Speakers

Session 1: Mitigation

Daniel Tulloch, Climate and Sustainable Finance Consultant

Daniel is a climate change expert with over 13 years of experience encompassing sustainable finance, carbon markets, energy, and policy. He spent six years in New Zealand's central government, where he specialised in sector strategy, work program management, and legislative change. His expertise is demonstrated through 20+ publications and his 13-year service as a reviewer for international journals.
Previously, Daniel held the honorary academic title at the University of Oxford’s Sustainable Finance team. He also held numerous Chief and Principal advisor roles in government, including the Ministry for the Environment, Treasury, and Commerce Commission. His advisory capacity extends to Ministerial, Board, and senior leadership levels, aiding Aotearoa New Zealand's transition to a low carbon economy. He also held visiting academic positions at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
A member of the Institute of Directors, Daniel holds two state Board-level positions and has been recognized as a Top Board-Ready director by the Superdiversity Institute. He's also been identified as an emerging leader in New Zealand by the Ministry for Women and Ministry for Ethnic Communities. Daniel currently resides in Wellington with his wife and son. He has a keen interest in outdoor activities and enjoys the serenity of nature.

Sebastian Gehricke, Senior Lecturer at Department of Accounting and Finance and Co-director of Climate and Energy Finance Group, University of Otago

Dr Sebastian Gehricke is a Senior lecturer and Director of the Climate and Energy Finance Group (CEFGroup) at the University of Otago, running several events and pursuing research and teaching in sustainable finance and investments.
Recently (in 2022), he was awarded the Otago University early-career researcher award for his accomplishments. Sebastian also has financial consulting experience, particularly in project feasibility modelling and investment management and serves on the board of a local not-for-profit.
In 2021 Sebastian developed the first sustainable investments course in New Zealand and in 2023 launched the minor in Sustainable Finance. He is a strong advocate for a transition toward a sustainable finance system and actively communicates with the private and public sector to support this journey. He eagerly shares his knowledge through the media, executive training and speaking at industry and community events.

Caroline Shaw, Associate Professor at Department of Public Health, University of Otago Wellington

Caroline is a public health medicine specialist and epidemiologist. She works in the Department of Public Health, University of Otago Wellington. She teaches postgraduate Environmental Health and is also involved in undergraduate public health teaching.
Her research is at the interface of transport, health, equity and climate change, particularly around how we can equitably reduce transport emissions and improve population health and well-being at the same time.

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

Session 2: Adaptation

Craig Bunt, Professor of Agricultural Innovation, University of Otago

Frank Griffin, Emeritus Professor at Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago

Since being appointed Lecturer in Immunology at the University of Otago in 1973, Frank has held a wide range of Teaching, Research and Administrative positions within the University. From 1985- to 2020 he was Director of the Disease Research Laboratory (DRL) which developed vaccines and laboratory diagnostics for infectious diseases in deer, sheep and wildlife. In 1989 he became a member of the successful Saudi Arabian research programme for the control TB in the Arabian Oryx and Gazelles, prior to their recovery from the brink of extinction and their re-introduction into the Saudi Arabian desert. He was awarded the: NZ Deer Industry Award (1990); the ONZM (2003) for his contributions to animal health: the Pickering Medal for Innovation in Technology (2010) and elected Fellow of the NZ Royal Society (2012).
He retired from his Professorial position in 2016 and was appointed Emeritus Professor-in-Immunology and Director of Ag@Otago; a University of Otago Research Theme, in Agricultural Innovation. Since 2017 has led a research initiative on the impact of Industrial Agriculture on Climate Change, with special emphasis on the mitigation of methane emissions from herbivores, regenerative farming and its impact on Soil Organic Carbon and Climate remediation.

Merata Kawharu, Professor at Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago

Sophie Bond, Associate Professor at School of Geography, University of Otago

I am a geographer in Te Iho Whenua, the School of Geography at the University of Otago. I teach and research in areas of social and political geography, with a focus on community and policy responses to environmental and social change. I have long been involved in research with communities responding to change or engaging in action for change to address injustice. Recently this focus has been on community engagement in climate change adaptation specifically, set within broader ideas of climate justice.
I have been a ‘critical friend’ to staff in a number of teams in both the Otago Regional Council and the Dunedin City Council in relation to community engagement in climate change adaptation, and have also engaged them as research partners in projects in the local area, including South Dunedin. These relationships have spanned the last 8 years, and have also included postgraduate students, the South Dunedin Community Network and colleagues from the Centre for Sustainability.

Ian Telfer, Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor for the South Dunedin Future programme

Ian is Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor for the South Dunedin Future programme being jointly run by the Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council. His role is ensure wide understanding and participation in Dunedin’s largest climate change adaptation project, as it works with the community to build a plan for the long-term future of the South Dunedin area. Ian has a varied work history in communications, community work and science, including at Radio New Zealand, Otago University and a range of community organisations.

