Congratulations to the ICCN’s new Steering Committee! Read more about your representatives below:
Grant Blackwell, Chief Science Adviser, New Zealand Climate Change Commission
I’m the Chief Scientist with the New Zealand Climate Change Commission, He Pou a Rangi, and I’ve been with the Commission since our establishment in 2019. I’m a member of our Executive Leadership Team, and I’m responsible for our quality management system, our science strategy, our research partnerships program, and I’m our Chief Information Security Officer. My role focuses on how we access, present and understand information and knowledge to drive action. I’m also the key contact for the ICCN and the main contact point for our involvement in the Asia Pacific Regional Group.
François Dejean, Head of Secretariat, European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change
François Dejean is Head of the Secretariat to the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, an independent advisory body established under the European Climate Law to provide scientific advice to the European Union on climate policy and targets. He has more than 20 years of experience working at the interface between science and policy, including on EU climate governance, transparency and progress monitoring frameworks, climate neutrality pathways and climate change mitigation policies. Before leading the Advisory Board Secretariat, he held expert and management positions at the European Environment Agency, including Head of Group for Climate Change Mitigation, Energy and Transport.
Carlos Morales Quiroz, Public Policy Analyst & Technical Secretary of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Climate Change, Chile
I am a Bioengineer with a Master’s in Industrial Engineering, specializing in public policy analysis and advanced data analytics. In my current role as the Technical Secretary of Chile’s Climate Change Scientific Advisory Committee at the Ministry of Science, I regularly combine rigorous engineering principles with global public management to deliver data-driven solutions to complex environmental challenges. My professional profile is defined by a strong track record in international climate governance and diplomacy, highlighted by my roles as the national focal point for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and a participant in IPCC workshops. Furthermore, my global experience includes a science diplomacy fellowship and actively contributing to UN Climate Change activities (COP and SB meetings). In managing public frameworks, I lead strategic technical bidding processes and leverage advanced computing and artificial intelligence for policy optimization and multilateral strategic planning.
Dumisani Nxumalo, COO, South African Presidential Climate Commission (Co-Chair)
Dumisani Nxumalo is the Chief Operating Officer in the Presidential Climate Commission Secretariat. He joined the PCC in the role of a Project Coordinator supporting the Donor Coordination, Climate Finance and the Adaptation portfolios. Over the last five years, he has served in roles including: Acting Commission Secretary; Finance and Governance Manager; Manager: Adaptation and Resilience; and more recently Senior Manager: Partnerships & Project Support. Dumisani previously worked for the then Department of Environmental Affairs (now the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment), the World Resources Institute, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, (GIZ) GmbH.
Sandra Onyeanusi, Principal Scientific Officer, National Council on Climate Change, Nigeria
Sandra Onyeanusi is an environmental management professional with over 12 years of experience advancing climate policy and climate–health resilience in Nigeria. She serves as a Principal Scientific Officer at the NCCC, Nigeria, supporting adaptation strategies and advising on Climate Change Act implementation. She contributed to Nigeria’s First Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) and supports preparations for BTR2 and NC4. She has contributed to key national frameworks, including the Health National Adaptation Plan and vulnerability assessments for healthcare systems. With a strong background in stakeholder engagement and evidence-based policy, she brings a practical Global South perspective and ability to translate complex data into actionable climate solutions.
Rick Smith, President, Canadian Climate Institute (Co-Chair)
Rick Smith has been President of the Canadian Climate Institute, Canada’s largest climate change research organization, since 2021. Throughout his twenty-five year career, Rick has held senior roles in many of Canada’s most important policy organizations. He holds a Ph.D. in biology, has authored two best-selling books on the human health effects of pollution, and was recently Executive Producer of an award-winning documentary focused on microplastics in the human body. He is based in Toronto.
Sophie Vipond, Director of External Affairs, UK Climate Change Committee
Sophie is the Director of External Affairs at the Climate Change Committee (CCC). She is a communications and engagement specialist with extensive knowledge of global climate policy and is experienced operating in international politics, business, and government. Sophie has led the communications strategy for the publication of the Seventh Carbon Budget, and the Well Adapted UK advice. Prior to working at the CCC, Sophie led external affairs for the international NGO, Climate Group. She focused particularly on projects around the phase out of petrol and diesel vehicles, and the uptake of EVs. Sophie also coordinated the organisation’s COP delegations and led the political engagement for Climate Week NYC.