ACT Climate Change Council

The ACT Climate Change Council provides advice to the Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. Meet the members of the Council. Read the Council’s annual reports, submissions and news. You can also get in touch with the Council.

The ACT Climate Change Council advises the Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction on matters relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience and adapting to climate change. The ACT Government established the Council in 2011 under the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010. Find out more about the Council’s functions and membership in the Terms of Reference [239.1 KB].

The Council meets at least 4 times each year and produces an annual report of its activities that includes advice given to the Minister.

Meet your council

Portrait photo of Council Member, Ms Sophia Hamblin Wang

Professor Mark Howden was appointed to the Council as a member for his expertise in climate change science. He was appointed as Chair in 2021.

Professor Mark Howden is Director of the Australian National University (ANU) Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions. He is also an Honorary Professor at Melbourne University and a Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II. He was on the US Federal Advisory Committee for the 3rd National Climate Assessment and contributes to several major national and international science and policy advisory bodies.

Professor Howden has worked on climate variability, climate change, innovation and adaptation issues for over 30 years in partnership with many industry, community and policy groups via both research and science-policy roles. Issues he has addressed include agriculture and food security, the natural resource base, ecosystems and biodiversity, energy, water and urban systems. Professor Howden has over 430 publications. He helped develop both the national and international greenhouse gas inventories that are a fundamental part of the Paris Agreement and has assessed sustainable ways to reduce emissions. He has been a major contributor to the IPCC since 1991, with roles in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and now Seventh Assessment Reports, sharing the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with other IPCC participants and Al Gore.

Portrait photo of Council Member, Dr Paul Bannister

Dr Paul Bannister was appointed to the Council for his expertise in energy efficiency and the built environment.

Dr Bannister has expertise in the field of commercial and institutional building energy efficiency. He had a central role in the development of major energy efficiency innovations such as the NABERS Energy and water ratings and the redevelopment of Section J (Energy Efficiency) of the Australian Building Code (2019 Edition). One of Dr Bannister’s particular specialities is the optimisation of building controls, which he has been able to use to create significant improvements in building performance on a wide range of sites.

Dr Bannister is a well-known speaker on energy efficiency issues both nationally and internationally, having presented at numerous conferences within Australia and overseas. He has published well over 80 papers on energy efficiency related issues. Dr Bannister has strong networks in the building and property industry, from government through to builders and from industry associations through to individual property managers.

Portrait photo of Council Member, Dr Cris Brack

Associate Professor Cris Brack was appointed to the Council for his expertise in environmental management.

Associate Professor Cris Brack (Honorary) has close to 30 years of experience in natural resource measurement and management at the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society. This experience includes researching, teaching and developing best practices in urban forestry, publishing 12 peer reviewed articles on urban forests and green spaces, and another 70 papers on carbon sequestration, natural resource assessment and management.

Associate Professor Brack won an Australian Museum Eureka Award for Environmental Science for his work on the National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS), which was developed to support national policy development on climate change mitigation. He has extensive skills and experience working with ANU and the ACT Government on the planning and management of Canberra’s urban forest, including street trees and the National Arboretum. His recent research has focused on sustaining a vibrant and healthy urban forest in the presence of increasingly harsh climate scenarios.

Portrait photo of Council Member, Ms Sophia Hamblin Wangk

Ms Sophia Hamblin Wang was appointed to the Council for her expertise in business.

Ms Sophia Hamblin Wang is the Chief Operating Officer of MCi Carbon, an Australian technology platform transforming CO2 emissions into building materials and other valuable industrial products. Showcasing MCi’s technology at the Australia Pavilion at COP26, Sophia won First Place in the NZTC COP26 Pitch Battle in Glasgow. Sophia is co-founding Director of CO2 Value Australia and a board member of the Climate Ready Initiative.

A strong voice for climate action and cleantech, Sophia has been featured in ABC TV’s Q&A, The New York Times, Time Magazine, TEDx, The Australian’s Top 100 Green Power Players 2021 and 2022. Ms Hamblin Wang was a delegate at the WEF Annual Meeting 2020, WEF Pioneers of Change Summit 2021 and the UN Youth Climate Summit in New York 2019. Sophia recently completed a Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education is also WEF Young Global Leader 2022.

Portrait photo of Council Member, Mia Swainson

Ms Mia Swainson was appointed to the Council for her experience as President of the Canberra Environment Centre, Chair of Zero Waste Revolution, and leader of an environmentally and socially responsible consultancy business.

