Hammed Kayode Alabi
MS Africa and International Development, 2021 (MasterCard Foundation Scholar)
World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Global Shapers Community at Edinburgh Hub
Hammed is passionate about access to education in underserved communities and for young people with forced migration backgrounds. Growing up in a slum Makoko-Nigeria, education became his lifeline, and he has dedicated 13 years to working in this field. He is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper with the Edinburgh Hub where he is working alongside other members on a tree plantation project. The aim of the initiative is to consolidate the Edinburgh city effort in achieving net zero and include young people in the process. Hammed believes in the need for local people to be involved in climate sustainability efforts.
Camilla Born
BSc Geography, 2012
Deputy Director at International Climate Finance, the UK Cabinet Office, Chair of Trustees at Climate Outreach, and Senior Associate in Climate Diplomacy, Risk and Security at E3G
Political strategist, policy advisor and activist specialising in climate diplomacy, security, and risk. She works as Deputy Director (International Climate Finance) in the UK Cabinet Office. Previously, she was as Deputy Director of Strategy in the COP26 team. Camilla works closely with governments, international institutions, businesses, cities, and civil society to provide political strategy and global risk analysis to support their climate objectives. She is the Chair of Climate Outreach, a UK charity specialising in climate change communications, and a Senior Associate with E3G, an independent climate change think tank.
Akil Callender
MSc Energy, Society and Sustainability, 2020
Youth Specialist at Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)
Akil works as Youth Specialist with Sustainable Energy for All, an international organisation that works to drive faster action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030. In his current role, Akil aims to better understand what it takes to solve the energy challenges faced by developing countries. As Youth Energy and Climate Advocate, he represented the Caribbean Region at the first Youth4Climate Summit in Milan, and at the Sustainable Energy for All Global Forum in Kigali.
Damian Carrington
PhD Geology, 1993
Environmental journalist and Head of Environment at The Guardian
Environmental journalist and the Head of Environment at the Guardian, which he joined in 2008. He has been a journalist for 20 years and previously worked at the Financial Times, New Scientist and BBC News Online. He reports on climate, wildlife loss and pollution, and has written nearly 2,000 stories for the Guardian alone. He did a PhD and postdoctoral research in Geology at the Edinburgh University, which included an expedition to Antarctica. Damian and his colleagues were awarded for their reporting on environmental issues at the inaugural SEAL 2017 and SEAL 2018.
Hermione Cockburn
BSc Geography, 1993 and PhD Geomorphology, 1998
Scientific Director at Dynamic Earth
Hermione is the Scientific Director of Dynamic Earth, the UK’s only science centre dedicated to the Earth’s story. She is passionate about empowering people of all ages with understanding and empathy for the planet. In 2020, she was awarded an OBE for services to public engagement in science. Recently, she has led a major ocean literacy project about Scotland’s deep sea, collaborating closely with researchers at the University of Edinburgh, and in October, she chaired the first of the University’s Climate Justice Conversations on reparation and equality.
George Harding-Rolls
MA Chinese, 2015
Campaign Manager at Changing Markets Foundation
George has made his mark in the civil society sustainability space, having worked for several non-profits since graduating, including Forum for the Future and influential environmental advocacy group, the Changing Markets Foundation. Here his work focuses on exposing irresponsible corporate behaviour in sectors such as plastics and fashion, and he has become a thought-leader on greenwashing and the challenges it presents. George is also a board member of the Conscious Advertising Network, an organisation leading efforts to combat climate misinformation and other digital ethics issues.
Mayer Hillman
PhD Social Sciences, 1970
Head of Environmental Research Programme at the Policy Studies Institute
Social scientist who he has been highlighting the imperative of incorporating environmental considerations into public policy for over 50 years. His studies have been concerned with transport, urban planning, energy conservation, health promotion, road safety and environment policies, and particularly the implications of climate change. He has written or co-authored over 50 books and papers. In 2006, the Guardian newspaper included Mayer in a list of the top green campaigners of all time. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science in 2017 for a long and distinguished service to environmental policy research.
Aoife Hutton
BSc Ecological and Environmental Sciences, 2017
Climate Resilience Manager at Sniffer Scotland
Aoife works as Climate Resilience Manager for a Scottish charity, Sniffer Scotland. She focuses on resilience to climate change and supports public sector organisations to build their adaptation capabilities. Aoife previously worked for Keep Scotland Beautiful, where she initially coordinated charity's marine and coastal programmes, including Beach Awards scheme and My Beach, Your Beach, a campaign to reduce beach litter and help improve bathing water quality. She later moved into Keep Scotland Beautiful Climate Change team where she helped to develop and deliver Climate Emergency Training solutions for organisations and businesses.
