Science based policy for climate change conference 2023

He Kaupapa Hononga is a network of University of Otago researchers and collaborators interested in climate change and its impacts. We support interdisciplinary research that utilises and integrates knowledge from a range of sources, including mātauranga Māori - because climate change is a complicated, multifaceted process that requires a united approach at many different levels to achieve the best outcomes possible.

Science-based Policy School for Climate Change 2023’s Organising Committee:

Sara Walton, Professor at Department of Management; Co-director of He Kaupapa Hononga, University of Otago

Professor Sara Walton teaches and researches in the area of sustainability, climate change and business at the Otago Business School, University of Otago. Sara has contributed towards knowledge in environmental and social entrepreneurship, innovation for environmental sustainability, sustainable transitions, environmental conflicts and understanding work in changing futures. Her current projects include Āmiomio Aotearoa: A circular economy for the wellbeing of New Zealand, Science for Technological Innovation, an effectiveness evaluation of Climate Risk Disclosures for XRB and the climate scorecards with Stuff. Prof Walton is a co-director of He Kaupapa Hononga Otago’s Climate Change Research Network.

Linn Hoffmann, Associate Professor at Department of Botany, University of Otago

Linn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Botany at the University of Otago. She completed her PhD in marine biogeochemistry at the University of Kiel (Germany) in 2007. After postdoctoral stays in Gothenburg (Sweden) and Dunedin (New Zealand) she became the head of a Young Investigator group in Kiel (Germany) before accepting a position at Otago. Linn is the director of the Future Ocean Research Theme and specialises in marine phytoplankton eco-physiology. Her work concentrates on the implications of climate change related stressors such as ocean warming, ocean acidification, and nutrient bioavailability on phytoplankton communities, microscopic algae that produce half of the oxygen on our planet. She started her career by studying the ecological impacts of large-scale ocean iron fertilisation experiments, one of the most promising geoengineering ideas at the time. Now, almost 20 years later and still no reduction in carbon emissions in sight, she is part of a global network of oceanographers working towards developing rules for monitoring, reporting and verification of potential marine geoengineering methods.

Ray O’Brien, Tumuaki o toitū te Taiao - Head of Sustainability, University of Otago

Ray is never sure if he is a sustainability professional in education or an education professional in sustainability. He leads the development and implementation of the University’s Sustainability Strategic Framework. An integral part of that strategy is to develop opportunities for learning and research that use the University as a living lab. This approach is typified by the trilogy of practice, research, and student learning all developing around a shared project. It’s agile response to the challenges of today, that leans on complexity thinking, transformational experience design, and futuring. The result is more opportunities for students to become part of the transition to a thriving future, but also for the learning and insights they develop to be disseminated to a wider audience.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayobrienlearning/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ray-Obrien/publications

Sherry H.Y. Tseng, PhD candidate and Assistant Research Fellow for He Kaupapa Hononga, University of Otago

Sherry is a PhD researcher interested in sustainability policies and practice change. Her recent research focuses on academic aeromobility and provides insights into how universities and other knowledge sectors can respond to the urgent need to change flying practices. Her work especially centres on global equity issues regarding air travel reduction of remote institutions. Sherry dedicates years of airline management experience to conducting research with academic theory and industrial applicability in mind. Currently, Sherry provides research assistance with building and further developing He Kaupapa Hononga's research network.

Contact for enquiries about the event

Email: hekaupapa.hononga@otago.ac.nz