Frances Ifeoma Ukonze, PhD candidate and Postgraduate representative for He Kaupapa Hononga

Ifeoma is a passionate researcher and academic specializing in urban studies, Transportation Planning and Sustainability. With a focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation, her research explores sustainable frameworks for growing and underdeveloped cities. With over 9 years of experience as a Lecturer in Urban Design, Ifeoma has a strong academic and administrative background.
Having witnessed best practices during her studies in the Netherlands, Ifeoma's interest in green infrastructure grew, leading to her current PhD research. She actively participates in workshops, seminars, and conferences centered around sustainable urban development, climate change, and rural revitalization. Her contributions have earned her prestigious accolades, including the Netherlands Fellowship Scholarship, and she was selected for the Mentor & Student Research Lab in Gdansk, Poland.
Ifeoma leads the Nigerian team in a campaign promoting sustainable transportation and serves as the postgraduate representative for the He Kaupapa Honanga – Otago Climate Change Research Network. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between research and practical solutions, aiming to create a more sustainable future for cities worldwide. With a strong passion for protecting the environment and addressing urban planning challenges, Ifeoma is committed to making a meaningful impact in her field.

Session 3: Opportunities

Vicktoria Blake, Head of Sustainability (Acting), Te Whatu Ora

Vicktoria Blake is acting as the Head of Sustainability for Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and has been the Project Lead of their Climate Change Working Group since November 2021. Currently taking a national lens to her work, Vicktoria also spends a lot of time engaging locally in environmental spaces including climate risk and adaptation, biodiversity, transport solutions and waste.
With a bachelor’s degree in business management and master’s in environmental management, Vicktoria brings a balanced approach to organisational sustainability, with a strong theme of “environment first”.
Vicktoria is very focused on what the future will look like for her son and his children and does her best to take a hopeful solutions-focused approach to resilience, sustainability, and emissions reduction.
Vicktoria will specifically discuss the importance of embedding a health and wellbeing lens into all policy, particularly climate policy, and that in order for systemic change to be realised we must work across the system and break down siloed approaches.

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

See above.

Lisa McLaren, Senior Policy Advisor and PhD Candidate

Lisa McLaren grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the Wairarapa.
She was the National Convenor of the Zero Carbon Act campaign for new climate law, which passed into law in November 2019.
Lisa has a Master’s degree in environmental science and climate change education, and she previously worked in local government on sea level rise policy, emergency response, and community resilience. She was recognised in 2020 with a Queen’s Service Medal for services to climate change advocacy, as well as a Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Distinguished Alumni award in 2021.
Lisa has attended several United National climate change negotiations, including co-convening the New Zealand Youth Delegation at the Paris climate conference in 2015. She has recently returned to the local government sector, working as a Senior Policy Advisor (climate change and environment) at the Masterton District Council. She is also completing the last stages of her PhD on citizen-led science and policy development at the Joint Centre for Disaster Research, Massey University.
Lisa is passionate about localising climate change conversations and bringing communities together to face the challenges of the climate crisis head on.

Karen Nairn, Professor and member of He Kaupapa Hononga

Karen Nairn draws on her geography and education background to engage in interdisciplinary research with young people.
Her current research with young activists is published in the book Fierce hope. Youth activism in Aotearoa (Bridget Williams Books). The book focuses on what inspires young people to join others to create social change. The book is about six youth-led groups working on a range of fronts, including honouring indigenous land rights and progressing policies for a zero carbon future.
Generation Zero was one of the six groups we worked with and their main focus is climate change. I was particularly interested in how activist groups like Generation Zero sustain their activism and build hope collectively despite the obstacles in their way.

George Slim, Senior Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor

George is a consultant with Rhadegund Life Sciences ltd (www.rls.co.nz) currently working as a part time Senior Policy Advisor to Professor Dame Juliet Gerrard, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, maintaining a presence in Wellington for her office, and also as a Policy Advisor to Science New Zealand, the association of Crown Research Institutes.
Starting out with a PhD in organic chemistry from Otago, George has over 35 years’ experience in the science system in Aotearoa New Zealand and offshore. He has worked in academia, the government research sector, for start-ups and government agencies.
Interest in the day: improving the connections between researchers and policy makers.

Afternoon plenary

Nina Obermaier, European Union Ambassador to Aotearoa New Zealand

Nina Obermaier has been the Ambassador of the European Union to New Zealand since November 2019. Prior to her arrival in Wellington, she was part of the negotiating team for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, and as the adviser to the Deputy Chief Negotiator in charge of issues related to Ireland/North Ireland. Previously, she worked on the EU’s relations with Switzerland, protection and crisis management, and the Middle East peace process. Before joining the European Union institutions, she was a senior producer and journalist for ARD (German Television).
Nina attained an M.A. in European Studies as well as in Political Science and History. She speaks six languages at different levels of proficiency, and is able to work in four: English, German, French, and Dutch.