Olivia Lai
MA International Relations, 2013
Senior Proposal Writer and Project Manager at Sotheby's, Former Managing Editor at Earth.Org, and climate activist
Olivia is a journalist, editor and climate activist based in Hong Kong with previous experience covering politics, arts, and culture. Olivia was the former Managing Editor at Earth.Org, a not-for-profit environmental organisation based in Hong Kong with the aim to illustrate the repercussions of climate change on the human habitat with power data journalism. She is passionate about wildlife and ocean conservation, with a keen interest in climate diplomacy.
Nula Langmuir
BSc Geography, 2022
Former President of Student Action for Refugees (STAR) at the University of Edinburgh
Passionate about environmental education for young people, Nula developed an Open Educational Resource (OER) on the importance of Rewilding in Scotland as part of a Geoscience Outreach project with the University of Edinburgh. Her dissertation focused on analysing the ability of peatland restoration programmes in Scotland to return ecosystem health and services. As former President of Student Action for Refugees at the University, Nula advocated for education about how climate change can impact refugees, and spearheaded work with the Scottish Refugee Council and the University’s Global Community Coordinator to establish a supportive network and online resources for refugee and asylum-seeking students.
Cal Major
BVMS Veterinary Medicine, 2012
Ocean Advocate and Veterinary Surgeon
Cal is a veterinary surgeon, ocean and nature advocate, and world-record adventurer, passionate about reconnecting people to the ocean, and protecting the wildlife and ecosystems within it. She founded the charity Seaful in 2020. She is an international public speaker, presenter, and film maker, bringing stories of our magnificent natural world, and its plight, to life with authenticity and optimism. Cal's aim is to reach outside of our current echo chambers, with inventive and engaging storytelling, to help more people find wonder in the natural world, understand the importance of protecting wildlife and biodiversity, and inspire positive change.
Kirsty McCabe
BSc Geophysics, 1997
Weather Producer and Presenter at Sky News, Account Manager at MetraWeather and Communications Officer and Editor at the Royal Meteorological Society
Kirsty McCabe is an experienced broadcaster, Met Office qualified forecaster and Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society. She is the Editor of MetMatters, a source of engaging, accessible weather and climate content. In 2015, she reported for the Weather Channel from the Paris COP21 climate summit. During COP26, she produced and presented daily video bulletins for RMetS from Glasgow, going behind the scenes to meet the people who matter and explaining the key developments. Over the years Kirsty has presented the weather across the UK's major television, radio, and digital networks, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 5 and Sky News.
George McGavin
BSc Zoology, 1975
Author and Television Presenter and Entomology Academic at the University of Oxford
British entomologist, author, academic, television presenter and explorer. George was an academic zoologist for 30 years before becoming a television presenter. He is widely recognised as a regular contributor to the BBC One Show delighting viewers with his bug-life and ecology reports. He has also presented and consulted on many television programmes including The Secret Life of Landfill: A rubbish history and the multi award-winning documentary After Life: the strange science of decay. He was the Chief Scientific Consultant for the David Attenborough series Life in the Undergrowth. He has several insect species named in his honour.
David Nussbaum
MTh Divinity, 1981
Former Chief Executive at WWF-UK
David has extensive experience in international development and environmental matters. He was the Chief Executive of WWF-UK, the conservation and environmental charity, where he worked for nine years. Apart from WWF-UK, his executive career has included being the Chief Executive of The Elders and of Transparency International. He was previously Finance Director and Deputy CEO of Oxfam. Among other non-executive roles, David has been a non-executive Director of Low Carbon Accelerator Limited and Deputy Chair of Shared Interest Society. He holds a portfolio of other Board appointments, including at the International Budget Partnership, Chatham House, and the Joffe Trust.
Katie Paterson
BA Tapestry, 2004
Artist and Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh
Katie is regarded as one of the leading artists of her generation. Collaborating with scientists and researchers across the world, Katie’s projects consider our place on Earth in the context of geological time and change. Her artworks make use of sophisticated technologies and specialist expertise to stage intimate, poetic and philosophical engagements between people and their natural environment. Katie has exhibited internationally, and her works have been included in major exhibitions including Tate Britain and Guggenheim Museum (among others). She was winner of the Visual Arts category of the South Bank Awards and is an Honorary Fellow of Edinburgh University.
Nina Pušić
MA Sustainable Development, 2019 and LLM Global Environment and Climate Change Law, 2020
Former Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform Consultant at the United Nations
Nina has served as a Consultant at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Adaptation Division, with the Local Communities and Indigenous People's Platform (LCIPP). She supported the platform to facilitate a series of mandated meetings to elevate the expertise and leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities at COP26 in Glasgow. She currently works as Export Finance Climate Strategist for Oil Change International, a research, communications, and advocacy organisation focused on exposing the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitating the ongoing transition to clean energy.
