James has a 20-year career in the infrastructure and environmental sectors. He has been involved in a wide range of important projects over recent years, including the first National Climate Risk Assessment, MfE’s Climate Adaptation Technical Working Group, the Health Sector Climate Scenarios, and a variety of climate risk and adaptation projects. Dr. Barbara Lewando is a climate change policy advisor in local government with extensive experience in the private sector and international climate policy, sustainability, and resilience-building. Nic is the Climate Change Programme Manager at Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Nic has over 20 years of experience working with complex resource management issues and communities. He has worked leading and facilitating projects from freshwater problem solving in Canterbury to technology and rural development in the Peruvian Andes. He likes complex problems

Dr. Barbara Lewando is a climate change policy advisor in local government with extensive experience in the private sector and international climate policy, sustainability, and resilience-building.

Jane Palmer has been part of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s (BOPRC) Climate Change Team for the past six years, working across both mitigation and adaptation. Jane has a long standing interest and passion for environmental issues, with a breadth of experience covering energy, housing, climate change, fuel poverty, consumer information, public participation, deliberative democracy and waste management. Jane has previously worked at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute and for the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on domestic energy efficiency standards and policy. Jane has been involved a number of key projects at BOPRC, including the Bay of Plenty regional climate change risk assessment and the Local Emissions Data Platform initiative. Jane is also on the Steering Group of the Aotearoa Climate Adaptation Network (ACAN), soon to be ASAP (Aotearoa Society for Adaptation Professionals), which will be launched at Adaptation Futures on 15 October.

Paddy is a climate risk and adaptation specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in consultancy and applied research. His work has seen him lead the UK Climate Impacts Programme, and lead various adaptation programmes in the Pacific and provide technical support on adaptation during UNFCCC negotiations.

Ruby is a senior climate adaptation specialist at Christchurch City Council, New Zealand, leading the implementation of adaptation planning processes across coastal communities. She specialises in community engagement and translating technical risk information into actionable adaptation pathways.

Ruby is a senior climate adaptation specialist at Christchurch City Council, New Zealand, leading the implementation of adaptation planning processes across coastal communities. She specialises in community engagement and translating technical risk information into actionable adaptation pathways. Tom is a Rutherford Discovery Fellow, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar at University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and Technical Director at Urban Intelligence. His research focuses on climate risk assessment and adaptation planning, with expertise in developing digital tools that support evidence-based decision-making. Ruby is a senior climate adaptation specialist at Christchurch City Council, New Zealand, leading the implementation of adaptation planning processes across coastal communities.