Ms Mia Swainson has an environmental engineering qualification and experience in business strategy and leadership with government and non-government organisations. Ms Swainson’s consulting services include strategy, stakeholder engagement, facilitation and executive coaching. Ms Swainson is President of the Canberra Environment Centre (since 2018) and has significant experience engaging with a large variety of ACT stakeholders across the public, private and community sectors. This has included contribution to the development of community environment education programs in the ACT. Ms Swainson is also the Chair of Zero Waste Revolution looking at innovative ways for the ACT to reach zero waste.

Portrait photo of Council Member, Dr Anagretta Hunter

Dr Arnagretta Hunter was appointed to the Council for her expertise in health and climate change research.

Dr Arnagretta Hunter has been a consultant physician and cardiologist since 2008. Dr Hunter is an academic and advocate working across clinical medicine, health research and advocacy in public policy to address complex challenges particularly relating to climate change. She has skills across medicine, political science and communications. Dr Hunter has made many public presentations as well as publishing articles and academic papers on climate and health issues since 2008.

Dr Hunter is dedicated to understanding the health impacts of climate change, the advantages of working with communities on complex problems and the cobenefits of social change. Dr Hunter won the Sydney Sax medal (AHHA) as chair of Bushfire Impact Working Group in 2020 for contributions to public health in Australia and Physician Educator of the Year in 2018. Dr Hunter was also a co-coordinator of a Breakfast Series for Women in Climate Change, an ongoing series of events bringing together ACT community and leaders to discuss impacts and solutions to climate change and environmental challenges.

Portrait photo of Council Member, Associate Professor Aparna Lal

Associate Professor Aparna Lal was appointed to the Council for her expertise in environmental impacts and health outcomes for communities.

Dr Aparna Lal has a multidisciplinary science background, with two postgraduate degrees in Wildlife Science and Ecology, a PhD in Public Health and qualifications in Environmental Law and Zoology. A large part of Dr Lal’s current work focuses on populations that are disproportionately vulnerable to a variety of health impacts associated with climate change. In Australia, these include Indigenous and rural communities. Dr Lal has published numerous studies on the health impacts of droughts and floods, and has written on the health impacts of bushfires, including relating to air quality issues.

Dr Lal also brings expertise in high level statistical modelling and best-practice open science to her work that considers how a focus on human well-being can improve outcomes of ecological restoration. Her current Australian Research Council Fellowship brings together her expertise in environmental science and public health to design evidence-based, fit-for-purpose solutions to climate change led by communities and decision makers.

Portrait photo of Council Member, Dr Thomas Longden

Dr Thomas Longden was appointed to the Council for his expertise in environmental economics.

Dr Longden holds a PhD in environmental economics and has expertise in energy, transport and health. His research focuses on applied economics, including energy economics, health economics and environmental health. His publications have focused on the diffusion of electric vehicles, the cost and emission intensity of hydrogen, temperature-related mortality, and temperature-related energy insecurity. This work has also included assessments of the relationship between health, housing, energy and extreme temperatures. A recent example was published in Nature Energy. Dr Longden also contributed to two chapters of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change.

Council Observers (Dhawura Ngunnawal Caring for Country Committee members)

PMs Roslyn Brown is a Ngunnawal woman. Among numerous cultural advisory roles, Ms Brown is co-founder and serves as co-chairperson of the United Ngunnawal Elders Council, and founder and co-chair of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm. Ms Brown has a strong Cultural commitment to reconciliation and improving the status and capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT region. She advocates for the awareness and continuance of Aboriginal cultural practice and protocols. Through her various roles she has advocated for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on issues such as housing, justice, caring, disability and health and successfully lobbied to establish holistic health care, training opportunities and support structures for Indigenous people in the ACT. Ms Brown is employed as Elder in Residence at the University of Canberra, a member of the CIT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory committee and was an inaugural elected member of the ACT Indigenous Elected Body (ACTIEB). As a representative and advocate for many in the community, she has demonstrated her commitment to the Ngunnawal Land, Culture and the spirit of the People.

Mr Djibin Mudford is a Ngunnawal man who loves getting out on Country. He has lived in Canberra for forty years and can remember when he first came here to visit one of his sisters and just felt like he was home spiritually. Living in Canberra he spent 36 years with ActewAGL and its predecessors as a Linesman, Leading Hand, Foreman and Manager looking after the Canberra community’s electricity supply. Working in his role allowed him to be on Country and to look after Country through some of the work he did around the asset management of power poles and vegetation particularly in more sensitive areas such as National Parks and Reserves. He is very passionate about caring for Country and being a voice for the Ngunnawal People as part of the Dhawura Ngunnawal Caring for Country Committee.

Council publications

Contact the Council

Council members are keen to engage with the ACT community. Raise an issue, invite us to attend a local event, or tell us about recent climate change news or research. Get in touch with us at:

You can also write to us at:
ACT Climate Change Council
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate
ACT Government
GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.