COP29: experts on climate and environment

The University of Victoria experts listed below are available to media for comment on topics related to the UN Climate Change Conference COP29, which takes place from Nov. 11-22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This year’s conference theme is “in solidarity for a green world.”

UVic is ranked fifth in the world and second in Canada for climate action in the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. Learn more about our commitment to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through our Climate and Sustainability Action Plan.

Julia Baum (Biology) is UVic’s Special Advisor, Climate, an expert in marine ecology and conservation, and a UVic President’s Chair. She is the director of Coastal Climate Solutions Leaders (CCSL), a first-of-its-kind Canadian graduate training program that prepares students to tackle the climate crisis head-on. She can discuss the impacts of human-caused climate change on marine ecosystems and people, and ocean climate change solutions. (Contact: baum@uvic.ca)

Curran Crawford (Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET)/Mechanical Engineering) is the founding Executive Director of ACET, a 40+ partner initiative accelerating the global search for resilient and equitable clean energy solutions through local, community-based collaborations. In addition to his expertise in sustainable energy systems design and operation, Curran can give early insights into the work underway that will transform the Canadian clean energy landscape this decade. (Contact: curranc@uvic.ca)

Peter Dietsch (Philosophy) is an expert in economic ethics, including fiscal and monetary policy, tax justice and income inequality in the context of climate change. Among other topics, Dietsch can discuss ways to reform carbon taxation to make it more effective and just, the role of central banks in the green transition, and issues around environmentally responsible investment. (Contact: pdietsch@uvic.ca)

Sean Holman (Writing) is an expert in media coverage of climate change and the director of the Climate Disaster Project. As UVic’s Crookes Professor of Environmental & Climate Journalism, Holman is focused on the human issues of the climate crisis. As a former investigative journalist, he can also speak about government use and misuse of information, particularly against the backdrop of catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss, and how the Climate Disaster Project can help shape policy decisions. (Contact: smholman@uvic.ca)

Kate Moran (Ocean Networks Canada/Faculty of Science) is an expert on ocean observing, the Arctic and climate change. She can discuss emerging technologies and advancements in ocean-based carbon dioxide removal as a climate solution. Moran co-led the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program’s Arctic Coring Expedition, which recovered the first paleoclimate record from the Arctic Ocean. An engineer by training, Moran was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2023 and is an elected American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow. (Contact: kmoran@uvic.ca)

Ian Mauro (Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)) is an expert in climate action partnerships, community-based climate projects, and multimedia climate education and knowledge mobilization. A filmmaker and scientist, and executive director of PICS, Mauro can discuss climate science, society and sustainability, and the importance of interweaving academic, local and Indigenous knowledges. (Contact: picscomm@uvic.ca)

Felix Pretis (Economics) is an expert in climate economic research. His international research network develops methods to better understand the complex relationships between human actions and climate responses, their associated economic effects, and effective policies to reduce emissions. As co-director of the Climate Econometric Research Network, he brings together international researchers in the field of climate econometrics to study these issues. (Contact: fpretis@uvic.ca)

Katya Rhodes (Public Administration, Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at UVic) is a climate policy expert investigating the issues of effective and acceptable pathways to reduce climate change. With respect to COP29, she can discuss climate-related policies, including carbon pricing. (Contact: krhodes@uvic.ca)

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