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UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26): experts available to comment

UNSW has a wide range of experts available for comment on COP26.

Published on the 25 Oct 2021 by UNSW Media
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021. Photo: Shutterstock

For general media enquiries please call (02) 9385 2864. The media team is currently working remotely. Please leave a voicemail message and we’ll return your call as soon as possible. 

Email: media@unsw.edu.au. This email is monitored during business hours.

For after-hours enquiries please call +61 (02) 9348 0061.

Energy

  • Professor Renate Egan can comment on the future of photovoltaics, distributed energy, and the path to full electrification. She is available on r.egan@unsw.edu.au (unavailable on 25th, 28th and 29th October)
  • Associate Professor Neeraj Sharma is available to discuss next generation batteries and the importance of energy storage in relation to affordability. He is contactable via neeraj.sharma@unsw.edu.au or 0419 439 130.
  • Energy Systems expert Professor John Fletcher can discuss the evolution of the electrical energy system, and the technologies and innovation needed to meet emission targets. He is available on 0422 460 146.
  • Gail Broadbent, PhD Candidate, can comment on electric vehicles. She is available on g.broadbent@unsw.edu.au
  • Energy expert Associate Professor Iain Macgill can discuss the role Australian hydrogen exports can play in global decarbonisation, the future of the Australian National Electricity Market, and electric vehicles. Contact Cecilia Duong on Cecilia.duong@unsw.edu.au

Impact of climate change

  • Associate Professor Will Glamore, Director of UNSW Water Research Lab, is leading research on blue carbon restoration and protection. He can comment on leading the field of nature-based solutions to create resilient infrastructure for the future. He is available on w.glamore@wrl.unsw.edu.au
  • Psychology Professor Ben Newell can discuss climate change psychology and how individuals can be persuaded to reduce their own carbon emissions. Contact via diane.nazaroff@unsw.edu.au or 0424 479 199.
  • Scientia Professor Matthew England can discuss the need for carbon emissions reductions, the climate risks of inaction and the economic prosperity that will come from addressing the problem. He can also discuss the history of COP meetings, how they work and why they are important. Contact via diane.nazaroff@unsw.edu.au or 0424 479 199.
  • Director of the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla is an expert in materials sustainability and innovative waste and recycling technologies to help achieve decarbonisation. Contact Stuart Snell on s.snell@unsw.edu.au or 0416 650 906.
  • Transportation expert Professor Vinayak Dixit can discuss zero emission transport, mobility, and logistics. He is available on v.dixit@unsw.edu.au or 0411 246 507.
  • Oceanographer Associate Professor Alex Gupta can discuss how the ocean is changing, marine heatwaves and the impact of climate change on marine species such as coral bleaching, ocean acidification and loss of habitat. He is available on 0424 205 339.
  • Physical oceanographer Professor Katrin Meissner can comment on the carbon cycle, climate change in relation to past climate variability and change; and most aspects of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. She is available on k.meissner@unsw.edu.au.
  • Dr Nina Ridder can discuss the risks of extreme events and compound events and how future emissions will change the exposure to this risk. This information is important to build resilience and protect communities and natural habitats. She is available on n.ridder@unsw.edu.au or 0434 082 325 (available Monday to Friday, between 9am to 3pm (AEDT).

Economy

For media enquiries contact Kate Bettes on 0407 701 034 or k.bettes@unsw.edu.au

  • Economics Professor Richard Holden can comment on the economy, agreement on market mechanisms and trading mechanisms, climate finance, the costs of climate mitigation and adaptation measures. 
  • Associate Professor Kingsley Fong can discuss sustainable finance, responsible investing, and business adaptions to international standards.
  • Founding Director of the Digital Sustainability Hub, Professor Shan Pan, can comment on innovation and sustainability, digital transformations towards sustainability, and sustainability design. 
  • Dr Maria Balatbat can comment on climate change and sustainability reporting for companies, evaluating carbon footprints by companies, sustainability of infrastructure and construction, transitioning to a circular economy, and integrated reporting.

Health

  • Associate Professor Xiaoqi Feng can discuss environmental policy, environmental health, and healthy built environments and green social prescriptions to reduce health inequity and strengthen environmental sustainability. She can be contacted on xiaoqi.feng@unsw.edu.au or (02) 9385 1135.
  • Conjoint Professor Bin Jalaludin can comment on health effects of outdoor air pollution. He can be contacted on b.jalaludin@unsw.edu.au or 0418 200 204.
  • Head of UNSW School of Population Health, Professor Rebecca Ivers, can discuss the broader public health policy and the environmental health, and increased drownings due to rising waters. She can be contacted on rebecca.ivers@unsw.edu.au or 0414 726 975.
  • Professor Evelyne de Leeuw can discuss urban health policy, urban planning, and equitable climate change policy. She can be contacted on e.deleeuw@unsw.edu.au (unavailable Thursday and Friday mornings).

