Dr George Carter is a Research Fellow at the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University (ANU). He is also the Director for the ANU Pacific Institute a large network hub of scholars in the university - connecting and promoting Pacific research, teaching and training at the university.
The broad focus of George’s research interest explores Pacific island peoples’ and states influence and agency in international and regional politics. His research interests explore international politics of (negotiations, security, gender, finance, justice, science and traditional knowledge) climate change, geopolitics and regionalism(s), as well as the foreign policy and diplomacies of small island states in the Pacific. Furthermore, he is interested in indigenous philosophy and non-western international relations that focus on the longstanding history, practices, protocols and principles of Pacific political communities, contributing to Oceanic Diplomacy.
He has undertaken research in multilateral forums including climate change, security, ocean, sustainable development negotiations, as well as in regional organisations and national governments across the Pacific. George teaches university and executive courses in international relations, diplomacy, security, environment and climate change, policy, cultural communication, and Pacific studies.
His research and teaching interests are informed by his education, work experience in the Pacific and upbringing through his proud Samoan Tuvaluan, i-Kiribati, Chinese, British ancestry. He serves his family and communities in Samoa, where he holds the matai/chiefly title of Salā.
Commonwealth Secretariat Climate Finance Access Hub - Government of Fiji
atherine is a senior technical Policy and Sustainability Consultant with more than 15 years’ experience, specialising in international climate change policy with experience in climate finance, mitigation, and M&E. She has a detailed understanding of the international climate finance landscape, in particular public climate finance flows, and the access requirements and accreditation to climate funds.
Katherine is currently embedded within the Climate Change and International Cooperation Division (CCICD) of the Ministry of Economy (MoE) in Fiji she is working on projects addressing decarbonisation of the public bus sector and on Fiji Rural Electrification Fund (FREF) which focuses on access to energy in the outer islands using mini-grids. She is also working on projects including Nature Based Solutions (NbS) and setting up a project development unit (PDU) within the MoE CCICD for enhanced access to and effective use of climate finance under the broader ambit of SDGs. Katherine’s works under the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) to provide Long-term, dedicated and nationally embedded technical assistance on a demand lead basis, and institutional capacity building for climate finance project structuring, increasing access to CF. Katherine also has a focus on the utilization of Earth Observation (EO) and Geospatial data to make climate finance proposal more evidence based and robust
Katherine has high- level experience in training and capacity building including the design and delivery of training workshops for LDC and countries for climate negotiations, she has also conducted extensive training on Climate Finance Instruments and mechanisms and accessing the GCF.
Prior to taking on her current role in MoE Fiji, has conducted energy scoping studies to identify the priority research needs, on how research can inform South Africa and Zambia’s policies and investment decisions in the power sector under the DFID funded Energy and Economic Growth Project. Katherine also previously managed the M&E component of UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (PACT), a flagship programme under the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) International Climate Finance (ICF). She has expertise in energy efficiency and low carbon development with practical experience in industrial sectors under Climate change agreements (CCA’s). This involved programme design and implementation in thematic areas related to the evaluation.
Tony is the Director and lead Systems Analyst of Eighty Options, a software development agency based in Hobart, Australia that specialises in application design strategy.
Eighty Options has extensive expertise and experience with web based software solutions, in particular using the Drupal platform and in relation to supporting the needs of multilateral organisations.
My area of interest is around community development and knowledge brokerage. For 14 years, I have worked with local communities under the Fisheries department. I also have international organizations with the most recent one where I worked as a CBFM specialist under the R2R project of the UN-FAO.
Currently, I am working as a consultant focusing on climate change and DRR knowledge brokerage under the DFAT funded project.
Consutancy Records:
1. National Coordinator - Australia Pacific Climate Alumni Network
2. Translation of climate readers - Acceralating Climate Education (DFAT)
3. Review and Develop National Disability Policy - Innovex Konsult
4. Anthropoligical Research Assistant - Institut für Ethnologie Universität Göttingen
5. Transcribe and Translate (social benefit evaluation survey) - World Bank
Employment record:
1. Fisheries Assistant - Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development
2. Ag Senior Fisheries Assistant - Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development
3. Community-based Fisheries Management Specialist - R2R project (UN-FAO) Kiribati
4. Sea cucumber research officer - Southern Cross University, ACIAR
Expertise:
1. Community Engagement
2. CC and DRR knowledge/Information brokerage
Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting & Business Tax Law, University of New South Wales, Australia 1999,
Master of Business Administration, USP Fiji, 2007
Member. Samoa Institute of Accountants
IAP2 Certified
Krishneil Narayan is a sustainable development professional with an economic, environmental and social change experience of 15 years. He is the Executive Director at Sustainable Future Consultancy specializing in sustainable development, climate change, security, youth development, education, disaster risk management, gender, social, economic and environmental project design, preparation, implementation and evaluation.
