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UCL's COP28 team

Meet our UCL Climate Experts attending COP28 and the team supporting them.

Media enquiries

For enquiries and to connect with academics, kindly reach out to theUCL Media Relations Team.


UCL Climate Experts

Prof Mark Maslin

Mark Maslin on BBC

Expertise
Climate Change

"My research shows that using win-win solutions to shift the global economy to net zero emissions will make everyone safer, healthier and wealthier. I want to see a clear commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions rapidly in the next ten years. I want to see a transparent and equitable agreement on Loss and Damage."

More info
Role at 911:Professor, Geography
/ Email Mark
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Book: How to save our planet

Prof JacquieMcGlade

Jaquie McGlade

Expertise
Carbon and Biodiversity Expert

"Unleashing the massive power of healthy soils and ecosystems to store carbon by shifting to regenerative farming practices and nature-based solutions underpinned by accurate data and evidence from the field."

More info
Role at 911:Professor of Sustainable Development and Resilience
More about Jacquie/Email Jacquie
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Dr Marina Romanello

Marina Romanello

Expertise
Climate change and health expert

"I work to put people, their health and wellbeing, at the heart of the climate change conversation. By producing rigorous data and evidence, I work to inform climate change action that protects and maximises the benefits to human health."

More info
Role at 911:Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown
More about Marina /Email Marina
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Dr Simon Chin-Yee

Simon Chin-Yee

Expertise
Climate, Maritime & African Politics

"My research is focused on climate change, conflict and vulnerable populations. I am currently working with African countries on reducing their GHG emissions in the shipping sector, including the co-development of decarbonisation actions, political buy-in for implementation, and capacity development."

More info
Role at 911:Lecturer, Political Sciences
More about Simon/ Email Simon
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Prof Priti Parikh

Priti Parikh

Expertise
Infrastructure, Climate and Sustainability expert

"Resilient Infrastructure is vital for human development and environmental protection. Billions of people on this planet do not have access to basic infrastructure services. My research targets those communities who bear the double burden of poor infrastructure and who are most vulnerable to climate change."

More info
Role at 911:Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
/Email Priti
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Prof Nicola Walshe

Nicola Walshe

Expertise
Climate change and environmental sustainability education

"My research supports teachers, schools and policy-makers to equip children and young people with the knowledge, skills and agency they need to thrive in a climate-altered future."

More info
Role at 911:Executive Director of the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, and Pro-Director Education at the UCL Institute of Education
/Email Nicola
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Prof Lisa Vanhala

Lisa Vanhala

Expertise
Climate change loss and damage politics and governance; climate change litigation; climate change and human rights

"I'm currently studying the politics of climate change loss and damage across levels of governance. My work seeks to explain the drivers of progress on loss and damage within the United Nations and to explore how national level policy-makers are grappling with and understanding the impacts of climate change."

More info
Role at 911: Professor, Political Science
More about Lisa/ Email Lisa
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Yaroslav Melekh

Yaroslav Melekh

Expertise
Energy Innovation Economist and Climate Finance

"Our research employs more sensible lenses for assessing the transition, arguing that it is too complex, dynamic and uncertain about the future costs in the long term to apply conventional static neoclassical economics. We advocate for a much broader assessment of possible non-monetary opportunities and types of risks rather than just numeric probabilities, therefore providing a more strategic perception of net-zero pathways and effectively deconstructing the ‘burden-sharing’ myth."

More info
Role at 911: Research Fellow,Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources
Email Yaroslav
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Prof Catalina Turcu

Catalina Turcu

Expertise
Cities expert

"Addressing climate change in cities remains largely a social and political challenge not a technical fix. My research looks at tensions and synergies between climate change and wider sustainability goals, with current focus on climate adaptation in cities, in relation to: (1) measures and solutions in vulnerable urban communities and ecosystems; (2) implementation roadmaps for local government in cities; and (3) the governance of translocal networks in cities."

More info
Role at 911:Professor of Sustainable Built Environment, Bartlett School of Planning
/ Email Catalina
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Dr Becca Burns

Dr Becca Burns

Expertise
Climate Change and Glaciology (PhD)

"Climate Change is a complex environmental challenge, requiring a multi-faceted response. As the Strategic Co-ordinator for the UCL Environment Domain, I champion our broad interdisciplinary environmental research interests, working alongside colleagues from across UCL to ensure our research transcends disciplinary and organisational boundaries to have real world impact."

More info
Role at 911:Strategic Co-ordinator: Environment,BEAMS Research Coordination Office, Research, Innovation and Global Engagement
More about Becca / Email Becca
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Jeremy Williams

Jeremy Williams

Expertise
Net Zero Policy and Evidence Lead

"My work provides governments and policymakers with the evidence they need, including on how to run society-wide conversations on routes and choices for a Net Zero future. Action on climate doesn't just require high-level commitments to reduce emissions. It also needs acceptance from across society of the contentious changes to everyday life which will be required. "

More info
Role at 911:Senior Research Fellow,International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO), Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP)
Email Jeremy
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Alex Pigot

Alex Pigot

Expertise
Biodiversity Expert

"Our research uses a combination of theory, modelling and experiments to understand the connections between climate change and biodiversity loss. Through our research we aim to inform policy and guide decision making to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and to safeguard biodiversity."

