Ms Eliza Northrop

Research Fellow

New York University School of Law, Master of Environmental Law, 2014

University of South Australia, Master of Business Administration, 2011

University of Adelaide, Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice (Honors), 2007

University of Adelaide, Bachelor of Arts (Environmental Studies), 2005

 

 

 

Law & Justice
School of Global & Public Law

Eliza Northrop specialises in international environmental law and is Director of the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Development Reform. She was previously at the World Resources Institute (WRI) in the United Kingdom, and played a leading role in the establishment of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, a global panel of 18 current and serving heads of state and government to which Australia is a member. Eliza led the global policy and governance work for WRI's Global Ocean Program, focusing on issues related to ocean and climate, sustainable tourism, governance of the high seas and ocean based carbon dioxide removal, plastics and implementation of the SDGs. Prior to that Eliza worked  extensively in the UNFCCC, building global research coalitions, undertaking research on the design of the Paris Agreement and subsequent implementation frameworks and governance of global financial mechanisms. Eliza has supported national policy development and capacity building in Africa and Pacific. Eliza has also worked in state government in Australia, leading on native title and indigenous land management and in environmental law practice of Minister Ellison. She was admitted to the New York Bar in December 2014 and the Supreme Court of South Australia in August 2008 

She publishes on issues of international public law and the interaction and development of global regimes for ocean conservation, climate action and plastic pollution.  She provides advice, undertakes consultancies and is available for media on issues related to international climate, biodiversity and ocean law and policy. Eliza is a contributor to the Third World Ocean Assessment (WOA III), a member of the Executive Committee (EC) for the UN Ocean Decade for Ocean Sustainability (UNDOS) programme Global ONCE (Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions), member of the Nairobi Work Programme Expert Group on Oceans under UNFCCC and advisor to the Legal Response Initiative.

  • Book Chapters | 2023
    Hoegh-Guldberg O; Caldeira K; Chopin T; Gaines S; Haugan P; Hemer M; Howard J; Konar M; Krause-Jensen D; Lovelock CE; Lindstad E; Michelin M; Nielsen FG; Northrop E; Parker RWR; Roy J; Smith T; Some S; Tyedmers P, 2023, 'The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Five Opportunities for Action', in The Blue Compendium, Springer Nature, pp. 619 - 680, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16277-0_17
    Book Chapters | 2023
    Northrop E; Konar M; Frost N; Hollaway E, 2023, 'A Sustainable and Equitable Blue Recovery to the COVID-19 Crisis', in Blue Compendium from Knowledge to Action for A Sustainable Ocean Economy, Springer Nature, pp. 715 - 781, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16277-0_19
  • Journal articles | 2025
    Hollaway E; Northrop E; Pouponneau A, 2025, 'Understanding the Interlinkages between Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal and the BBNJ Treaty', , http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-906
    Journal articles | 2025
    Northrop E; Hoegh-Guldberg O, 2025, 'The ocean as a solution to climate change: opportunities for action', , http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-795
    Journal articles | 2022
    Khan M; Northrop E; Schindler Murray L, 2022, 'Ocean-Based Climate Action in New and Updated Nationally Determined Contributions', World Resources Institute, http://dx.doi.org/10.46830/wriwp.22.00067
    Journal articles | 2022
    Lebling K; Northrop E; McCormick C; Bridgwater E, 2022, 'Towards Responsible and Informed Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Research and Governance Priorities', World Resources Institute, http://dx.doi.org/10.46830/wrirpt.21.00090
    Journal articles | 2021
    Northrop E; Ruffo S; Taraska G; Schindler Murray L; Pidgeon E; Landis E; Cerny-Chipman E; Laura A-M; Herr D; Suatoni L; Miles G; Fitzgerald T; McBee J; Thomas T; Cooley S; Merwin A; Steinsmeier A; Rader D; Finch M, 2021, 'Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions: Opportunities for Ocean-Based Climate Action', World Resources Institute, http://dx.doi.org/10.46830/wriwp.20.00054
    Journal articles | 2019
    Hoegh-Guldberg O; Northrop E; Lubchenco J, 2019, 'The ocean is key to achieving climate and societal goals', Science, 365, pp. 1372 - 1374, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz4390
    Journal articles | 2018
    Oberthür S; Northrop E, 2018, 'Towards an Effective Mechanism to Facilitate Implementation and Promote Compliance under the Paris Agreement', Climate Law, 8, pp. 39 - 69, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/18786561-00801002
    Journal articles | 2017
    Klinsky S; Waskow D; Northrop E; Bevins W, 2017, 'Operationalizing equity and supporting ambition: identifying a more robust approach to ‘respective capabilities’', Climate and Development, 9, pp. 287 - 297, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2016.1146121
    Journal articles | 2017
    Morgan J; Northrop E, 2017, 'Will the Paris Agreement accelerate the pace of change?', Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change, 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wcc.471
  • Working Papers | 2021
    Northrop E; Ruffo S; Taraska G; Schindler Murray L; Pidgeon E; Landis E; Cerny-Chipman E; Laura A-M; Herr D; Suatoni L; Miles G; Fitzgerald T; McBee J; Thomas T; Cooley S; Merwin A; Steinsmeier A; Rader D; Finch M, 2021, Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions: Opportunities for Ocean-Based Climate Action, World Resources Institute, http://dx.doi.org10.46830/wriwp.20.00054
  • Reports | 2023
    Schindler Murray L; Milligan B; Ashford OS; Bonotto E; Cifuentes-Jara M; Glass L; Howard J; Landis E; Northrop E; Roth N; Thiele T; Aigrette L; Gil L; Hamilton J; Herr D; Loureiro TG; Millington-Drake M; Neilson C; Pessarrodona A; Prislan H; Romero T; von Unger M, 2023, The blue carbon handbook: Blue carbon as a nature-based solution for climate action and sustainable development, World Resources Institute, http://dx.doi.org/10.69902/566a16de
    Reports | 2022
    Lebling K; Northrop E; McCormick C; Bridgwater E, 2022, Towards Responsible and Informed Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Research and Governance Priorities, World Resources Institute, http://dx.doi.org/10.46830/wrirpt.21.00090
    Reports |
    Hoegh-Guldberg O; Northrop E; Ashford OS; Chopin T; Cross J; Duarte C; Gaines S; Geers T; Gössling S; Haugan P; Hemer M; Howard J; Huang C; Humpe A; Kitch G; Koweek D; Krause-Jensen D; Lovelock CE; Matthews K; Mustain P; Nielsen FG; Parker R; Roy J; Smith T; Some S; Sun Y-Y; Thiele T; Tyedmers P, The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Updated Opportunities for Action, World Resources Institute, http://dx.doi.org/10.69902/98e3de92