Gemma Sandie
MA International Relations, 2018 and MSc Environmental Sustainability, 2020
Volunteer at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and Former Climate Assembly Research Officer at the Scottish Government
Gemma worked as Climate Assembly Research Officer with the Scottish Government where she was part of the team evaluating Scotland’s Climate Assemble. The Assembly is a deliberative process to decision making, bringing people across the country together to discuss how Scotland should tackle the climate emergency in a fair and effective way. She is currently a volunteer with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance where she is carrying out research to inform the organisation’s response to the Scottish Government’s Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation consultation.
Gail Sant
MSc Marine Systems and Policies, 2021
Freelance Environment Consultant in Malta and Programme Officer at the School of Geosciences (The University of Edinburgh)
After finishing her Master’s in 2021, Gail has worked with the UNFCCC’s Resilience Frontiers at COP26. As part of her independent consultancy, she has been collaborating with UK-based charity organisations and Maltese NGOs to lead and write a scoping report that visualises a new environmental foundation in Malta, one that is in the process of being established. Recently, she returned to Edinburgh University and joined Ocean Voices, an endorsed action by the UN Ocean Decade. Gail hopes to be a small part of the paradigm shift towards an equitable, healthy planet for all.
Michael Snyder
MSc Environmental Sustainability, 2008
Visual Storyteller at Independent Pictures
Michael is a photographer, filmmaker, and climate scientist who uses his combined knowledge of visual storytelling and conservation to create narratives that drive social impact. Through his production company, Interdependent Pictures, he has directed films in the Arctic, the Amazon, and the Himalaya. His photojournalism work has been featured by outlets such as National Geographic, The Guardian, and The Washington Post. He is a Portrait of Humanity Award Winner, a Pulitzer Grantee, and a Society of Environmental Journalists Member. He lectures on visual storytelling and has been a featured presenter at Columbia, Yale, and the UN Climate Conference.
Olivia Sweeney
MENG Chemical Engineering, 2017
Consultant at Resource Futures and Black and Green Ambassador
Olivia is currently Consultant at sustainable waste consultancy, Resource Futures. She is a former Black and Green Ambassador in Bristol working to lead, connect and celebrate diverse community action for the environment. Olivia also works on Ujima Radio where she co-presents a weekly breakfast radio show, shining a light on local and global climate stories. In 2019, Olivia was named among the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Engineering in the UK and Europe by Inclusive Boards in association with the Financial Times. She has worked with the Royal Academy of Engineering on their This is Engineering campaign.
Ben Twist
MA Mental Philosophy, 1985, MSc Carbon Management, 2010 and PhD in Sociology, 2018
Director at Creative Carbon Scotland
Ben specialises in carbon management, climate change adaptation and climate strategy. He currently leads Creative Carbon Scotland (CCS), Scotland’s leading organisation harnessing the power of the arts and culture sector for action on climate change. CCS was initiated by the Edinburgh Festivals, with the Federation of Scottish Theatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN) and its mission is to make connections between cultural and sustainability worlds.
Clarice Wambua
MSc Africa and International Development, 2010
Partner at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Clarice began her legal career at a law firm in Kenya and in 2011 she joined Carbon Africa as Legal and Trading Officer. In 2014, Clarice was Principal Consultant at Stawiri, and later joined Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (Kieti Law LLP) as a Partner in 2017. She works in the Environmental Law, Pro Bono and Human Rights practice groups. Her areas of focus include climate change, biodiversity, and pollution control, as well as issues at the intersection of business and human rights.
Laura Young
MSc Environmental Protection and Management, 2019
Climate activist and content creator, PhD Researcher at the University of Abertay and University of Dundee and Ambassador for Tearfund
Laura is a climate activist, environmental scientist, sustainability educator and ethical influencer who has devoted her life to climate issues. She is Ambassador for the international development charity Tearfund, where she previously worked as Manager of their campaign Let’s Change the Climate and COP26 Advocacy and Campaigns Coordinator. She is currently doing a joint PhD between the University of Abertay and the University of Dundee as part of the Hydro Nations Programme. Laura creates content for the BBC and runs the environmental platform Less Waste Laura to positively influence people to make climate-friendly changes in their lives.
Read more from our 75
Meet our founders and our entrepreneurs. Our Innovation category features visionary alumni who are creating new spaces by integrating technology, research and the experiences of those directly impacted by our changing climate. They are creating our future.
Meet our academics, our researchers, our consultants and our place makers. Individuals who make sense of the complex and help us consider our alternatives. Our Understanding category contains individuals who will take us where we need to go.
By sharing these fragments of a much bigger picture we hope to inspire and hopefully motivate. There is no single solution but millions of different ones which, when pieced together, give us hope for a better future.
So, let's start with 75 and we can take it from there. If you know of any University of Edinburgh alumni who should feature in a future version of Climate 75, please email alumni@ed.ac.uk and tell us about how they are making a difference.