More info
Role at 911:Principal Research Fellow,Genetics, Evolution & Environment
/Email Alex
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Susannah Fisher

Susannah Fisher

Expertise
Adaptation and Climate Finance

"My research explores how climate finance supports countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change and the politics of how we define and measure effective adaptation."

More info
Role at 911:Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction
/ Email Susannah
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Jing Meng

Jing Meng

Expertise
Climate Change Policies

"My research endeavors to formulate a decarbonization pathway at the infrastructure level, taking into account both technological and economic feasibility."

More info
Role at 911:Professor,The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
/Email Jing
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Steve Pye

Steve Pye

Expertise
Clean Energy

"I am researching the phase out the fossil fuels under Paris aligned climate goals, for countries such as the UK and at a global level, taking account of equity concerns. At COP28, we need commitments by more countries to fossil fuel phase out."

More info
Role at 911: Associate Professor, UCL Energy Institute
/Email Steve
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Prof Mariana Mazzucato

Mariana Mazzucato

Expertise
Economics of Innovation and Public Value

"To mobilise investment on the scale required to deliver a just transition to net zero, states must go beyond market-fixing and de-risking to embrace their role as market shapers.This means shaping financial markets to align with decarbonatization goals and prevent greenwashing, directing public finance towards these goals as investors of first resort (not just lenders of last resort), and designing public-private partnerships and contracts to align with these goals and better share risks and rewards."

More info
/Email Mariana
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Tristan Smith

Tristan Smith

Expertise
Decarbonisation of shipping/transport

"We carry out interdisciplinary research, looking across global (UN) and national government and industry communities to understand the least cost policy mix, technology and energy pathways, and commercial developments, that can enable shipping to achieve 1.5-aligned equitable transition."

More info
Role at 911:Associate Professor in Energy and Transport
/ Spotlight on Tristan /Email Tristan
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Mikaela Patrick

Mikaela Patrick

Expertise
Disability Inclusive Infrastructure, Cities and Climate Change

"Our research is providing evidence on how inclusive design and accessibility can be integrated into the planning and design of climate infrastructure, to ensure disabled people are not left behind in the climate emergency."

More info
Role at 911:Head of Inclusive Infrastructure and Climate, Global Disability Innovation Hub
/Email Mikaela
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Michael Grubb

Michael Grubb

Expertise
Energy and Climate Change

"The economics of the climate debate have been largely cast in terms of costs of mitigation, required to cut emissions. In Chapter 1 of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report on Mitigation, we underlined that credible and effective mitigation policy needs to draw on four analytic frameworks: ‘mainstream’ aggregate economics; ethics and equity; innovation and transition dynamics; and psychological and political studies. In my role as Strategy Director for the international programme on , we have worked with research colleagues across the UK and Brazil, India and China to bring new and more positive economic thinking to the fore of climate policy debates."

More info
Role at 911:Professor of Energy and Climate Change & Deputy Director, UCL - Institute for Sustainable Resources and Strategic
/ Email Michael
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Mary McHarg

Mary McHarg

Expertise
Climate activist

"As the first sabbatical officer to be joining the COP team, I'm looking forward to empowering more students to get involved in climate action of all kinds, and platforming diverse student voices from UCL."

More info
Role at 911:Union Affairs Officer, Students’ Union UCL
/Email Mary
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Supporting Team

Michael Lucibella

Michael Lucibella
Media Relations Manager, UCL’s Office of Media Relations

"I coordinate media and press outreach for the Built Environment and Social & Historical Sciences faculties, which are home to much of UCL’s climate efforts. For COP28, I’m working with UCL’s diverse team of climate experts, both in Dubai and here in the UK, to maximise media coverage."

Email Michael

Elli Lee

Elli Lee
Senior Communications & Engagement Officer, Sustainable UCL

"I manage Sustainable UCL’s communications channels and behaviour change campaigns. On the COP28 team, I lead on project management and our communications strategy, including how we connect all the amazing work going on at COP to our audiences across the UCL community, so that COP is accessible to everyone."

Email Elli

Katherine Welch

Katherine Welsh
Deputy Director Partnerships, UCL Public Policy

"I lead on UCL PPs climate-related policy engagement supporting researchers to get their evidence into policy making. I am also policy co-chair for the UK Universities Climate Network which supports collaboration across UK universities. I’m excited to support our COP delegates in working with policy during and after the convention."

Email Katherine


Jane Yelloly

Jane Yelloly
Campaigns Manager, VPEE

"My role on the COP28 Campaign team is to fly the flag of UCL’s climate campaign ‘Generation One’. My aim is to integrate UCL’s pockets of climate activity under this one umbrella. As Aristotle said “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”."

Email Jane

Hannah Biggs

Hannah Biggs
Senior Sustainability Manager, Sustainable UCL

"I oversee UCL’s sustainability programmes related to carbon, biodiversity, education and engagement. I provide strategic input on developing UCL’s Climate Hub."

Email Hannah

More on UCL and COP28