PhD in Environmental Science
Current position: Senior Adviser (Policy) to the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Australia
Research focus: increasing climate resilience through evidence-based and innovative policy mechanisms
Ellin’s three-month fellowship as a Green Talent was undertaken at the NewClimate Institute for Climate Policy and Global Sustainability – a leading not-for-profit climate change research institute in Cologne, where Ellin developed the report: Increasing Climate Resilience in the Northern Territory: Harnessing Opportunities and Mitigating Climate Risk.
The valuable insights Ellin gained at NewClimate were utilised in her subsequent position as Visiting Scientific Adviser to the British Government and upon moving home to Australia, as Policy Adviser to the Minister for Climate Change and Senior Policy Adviser to the Chief Minister (Northern Territory, Australia).
Ellin is an Honorary University Fellow at Charles Darwin University (Northern Territory) and has previously worked as a Policy/Scientific Adviser to different levels of government – including the National Government of Vietnam and the City of Paris - as well as to the private sector and NGOs in the UK, the Netherlands and Australia.
CV as submitted for the Green Talents award (2017):
Tyndall Centre for Climate Research, United Kingdom
Research focus: developing innovative and evidence-based approaches to incentivise water conservation in water-scarce regions in the UK
Global water scarcity is projected to intensify as climatic change alters the hydrological cycle and an increase in population and economic growth leads to a rise in water consumption. Providing adequate freshwater to ensure human and environmental needs are met is set to remain one of our most pressing global challenges. Ensuring a sustainable supply of water will require novel strategies, which will include engaging with end-users to incentivise a reduction in overall water demand. In collaboration with research partners, Ellin designs and pilots evidence-based approaches informed by behavioural science to encourage water conservation behaviour in water scarce regions in the UK.
Ellin has previously worked with different levels of government (the National Government of Vietnam, the City of Paris), as well as within inter-governmental organisations and research teams within the climate change and sustainability sphere. She views her research visit to Germany as an invaluable opportunity to engage with scientists who are at the forefront of research into sustainability and the interaction between climate solutions, societal engagement, and technological innovation. In her future career, she aims to initiate further collaborations within academia, governmental, and private-sector organisations to address sustainability challenges with innovative and evidence-based solutions.
The jury was impressed by her interdisciplinary approach to apply behavioural insights to incentivise pro-environmental behaviour. There is no doubt that by pursuing further research in the environmental science and climate change domain, Ellin will make a significant contribution towards making the world a more sustainable place.
