPs and the UN Summit of the Future.
She speaks regularly on environmental and climate law at institutions including the Council of Europe, the European Commission, Columbia University, and the BMW Foundation. Her commentary has appeared in Reuters, UN News, Forbes, and The Ecologist.
She was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and recognised in the Forbes Green ESG Awards 2025 in the Next Generation category.
About
In the Press
"From waste pickers to courtrooms: Women demand a gender focus at COP30"
- UN News, November 2025
Featured for her work on Portugal's first strategic climate case and the use of litigation as a mechanism of climate accountability.
"Their determination is heroic: Portuguese youth mount fresh climate lawsuit against government”
- Euronews Green, April 2025
Quoted alongside Global Legal Action Network on Último Recurso's role in Portugal's strategic climate litigation, building on the European Court of Human Rights' KlimaSeniorinnen ruling.
"Youth Continue Climate Court Battles Against Governments”
- Climate in the Courts, April 2025
Featured alongside U.S. youth climate cases, including challenges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska LNG project, on Último Recurso's strategic litigation against Portugal.
Notable Awards
FORBES: 30 under 30 (Portugal, 2025)
FORBES: Green ESG Awards (2025)
SÁBADO: Portugal’s 20 Most Promising Young People (2024)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: SUSI Scholar — Environmental Issues (2022)