UNSW experts available to comment: COP27

Energy

• Associate Professor Neeraj Sharma is available to discuss next generation batteries and the importance of energy storage in relation to affordability. Contact: neeraj.sharma@unsw.edu.au or 0419 439 130.
• Honorary Associate Professor Mark Diesendorf is available to discuss energy policy: "It is now very late to avoid crossing a tipping point into irreversible, rapid, climate change. We need international cooperation on substantial, effective action." Contact: m.diesendorf@unsw.edu.au or 0402 940 892.
• Energy expert Professor Iain Macgill can discuss accelerating clean energy investment and action in the Pacific Islands and Territories. Contact: i.macgill@unsw.edu.au.
• Gail Broadbent, postdoctoral researcher, can comment on electric vehicles. Contact: g.broadbent@unsw.edu.au or Jesse Hawley 0422 537 392.

Consequences of climate change

• Scientia Professor Matthew England can discuss the urgency of action on climate change, the consequences of inaction, specific climate impacts on Australia and the benefits of deep emission cuts. He can also discuss the history of COP meetings, how they work and why they are important. Contact: jesse.hawley@unsw.edu.au or 0422 537 392.
• 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. Contact: n.ridder@unsw.edu.au or 0434 082 325 (available Monday to Friday, between 9am to 3pm (AEDT).
• Psychology Professor Ben Newell can discuss climate change psychology and how individuals can be persuaded to reduce their own carbon emissions. Contact: jesse.hawley@unsw.edu.au or 0422 537 392.
• 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.
• Professor Greg Leslie, Director of the Global Water Institute, can comment on the need to increase investment in capacity in the water sector to help achieve water and sanitation objectives of SDG6 in vulnerable communities in warming climate. He can be contacted on g.leslie@unsw.edu.au

Economics

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. 
• 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 and built environment

• Associate Professor in Urban Health and Environment Xiaoqi Feng can discuss nature-based climate solutions for human health: "The lack of mature tree canopy in communities living with disadvantage is a major barrier to achieving health equity and environmental justice; I hope COP27 helps to renew and increase investment in strategies that aim to deliver greater tree equity." Contact: xiaoqi.feng@unsw.edu.au.
• Dr Patrick Harris can comment on taking a health and equity lens to climate change, cities and infrastructure policy and planning. Contact: patrick.harris@unsw.edu.au.
• Professor Renate Egan can comment on the future of photovoltaics, distributed energy, and the path to full electrification. Contact: r.egan@unsw.edu.au.
• Professor Johannes le Coutre can comment on food security, cellular agriculture, humanitarian engineering, SDG2, and all aspects of the global agri-food system. Contact: johannes.lecoutre@unsw.edu.au.
• Associate Professor Paul Osmond is available to discuss climate resilient urban design, green infrastructure and urban cooling: "Humanity needs to do more, do it better and do it quicker; time to avoid dangerous warming is running out. Let’s make COP27 part of the solution". Contact: p.osmond@unsw.edu.au.
• Scientia Professor Deo Prasad is available to discuss buildings and cities as they pertain to decarbonisation and climate change: "I hope all countries including India and China now commit to 2030 and 2050 goals. 2030 goals are most important and should be 50% (like NSW) and with actions and plans to meet the targets". Contact via Nadia Razzhigaeva; n.razzhigaeva@unsw.edu.au.
• Professor Ashish Sharma can comment on water security (flooding and water supply). Contact: a.sharma@unsw.edu.au.

Law and climate justice

• International law expert Scientia Professor Jane McAdam can discuss climate mobility, including climate change-related displacement, migration, planned relocations and evacuations. Contact: j.mcadam@unsw.edu.au.
• Dr Noam Peleg can discuss the impact of climate change on children’s rights. Contact: n.peleg@unsw.edu.au.
• Professor Rosalind Dixon can comment on COP27 targets, taxes and politics. Contact: rosalind.dixon@unsw.edu.au.
• Professor Cameron Holley can discuss various environmental challenges around biodiversity, water use, energy and climate change issues. He can be contacted on c.holley@unsw.edu.au.
• Professor Jeremy Moss is available to discuss climate justice issues, fossil fuel production and exports, energy prices, Australian and the Asia Pacific the fairness of agreements, net zero targets and Australia’s global role, high per capita emissions: "COP27 is unlikely to deliver the level of emissions cuts the world needs. Fossil fuel exporters such as Australia must drastically cut their production of fossil fuels. Given that current pledges to cut emissions will likely lead to a 2.8℃ temperature rise by the end of the century, this is not a good scenario." Contact: Nadia Razzhigaeva on n.razzhigaeva@unsw.edu.au +61 2 9348 1229.

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. Contact: sarah.kirkpatrick@unsw.edu.au.
• Professor Anthony Burke is an expert in environmental politics and international relations and is available to discuss climate politics and environmental ethics. Contact: 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. Contact: 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. Contact: 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. Contact: h.pota@adfa.edu.au.
• Dr Thomas Oliver is an expert in coastal geography and is available to discuss coastal erosion, coastal storms and sea-level rise. Contact: t.oliver@adfa.edu.au.
• Professor Liz Ritchie-Tyo is an expert in tropical cyclones and is available to discuss tropical meteorology and severe weather impacts. Contact: e.ritchie@adfa.edu.au.
• Professor Jason Sharples is an expert in bushfires and is available to discuss bushfire dynamics and extreme bushfire development. Contact: j.sharples@adfa.edu.au.
• Dr Milad Ghasri is an expert in transport planning and is available to discuss consumer preferences towards electric vehicles. Contact: m.ghasri@adfa.edu.au.
• Professor Terry Frankcombe is an expert in physical chemistry and is available to discuss hydrogen storage. Contact: 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. Contact: 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. Contact: r.boyce@adfa.edu.au.
• Dr Rachel Badlan is an expert in bushfire dynamics and is available to discuss extreme fires and firestorms. Contact: r.badlan@adfa.edu.au.
• Dr Melrose Brown is a space domain awareness expert and is available to discuss space junk and space conservation. He can be contacted via melrose.brown@adfa.edu.au.

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