The NZ Centre for Global Studies is holding its 8th Annual Global Affairs Lecture on climate change. In collaboration with the NZ Centre for Environmental Law, it will host the Minister, Hon. James Shaw who, fresh from the UN’s COP26 in Glasgow, will speak to: ‘The UN and Climate Negotiations: Implications for our planet; implications for our country'. Responses will be given by Catherine Leining (NZ Climate Commission, Wellington) and Alex Kazaglis (Vivid Economics, London). Rod Oram is moderator and NZCEL’s Ass Prof Caroline Foster will chair the Q&A.

This is a lecture not to be missed – ‘the future is now’.

Hon James Shaw

Hon James Shaw firmly believes that New Zealand can be an example to the world in transitioning to a high-value, clean-tech, post-carbon economy that works for everyone. He also believes that, right now, the world needs more such examples to follow and that those that can lead have a duty to do so.

Read his full bio here:

Catherine Leining

Catherine Leining is a Policy Fellow, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Commissioner at the New Zealand Climate Change Commission (He Pou a Rangi). She serves as a member on the NZCGS Board.

Catherine’s expertise is in domestic and international climate change mitigation policy with specialisation in market-based mechanisms like emissions trading. She holds a BS in Biology and French from Duke University (USA).

Catherine currently leads Motu’s programme “Shaping New Zealand’s Low-Emission Future,” which includes policy research and stakeholder dialogue on climate change mitigation. Her work has focused on the history and evaluation of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme; sectoral pathways for decarbonisation; and managing the distributional impacts of climate change mitigation policies. As part of the Climate Change Commission, Catherine provides independent advice to the government on achieving a thriving, climate-resilient and low-emission Aotearoa.

Catherine is currently consulting independently under Silver Lining Global Solutions. After moving to New Zealand from the US in 2003, she was a Senior Analyst/Senior Operator at the Ministry for the Environment, where she helped design the NZ ETS and served as a climate change negotiator under the UNFCCC. Catherine has also held fixed-term senior policy roles at Wellington City Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Alex Kazaglis

Alex is a Director at Vivid Economics (consultancy firm) and a partner at McKinsey & Co, London. In his role with Vivid Economics, he was a lead author of the 2017 report on ‘Net Zero in New Zealand’, commissioned by the NZ cross-party group, GLOBE NZ.

Alex has held previous positions in the UK Committee on Climate Change, and the Australian Climate Change Authority.

His academic background includes Master of Science from LSE (London), as FCO Chevening Scholar; Honours degree (1st cl.) in Engineering and Science from University of New South Wales (Australia).

Rod Oram

Rod Oram is a Business Journalist serving as a member on the NZCGS Board. He holds a BA in politics and economics and an MSJ in journalism from Northwestern University, USA. In New Zealand, Rod has held some honorary roles at Unitec in Auckland, including an adjunct professorship in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Rod is a columnist and shareholder at Newsroom; an Edmund Hillary Fellow and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

How 10 billion people will be able to live well and sustainably on this planet by 2050 is Rod’s absolutely central preoccupation as a business journalist and citizen. This is also the main focus of his contributions to the work of NZCGS and its Board. Rod has played a major role in NZCGS’ Global Security programmes and also serves the NZCGS Treasurer role.

Rod is a former trustee and chair of the Ākina Foundation, a former trustee of the Centre for Socially Responsible Investment; and a former elected representative in the Anglican Diocese of Auckland Synod and in the Anglican General Synod Te Hinota Whānui.

Caroline Foster

Dr. Caroline Foster's field is public international law, and she has a special interest in the prevention of transboundary environmental harm. She has just published a new book Global Regulatory Standards in Environmental and Health Disputes: Due Regard, Due Diligence and Regulatory Coherence which came out with Oxford University Press in mid 2021. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Foster worked with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, graduating from the Andres Bello Chilean Diplomatic Academy as a foreign diplomat in 1993. She served as a New Zealand representative at international negotiations in a number of different areas of international law, and worked at the New Zealand High Commission in London. On the environmental side she worked on the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol on the safe transfer and handling of living modified organisms. Her first monograph Science, Proof and Precaution in International Courts and Tribunals: Expert Evidence, Burden of Proof and Finality (Cambridge University Press, 2011) was cited by Judges Simma and Al-Khasawneh in the International Court of Justice in the Case Concerning Pulp Mills (Argentina v Uruquay) and by Counsel in Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v Japan).