Secretariat
Ben Rhodes
Head of Secretariat
Ben leads the ICCN Secretariat team, which aims to build capacity amongst our members, raise their profile internationally, and improve climate governance by strengthening the network. He is also the focal point for European councils. Before joining E3G, Ben worked as a British civil servant for 18 years in a wide range of roles, most recently in the International Climate Finance team leading on capacity building programmes.
Tessa Vincent
Capacity Building Manager
Tessa facilitates knowledge-exchange and strengthening capacity among ICCN members on mitigation and adaptation. Tessa is also the focal point for the Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions. Tessa has a Law and Politics background and has worked for Judges and Members of Parliament in Aotearoa, New Zealand. She has experience in facilitating networks through the Race to Zero campaign led by the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions and the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance.
Izzy Page
Secretariat and Engagement Manager
Izzy leads events and communications at ICCN, as well as supporting Secretariat management. She is the regional lead for Africa and North America. Izzy previously managed climate-focused partnerships at The Conduit. She has an MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance from the University of Oxford’s School of Geography and the Environment, where she conducted her dissertation research on Scottish energy workers’ lived experiences of energy transition.
Steering Committee
Rick Smith (interim 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.
Dr. Viv Scott
Dr. Viv Scott is Head of International Analysis in the secretariat of the UK Climate Change Committee, the statutory advisory body on climate change to the UK Government. He holds a PhD in climate science and has worked on emissions scenarios and climate impacts, and climate change and energy policy at UK, European and international levels.
Catherine Abreu
Catherine Abreu is a climate justice advocate with 15 years of experience in the heart of the global climate movement. She is one of 14 appointed members of Canada’s Net-Zero Advisory Body, the legally-mandated expert body tasked with providing advice to government on pathways to meet its climate commitments. Recognized for her diplomacy, communications, and coalition-building skills, she’s one of the world’s top 100 climate policy influencers according to Apolitical. Catherine is honoured to have been named 2023’s National Hero by Canada’s Walk of Fame. Catherine is the Director of the International Climate Politics Hub, a global network of high-impact organizations and individuals working to accelerate climate action in the realm of multilateralism.
Peter Møllgaard
Peter Møllgaard is Chair of the Danish Council on Climate Change and President of Copenhagen Business School (CBS), with experience in integrating renewable energy into the electric power system and in researching regulation and competition policy. Former member of, among other things, the Board at Energinet and the government-appointed Energy Commission.
Dumisani Nxumalo
Dumisani Nxumalo is the Acting Chief Operating Officer of the South African Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), overseeing its operations and strategy. He has been instrumental in donor coordination, climate finance, innovation, and adaptation and previously served as Acting Secretary. One of the longest-serving members of the ICCN Steering Committee, he has contributed to international climate cooperation. Before joining the PCC, he worked with South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs (now DFFE), the World Resources Institute, and GIZ. He holds a National Diploma in Environmental Sciences from Tshwane University of Technology and a degree in Sustainability from Stellenbosch University.