Tara Shine – Environmental Scientist & Climate Advocate
Topical keynote Speakers & Experts - Sustainability, Climate and Energy Policy
Director of Change by Degrees
Author. Adviser on environment, climate change and climate justice
Chair of the Board of Trustees of IIED.
As an environmental scientist Tara understands the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on people and their rights.
Her focus is on solutions that are accessible to all. She has two main aims in her work.
Truth – To highlight and address difficult truths about our impact on the planet and on each other.
Hope – To bring hope and inspiration to people and to shine a light on the changes that will help us transition to new ways of living that is inclusive, sustainable and fair.
Member of Faculty of Homeward Bound. Science communicator, public speaker and TV presenter
Dr Tara Shine is Co-Founder and Director of the award winning social enterprise Change by Degrees, which provides sustainability advice to organisations and communities.
With over 20 years’ experience in the fields of climate change, environment and sustainable development, Tara is an expert in policy, advocacy and movement building.
Her clients include the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, The Elders Foundation, governments, multilateral agencies and civil society organisations.
Tara has negotiated for the EU in at the United Nations, informed climate and environment policy at national and international level and advocated for equity and justice in global agreements.
Dr Shine is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute of Environment and Development and co-facilitator of the Structured Expert Dialogue (SED) of the 2nd Periodic Review under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a process to monitor progress and enhance delivery on Paris Agreement goals.
Tara is passionate about inspiring change. She is author of ‘How to Save Your One Object At A Time’ published by Simon and Schuster.
She presented the prestigious Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2020, which aired on BBC4 and most recently for RTE she presented the series, A Wild Irish Year, produced by award winning Crossing The Line Films, for RTE.
Tara also presents wildlife and nature documentaries for the BBC, RTE and Channel 4.
Tara is co-founder of the community initiative Plastic Free Kinsale which has mobilised a town of 5,000 people and a social media audience of half a million people to find alternatives to single use plastics.
She is the first woman living in Ireland to be selected for the global leadership programme for women in science, Homeward Bound.
As part of this programme she travelled to Antarctica for a 3-week expedition with 90 women scientists from around the world. Tara is now a member Homeward Bound Faculty and is online and onboard visibility and science communications facilitator for the fifth programme.
Dr Shine holds a BSc in Environmental Science and a PhD in Geography from Ulster University, Northern Ireland. She was awarded the AIB Graduate of the Year Award By Ulster University in 2020.
Tara is a keen sea swimmer and scuba diver and loves the great outdoors.
Science and Policy Adviser
Tara is a proven thought leader on climate justice and environmental issues in the context of international development.
Specialised in climate change science, science communications and policy with a PhD in EnvironmentalScience, she has 20 years’ experience influencing and informing international and national policy making to ensure equity, gender equality, inclusion and environmental protection.
A seasoned scientific adviser past clients include the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, the OECD, The Elders, SIDA (the Swedish government’s development agency), the World Bank, the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland.
Tara is a proven thought leader on climate justice and environmental issues in the context of international development.
Tara worked as a climate negotiator at the UN for 10 years and acted as a reviewer of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5oC.
She was nominated to the role of Co-Facilitator of the Structured Expert Dialogue of the second review of progress under the UN Climate Convention from 2020-2023.
Dr Shine is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute for Environment and Development.
Some of the world leaders and global organisations Tara has worked with on climate change and sustainable development include:
the MARY ROBINSON FOUNDATION (CLIMATE JUSTICE)
https://www.mrfcj.org/
THE OECD
https://www.oecd.org/unitedkingdom/
THE NATIONAL PARK & WILDLIFE SERVICE
https://www.npws.ie/
THE ELDERS
https://theelders.org/
WORLD BANK GROUP
https://www.worldbank.org/en/home
She is a member of faculty and alumnae of Homeward Bound, the global leadership programme for women in science.
She is a guest lecturer on several degree and masters’ courses in Irish Universities.
As an adviser and thought leader Tara is committed to shaping lasting and transformative solutions on climate, sustainability and development that are fair and accessible to everyone.
Jan Corfee-Morlot, PhD – Adviser to the New Climate Economy and the OECD
As a born Explorer, I enjoy getting out into the wild to explore the environment first hand.
TARA SHINE