UNSW experts available to comment on COP30

UNSW Sydney

UNSW experts are available to support COP30 media coverage with trusted insights and the latest analysis.

Geopolitics, global governance and regional dynamics

On the ground: A/Prof. Fengshi Wu is an expert on environmental politics, state–society relations, and global governance, with a focus on the Asia Pacific. She can provide commentary on the broader geopolitical context and key issues shaping COP30, as well as the potential political and economic implications for Australia.
On the ground: A/Prof. Deborah Barros Leal Farias researches global governance, developing country politics, and differentiation in climate treaties. She can comment on Brazilian politics and policy in the context of COP30, climate change denialism, right-wing populism and environmental policies.
Available to comment: Eliza Northrop (Director, Centre for Sustainable Development Reform) is an expert in international environmental law and governance. She has deep experience with the Paris Agreement, oceans and climate policy, and NDCs. Eliza advises on legal architecture, biodiversity, the ocean–climate nexus, finance, and implementation pathways, drawing on her long involvement in COPs and UN treaty negotiations, including the High Seas (BBNJ) and Plastics Treaties.
Available to comment: Prof. Elizabeth Thurbon is Director of the Green Energy Statecraft Project, a multi-university initiative exploring strategic governance for accelerating the global energy transition. Her research focuses on climate policy, economic statecraft and green industrial strategy, with a particular emphasis on East Asia’s clean energy shift and its implications for global climate governance.
Available to comment: Dr Wesley Morgan (UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response) is an expert in climate diplomacy and international relations in the Pacific islands. His research considers the ways countries work together at the UN to tackle climate change and integrate climate change into their foreign policy and national security strategies.

International law, accountability and just transition

Virtual delegation: Jane Sloane (Director, Global Policy Initiative) is an international leader on gender equality and climate justice, with expertise in inclusive policy design and advocacy frameworks for equitable climate action.
Available to comment: Eliza Northrop (Director, Centre for Sustainable Development Reform) is an expert in international environmental law and governance (as detailed in the Geopolitics section).
Available to comment: International law expert Prof. Jane McAdam can discuss climate mobility, including climate change-related displacement, migration, planned relocations and evacuations.

Climate finance, markets & financial-system resilience

Virtual delegation: Eliza Northrop (Director, Centre for Sustainable Development Reform) has expertise in climate finance and implementation pathways (as detailed in the Geopolitics section).
Available to comment: Prof. Richard Holden can comment on the economy, agreement on market mechanisms and trading mechanisms, climate finance, the costs of climate mitigation and adaptation measures.
Available to comment: Dr Timothy Neal can comment on the potential consequences of climate change for economic activity and food security from inaction.
Available to comment: A/Prof. Kristle Romero Cortés can speak to banking resilience and aligning finance with adaptation and transition — including the role of green bonds and standardised reporting.
Available to comment: David Eyre (CEO, UNSW Institute for Industrial Decarbonisation) is an expert in green industrial development, covering green metals, critical minerals, sustainable computing (AI data centres), industrial electrification, advanced manufacturing, built environment solutions for future cities, and green finance challenges.

Energy transition systems: grids, renewables and innovation

On the ground: Dr Rahman Daiyan is a specialist in power‑to‑X, hydrogen, renewable ammonia, and green iron/steel, and how this tech intersects with policy for scaling clean fuels and industrial decarbonisation.
Virtual delegation: Dani Alexander (CEO, UNSW Energy Institute) leads cross‑sector work on renewable generation, clean fuels, and grid integration. She can speak to market design, technology adoption, and equitable energy outcomes.
Available to comment: A/Prof. Paul Munro is a political ecologist and environmental historian whose research explores energy transitions in the Global South, forest governance, and energy justice.
Available to comment: David Eyre (CEO, UNSW Institute for Industrial Decarbonisation) can comment on green industrial development (as detailed in the Climate finance section).
Available to comment: Prof. Neeraj Sharma is available to discuss current and next-generation batteries and the importance of energy storage in relation to affordability and the green energy transition. Prof. Sharma can also discuss battery end-of-life scenarios, from re-use to recycling.

Behavioural science and communication

Virtual delegation: Prof. Ben Newell (Director, UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response) is an expert on judgement and decision making under uncertainty. He can talk about policy uptake, risk communication, and behavioural tools to close ambition–action gaps.
Virtual delegation: Dr Rebecca Green researches visual communication for climate messaging and misinformation. She can talk about design-led strategies to build trust and engage the public.
Available to comment: Dr Cybele Dey is a psychiatrist and a previous attendee of COP. Dr Dey will be available to discuss the mental health impacts of climate change on young people.

Integrating forests, oceans, methane and nature-based solutions

Virtual delegation: Eliza Northrop (Director, Centre for Sustainable Development Reform) is an expert in international environmental law and governance (as detailed in the Geopolitics section).
Available to comment: A/Prof. Bryce Kelly measures methane emissions across the coal seam gas, coal mining, agricultural, waste and urban sectors. He is a collaborator with the UN Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO).
Available to comment: Dr Aaron Eger can speak to marine and blue carbon solutions, particularly kelp forest conservation and how it can help achieve biodiversity and climate goals.
Available to comment: Prof. 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.

Adaptation and built environment

Available to comment: Prof. Deo Prasad AO is available to discuss how buildings and cities contribute to decarbonisation and climate change. Prof. Prasad is the CEO of the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub based at UNSW and also works with the UNEP’s Global Alliance for Building and Construction, created after Paris COP.
Available to comment: Dr Negin Nazarian is an urban climatologist with a focus on how the built environment interacts with weather and climate extremes, and in turn, how urban dwellers are affected by this interaction. She is an IPCC Lead Author and leads the Climate Resilient Cities research lab, a group focusing on the pressing challenges of urban climate, including urban heat exposure and wind.
Available to comment: A/Prof. Paul Osmond is available to discuss climate resilient urban design, green infrastructure and urban cooling.
Available to comment: Prof. Johannes le Coutre can comment on food security, cellular agriculture, humanitarian engineering, SDG2, and all aspects of the global agri-food system.
Available to comment: A/Prof. Patrick Harris (UNSW International Centre for Future Health Systems) can comment on taking a health and equity lens to climate change, cities and infrastructure policy and planning.
Available to comment: Prof. Jason Sharples (UNSW Canberra) is an expert in bushfires and is available to discuss bushfire dynamics and extreme bushfire development.
Available to comment: Dr Gloria Pignatta’s expertise includes energy-efficient buildings, positive-energy districts, and climate-resilient materials. She can also discuss translating building-physics research into policies and design actions that reduce emissions.
Available to comment: A/Prof. Bernadette (B) Hardy is a Gamilaraay and Dharug woman with Irish and English heritage. A/Prof. Hardy leads Designing with Country—an Indigenous-led climate adaptation and justice framework centering Country, kinship, water, reciprocity and shared methods such as Remembering Country.

Our list of experts will be updated throughout COP30 to respond to media needs. View the full and updated list online here.

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