Shehnaaz’s portfolio includes oversight of SSN’s finance, delivery, and operations hubs; she is the Director responsible for CDKN, VCA, CLEAN, ARA and GA LLA, amongst other projects. Shehnaaz is Chair of the Global Resilience Partnership Board, a Global Innovation Fund Climate Advisory Board member, on the Global Transitions Programme Committee and on the Race to Resilience Measurement Advisory Group. She has deep theoretical and practical expertise in delivering complex programmes addressing climate change within the African context. Social justice and equity are at the foundation of what informs Shehnaaz’s approach to programme design and local and global interventions. Prior to joining SSN, Shehnaaz was a researcher and lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town. She holds a BSc, MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering. She has the dubious honour of being the first female of colour to obtain a doctorate in Chemical Engineering in South Africa.
Carl’s management portfolio at SSN includes responsibility for contracts, risk and compliance. He leads SSN’s DecarbBoost programme on Mobilising Investment for NDC implementation, as well as a research grant targeting innovation in Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution. Carl previously led SSN’s work as Executing Entity of the Adaptation Fund’s Small Grants Facility in SA, and was the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) Director for the African region. Prior to joining SSN, he championed the implementation of the award-winning Kuyasa Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project, the first CDM project in Africa (and the first Gold Standard project in the world), through which he developed an interest in thermal and energy efficiency in low-income housing. Carl started his development career working in human rights and good governance. He spent 6 years with Lawyers for Human Rights in SA, working on rural access to justice before moving to Kenya, where he designed and managed a large-scale civic education programme and did consulting work in the region. Carl holds a BA.LLB degree from the University of Cape Town and is an attorney admitted to practice in the High Court of South Africa.
Since 2013, Robi has been the Ethiopia Country Head for the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). Robi is an environmental management specialist, with experience in environmental and social impact assessment, climate change adaptation and mitigation, climate finance, and sustainable industrial development, having previously worked for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the World Bank in East Africa. He has been the consultant on climate finance to the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Government of Zambia. He also led Ethiopia’s climate finance access programme, supporting the Country’s Ministry of Finance with its direct access accreditation and proposals development processes to the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund. Robi, who is currently studying in the doctoral programme for professionals at the University College London’s (UCL) School of Technology, Energy and Public Policy (STEaPP) in the UK, holds a BSc. from the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, MSc. from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and a post-graduate diploma from Concordia University in Canada.
Josh’s SSN portfolio covers human resources, staff wellbeing and knowledge management, in addition to providing oversight for the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA), the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA), and African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) programmes. He has extensive experience as a knowledge management and communications specialist, media researcher and a journalism educator. Josh has worked for a range of international non-governmental organisations in the fields of sustainable development, gender, and environmental and social justice. Between 2010 and 2016, he taught an MPhil module in Media, Democracy and Development at the University of Stellenbosch Journalism department and serves on the editorial board of the Global Media Journal – Africa. A Kenyan national, Josh holds a BA (Hons) in Political Science and French, and a Masters degree in Communication and Development Studies.
Dr Tyler has over twenty years of experience in the energy and climate space, bringing the lenses of complexity and complex systems, economics and finance to the complex challenges she encounters. Specific areas of expertise include energy and climate mitigation policymaking, carbon pricing and budgeting, power sector modelling for policy, climate finance, corporate and investor carbon strategies, and national low carbon transition planning. Whilst South Africa is Emily’s home and work focus, she has an appreciation for the international context of domestic climate and energy policymaking through her regular engagement in international partnerships, and work experience in the EU, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. Finding the interplay between practice and reflection particularly rich, Emily has worked to retain both her consulting and academic presence throughout her career. Emily has worked predominantly as a consultant, to local and international civil society, the private sector, government and academia, both independently and in consulting firms, think-tanks and not-for-profit institutions.
Emily is currently working with the team at Meridian Economics, a Cape Town based think tank in the energy and climate space, and holds an Honorary Research Associate position at the University of Cape Town’s African Climate and Development Institute. Emily is frequently engaged in transdisciplinary research initiatives relating to her field and publishes regularly in both domestic and international journals.
Yacob is an Associate of the SSN NPC. He is a Professor of Energy and Development Policy at the University College London; and held an academic post at the Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, UK. He is a founding member of the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he worked as Senior Climate & Energy Specialist (2010-2013).
He has 25 years of research, teaching and advisory experience specialising on the links between energy infrastructure provision and human welfare. His research is focused on three interconnected areas: energy systems and development; energy systems and climate change; and political economy of low carbon development. He served as a Coordinating Lead Author of the Energy Systems chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report (Working Group III on Mitigation), lead author in the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5oC, and currently lead author in the IPCC 6th Assessment Report. He recently led the chapter on Energy Transitions in UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report (2019). Yacob Mulugetta is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS).
Ronald is an Associate of the SSN NPC. He is a professional focusing on sustainability management and mainstreaming sustainable development in the public sector. Ron has worked on multiple innovative cutting edge programmatic interventions related to mainstreaming climate compatible development (CCD), climate change into development planning in sub-Saharan Africa, climate resilient infrastructure, energy and water infrastructure (incl. food-energy-water nexus), promoting applied research and dialogue between policy and science stakeholders, long-term adaptation planning, climate finance and decision-making. He also works on projects relating to resource efficiency and optimisation, sustainable public procurement, green jobs, green and inclusive economy. He holds a Masters in Sustainable Development, Planning and Management from the University of Stellenbosch and various IAC business management related qualifications.
Peta is an Associate of the SSN NPC. She has a degree in Sociology from the University of Essex and a Master of Science in Social Administration and Social Work Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Peta worked in the field of psychiatric social work in the United Kingdom before returning to South Africa in 1996 to work in the development sector.
Peta joined Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) in March 2008. She provides overall management and leadership to the organisation and has worked on a range of climate change and energy projects. This has included research, facilitation, capacity building, data analysis and policy development within all three spheres of government. She has written papers, contributed to publications and given talks on sustainable energy and climate change.
Zaheer Fakir is an Associate of the SSN NPC. He has more than 27 years of experience in the world of international politics, trade, finance and development issues. He currently serves as the Chief Policy Adviser on International Governance and Resource Mobilization within the Department of Environmental Affairs of South Africa. This portfolio includes bilateral relations and multilateral environmental agreements, international conventions, donor coordination, resource mobilization and management, liaising with foreign governments, the African Ministerial Conference of Environment, African Union, G20, World Bank, UN and other international organizations. Zaheer serves as the South African Operational Focal point for the Global Environment Facility, a Board member the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds as well as a founding member and former Co-Chair and Board member of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Zaheer has served as GCF Co-Chair twice (2013 – 2014 & 2016 – 2017) and as a GCF Board member from 2013 to 2018.
Zaheer has been at the forefront of negotiations on a number of major multilateral outcomes most notably the Governing Instrument of the GCF and its operationalization, the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030 and the Katowice Climate Change Conference. Prior to joining the Department of Environmental Affairs, Zaheer worked for the Department of Trade and Industry in the field of international trade and investment.