Krishneil is an experienced climate change negotiator at the United Nations where he has championed the priorities of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) for over a decade, contributed to the adoption of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage in 2013, the Paris Agreement in 2015, supported Fiji's COP23 Presidency and was an advisor to the UK Government's COP26 Presidency for the climate adaptation workstream.
He also works as an advisor to the Governments, development agencies, diplomatic missions, NGOs and the private sector to formulate development action plans. Having worked in the public sector, development organizations like the United Nations; and civil society he has extensive knowledge of international, regional and national policy analysis.
I Spend 9 years in a national government on the political, environment and climate change, governance and education sector space before venturing into new academic and professional challenges. In 2021 I was hired by a US based consulting and management firm Social Impact Inc. as their Data Lead in the evaluation of two US projects in the Pacific region - Climate Ready and ISSAC. Currently I was hired by UNDP as the Political & Parliamentary Project Coordinator Consultant for Kiribati Parliament.
Joe is an experienced policy advisor and strategist who has worked on climate issues in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Indo-Pacific since 206. He is currently working on the NZ Emissions Reduction Plan, National Adaptation Plan and advising on mitigation, Article 6 and International Carbon Markets for NZ's Climate Directorate.
His previous work includes providing diplomatic, strategic and technical advice for Pacific leaders at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), providing advice and designing campaign strategies for regional and international civil society organisations (incl. Greenpeace, Caritas, BOGA, Fossil Fuel Treaty), and helping clients achieve their strategic objectives through cross-sector engagement and partnerships.
Joe is a Samoan and has sound understanding of the cultural nuances required to engage with Pacific leaders and communities and has an extensive professional network among Climate professionals, civil society and community groups which enables him to work collaboratively throughout the region to achieve the objectives of his clients and Government partners.
Leanne has 25 years of experience designing and coordinating the successful delivery of projects all over the world in the Pacific, Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, including tracking the implementation of projects to drive successful outcomes. She has a background in natural resource management (community-based conservation and livelihoods), disaster risk management, and adaptation and resilience.
Leanne has worked with a range of government, multi-lateral donor, regional development, local government, and non-government organizations. She has worked as a strategic and reserves planner for the New Zealand Department of Conservation; a Community Development Officer in the Preah Sihanouk UNDP national park project in Cambodia; and spent half her working life working with the UNDP Global Environment Facility (GEF) on the large and Small Grants Programmes (SGP). Initially with the SGP in the Eastern Caribbean, later in the Pacific with co-financing from NZ MFAT and Australia DFAT, and subsequently managing the introduction and implementation of climate change adaptation funding for all SIDS eligible for SGP grants. Leanne has also worked as part of the three-person project management unit for the GEF/SOPAC Integrated Water Resource Management programme in the Pacific. She has also worked on the EU-funded Caribbean Regional Environment Programme establishing amenity areas including design and participatory monitoring frameworks as well as conducting regular monitoring during implementation.
As Senior International Programmes Manager for Disaster Risk Management, Climate Change Adaptation & Humanitarian Response in the Pacific and South Asia, administered by Save the Children New Zealand (SCNZ), Leanne co-designed projects, co-developed monitoring frameworks, conducted regular monitoring and reporting, and facilitated mid-term reviews and external evaluations for SCNZ’s resilience programming. She represented SCNZ on the National Disaster Relief Forum (2016 & 2020); represented SCNZ on the SC International Global DRR technical working group; Pacific DRR technical working group; Asia Regional Office Climate Change DRR technical working group; and the MFAT NZ DRR Working Group. She currently leads monitoring and evaluation for the MFAT Africa Geothermal Facility to ensure the Facility meets targets and advises sub-contractors on developing aligned impact measurement frameworks.
Her experience in the Pacific includes work in Fiji, Tuvalu, Nauru, Kiribati, Samoa, Niue, and the Cook Islands, among others. She has worked from the policy/government to the NGO, CSO and community level and is an advocate of approaches that build local capability and foster local leadership and engagement at all levels.
Leanne has experience in the local context of climate change on Tuvalu: she served as the lead consultant in the Early Warning Early Action project by the IFRC Climate Center 2021 - 2022, conducting research, working with local research teams (remotely), and producing final reports for Tuvalu and Palau. She has also supported Tuvalu counterparts in her regional coordination roles on the GEF IWRM project, GEF SGP, and MFAT Pacific Environment Fund. Leanne understands the reality of human resource limitations within the Tuvalu government, the critical role NGO stakeholders play in resilience and adaptation in Tuvalu, as well as the challenges of communication and travel to the outer islands. Leanne will bring her skills in successfully implementing and tracking programmes, her experience in the Pacific and her many years of experience in international development to support the team in the development of Tuvalu’s National Adaptation Plan.