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Simon French
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Senior Policy Officer
, ACT Government Environment and Planning Directorate
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Bangkok,
Thailand
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I am currently based in Bangkok, Thailand, with my wife who is a diplomat with the Australian Embassy. |
 Contact Simon French
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Area of Expertise: |
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Environment, Climate, Energy, Water, Sanitation
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Professional Experience: |
I have high level of experience in climate change policy development for both climate change mitigation and adaptation and writing skills at the local, national and international level. Good policy development involves the identification and analysis of various information sources, the identification of key themes and issues, and culminates in the formation of defensible conclusions and recommendations.
In my current and previous roles I have been responsible for preparing a range of reports and discussion papers, and briefings and minutes for Ministers and senior staff on climate change issues. Major policy reports and programs that I have had a significant role in preparing for the ACT Government are reflected in my attached resume.
Within the Australian Government Department of Agriculture (DoA) I was lead author, or contributing author, on a range of discussion papers that identified barriers and solutions to the inclusion of agriculture in an emissions trading scheme. These are also noted in my resume. Preparation of these papers involved considerable collaboration within the Climate Change Branch and with external agencies and stakeholders.
As the manager of the Climate Change Policy section (ACT Government 2011 12) I played a key role in the development of the of the ACT Government’s Weathering the Change Draft Action Plan 2, a precursor to the final ACT Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, AP2. I was responsible for the writing of the final document, the development of the five pathways that became the main elements of the document and the Cabinet process that lead to its release.
More recently, in 2016 I was responsible for the writing and release of the ACT Government’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy - Living with a Warming Climate (2016). I was also responsible for managing a six week public consultation process during which I made numerous presentations to community and public forums.
I was the ACT Government’s representative on the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility’s (NCCARF) Project Review Committee (PRC). The PRC was established by NCCARF to ensure that the research projects and tools produced through NCCARF were meeting the needs of Australia’s sub-national governments. I have been involved in reviewing synthesis reports from NCCARF and the preparation of National Adaptation Research Plans (NARPs) that have guided the funding of research in key sectors.
Over the course of 2009 I was the senior representative from the Department of Agriculture on the Australian Government delegation to UNFCCC negotiations and conferences. I attended conferences and negotiations in Poland (COP14, December 2008), Germany (June and August 2009) and Thailand (September 2009) and Copenhagen (COP15, December 2009).
I'd like to think that I have productive working relationship with all my stakeholders. This is particularly important to me as I work in a close team environment. It is also important that I am seen as rel
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Education: |
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Master of Economic Studies from the University of New England (Australia).
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Years of Experience:
10-15 years |
Highest Qualification:
Masters |
Languages:
English |
Nationality:
Australia
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