Climate change expert, Howard Bamsey, receives AM

Adjunct Professor, Howard Bamsey, has been awarded an AM in the 2013 Order of Australia Honours announced on 26 January. Howard was nominated for the award in recognition of his continued commitment of promoting awareness of climate change and energy efficiency at a national and international level. The Order of Australia is the pre-eminent way Australians recognise the achievements and service of their fellow citizens. Nominations to the Order of Australia come directly from the community and anyone can nominate a fellow Australian for an award.

Howard first got involved in sustainable development over 20 years ago after being posted to Australia’s United Nations mission in New York where environmental issues were becoming part of the Australian political discourse and the international stage.“Sustainable development questions were really coming onto the agenda. I had some background in nuclear work before and the questions of whether nuclear energy is sustainable, or if uranium should be mined, were very much in the Australian context at the time”, he remembers.

Howard was, until recently, Deputy Secretary of Australia’s Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, and Australia’s Special Envoy on Climate Change.  He is one of Australia’s most experienced negotiators, playing a key role in international climate change negotiations.  Professor Bamsey was Deputy Secretary in the Department of the Environment and Water Resources from 1997 to 2002, and head of the Australian Greenhouse Office until 2006. 

He is currently a visiting Adjunct Professor at RegNet, an opportunity he relishes. “RegNet is a great place to be because it’s collective and collegial. People are encouraged to work together and exchange views, be part of a community. It’s renowned as a place of cross fertilization of ideas” he said. While at RegNet, Howard is also exploring collaborative research opportunities offered by the other Schools within the College of Asia and the Pacific, “The way I’ve worked within RegNet is to try apply my experience to the sorts of issues I come across, not just here but else where within the College.

“Through my 40 years experience as a diplomat I’m able to contribute to what’s happening here at RegNet, what’s happening across the College, through seminars, and the discussions around questions like human rights, and environmental issues generally, and effectively anything with an international dimension. I can bring a different perspective to it”.

The RegNet community congratulates Howard on his prestigious and well-deserved award.