Arts, Design and Architecture

For media enquiries contact Ben Knight on b.knight@unsw.edu.au or 0422 651 085.

  • Director of the Practical Justice Initiative Professor Jeremy Moss can comment on Australia’s net-zero targets, fossil fuel export phase outs, just transitions and corporate responsibility.
  • Humanities expert Dr Declan Kuch can discuss the closure of coal and switching to electric vehicles.
  • Landscape architecture expert Dr Mike Harris can comment on the shifting to active transport with a focus on urban cycling.
  • Architecture expert Professor Matt Santamouris can discuss zero carbon transition and policies, regional climate change, climatic mitigation and adaptation, future cities and buildings and heat mitigation technologies.
  • Visual communication design expert Dr Rebecca Green can comment on how the visual design of climate change messages can influence perception and trust of strategic climate messaging. She is unavailable on Tuesdays.
  • Professor Deo Prasad can comment on science-based approaches to net zero carbon building environment on a whole of life and whole of building scale.
  • Computational design expert Associate Professor M. Hank Haeusler can discuss waste reduction in construction, including 3D printing using sustainable materials. He can also comment on designing housing for extreme heat, designing artificial reefs for marine bio systems.
  • Development and Environmental geographer Associate Professor Krishna Shrestha can discuss climate change adaptation and indigenous knowledge. His work is focused on a community-based approach to development and environmental management, and local livelihoods, particularly in Nepal, India, and South Asia. He is available everyday between 10am to 4pm.
  • Development and emergencies expert Professor David Sanderson can discuss urban and rural resilience and disaster preparedness, recovery, and vulnerable/low-income communities.
  • Associate Professor Paul Osmond can comment on protecting and restoring ecosystems, in particular urban ecosystems, and climate resilient urban design. He has limited availability on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • Journalism and political science expert Associate Professor David McKnight can discuss changes in public debate on climate over the last 20 years, climate denial in the media, in particular the role of NewsCorp and the role of the coal industry.

Law

  • Dr Noam Peleg can discuss the impact of climate change on children’s rights. He is available on n.peleg@unsw.edu.au
  • International refugee law expert Scientia Professor Jane McAdam AO can discuss climate-related displacement and migration. She is available on j.mcadam@unsw.edu.au
  • Professor Bronwen Morgan can discuss the legal aspects of the different approaches to economic growth. She is available on b.morgan@unsw.edu.au
  • Professor Rosalind Dixon can comment on COP26 targets, taxes and politics. She is available on rosalind.dixon@unsw.edu.au

UNSW Canberra

  • Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick is an expert in climate change and is available to discuss heatwaves, climate extremes, observed trends and future changes. She can be contacted via sarah.kirkpatrick@unsw.edu.au

  • Professor Anthony Burke is an expert in environmental politics and international relations and is available to discuss climate politics, environmental ethics and the Paris Agreement. He can be contacted via a.burke@unsw.edu.au

  • Dr Megan Evans is an expert on investment in biodiversity and natural capital. She is available to discuss environmental policy, conservation and biodiversity. She can be contacted via megan.evans@unsw.edu.au

  • Vice Admiral Paul Maddison (ret’d) is the Director of the UNSW Defence Research Institute and is available to discuss geopolitics and climate security. He can be contacted via paul.maddison@dri.unsw.edu.au

  • Associate Professor Hemanshu Pota is an expert in electricity supply systems with sustainable energy and is available to discuss sustainable technology and renewable resource integration. He can be contacted via h.pota@adfa.edu.au

  • Dr Thomas Oliver is an expert in coastal geography and is available to discuss coastal erosion and sea-level rise. He can be contacted via t.oliver@adfa.edu.au

  • Professor Liz Ritchie is an expert in tropical cyclones and is available to discuss tropical meteorology and severe weather impacts. She can be contacted via e.ritchie@adfa.edu.au

  • Professor Jason Sharples is an expert in bushfires and is available to discuss bushfire dynamics and extreme bushfire development. He can be contacted via j.sharples@adfa.edu.au

  • Dr Milad Ghasri is an expert in transport planning and is available to discuss consumer preferences towards electric vehicles. He can be contacted via m.ghasri@adfa.edu.au

  • Professor Terry Frankcombe is an expert in physical chemistry and is available to discuss hydrogen storage. He can be contacted via t.frankcombe@adfa.edu.au

  • Dr Jianfeng Xue is an expert in geotechnical engineering and is available to discuss the climate’s impact on geotechnical structures. He can be contacted via jianfeng.xue@adfa.edu.au

  • Professor Russell Boyce is the Director of UNSW Canberra Space and is available to discuss how space technology can assist climate science and environmental monitoring. He can be contacted via r.boyce@adfa.edu.au
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