American University Experts Available for Comment

What:

As climate experts and diplomats gather in Dubai for COP28, American University experts are available for commentary and analysis of what to expect from this important international forum and related issues.  

When:

November 28, 2023 – ongoing

Where:

In-person, virtual, in-studio   

Background:

American University experts who are available for comments include:

Julie Anderson is a professorial lecturer at the Kogod School of Business. She joined Kogod from BlackRock, where she served as a director and head of iShares US Sustainable exchange-traded funds (ETFs.) At BlackRock, Anderson managed the company’s $55B suite of sustainable ETFs across product development, marketing, thought leadership, and distribution strategy for asset owners and managers. Anderson is an expert in ETFs and sustainable investing.  

Paul Bledsoe is an adjunct professorial lecturer at the Center for Environmental Policy in AU’s School of Public Affairs. He was director of communications of the White House Climate Change Task Force under President Clinton from 1998-2001, communications director of the Senate Finance Committee under Chairman Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and special assistant to former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. He can discuss issues related to climate change and climate risks. Prof. Bledsoe will be attending the summit from Dec 4- Dec 13 and he will be available for interviews in Dubai.

Rosalind Donald is an assistant professor in the School of Communication. Her research focuses on the importance of connecting climate change to day-to-day life and the use of stock photos in depicting climate change. Donald is an expert in climate change communication and how environmental injustices shape today’s climate debate. 

Todd Eisenstadt, professor and Research Director at the Center for Environmental Policy at American University’s School of Public Affairs, is an expert on climate change policy. He co-authored Climate Change, Science, and the Politics of Shared Sacrifice and has written extensively on climate finance and adaptation in the developing world as a principal investigator of World Bank and the National Science Foundation grants. Prof. Eisenstadt is available to comment on the “ambition gap,” the UN aspirations for reducing emissions versus reality, the efforts to incorporate “loss and damage” as part of the UN process, and an assessment of what negotiators hope to achieve at this Conference of the Parties. 

Larry Engel is an associate professor and associate director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking in the School of Communication. With more than 40 years of experience in teaching and filmmaking and a passion for environmental and conservation issues, Engel uses his film background to create award-winning films and innovative media that raise awareness and represent diverse voices regarding climate change. Engle is an expert in environmentalism in media. 

Dana R. Fisher, director of AU’s Center for Environment, Community, & Equity, focuses on environmental stewardship and climate politics, democracy, civic engagement, and activism — most recently studying political elites’ responses to climate change, and how federal service corps programs are working to integrate climate into their efforts. She is the author of a forthcoming book, Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action, and she recently co-authored an article published in Nature magazine – the article discusses the effectiveness of climate protests on policy and what tactics works best in reaching public and policy makers. Prof. Fisher can discuss social responses to climate shocks, climate politics in the US, the international climate regime, and climate activism and protest.

Simon Nicholson, associate professor of International Relations and interim Associate Dean for Research, is co-founder of the Forum for Climate Engineering Assessment and the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy at American University’s School of International Service. He is a member of the global environmental politics faculty. His work focuses on global food politics and the politics of emerging technologies, including climate engineering (or “geoengineering”) technologies. Prof. Nicholson can comment on net zero target setting, loss and damage provisions, and carbon removal and solar geoengineering in the climate negotiations.

Jennifer Oetzel is a professor at the Kogod School of Business. Her research and teaching focuses on social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Specifically, she looks at how companies can reduce business risk by promoting economic, social and environmental development as well as peace building in countries where they operate. Oetzel can comment on how businesses can adapt to climate change.