Climate Solutions

Dave Reay

Professor of Carbon Management & Education

The University of Edinburgh

Dave Reay is a Professor of Carbon Management & Education at the University of Edinburgh. Dave has worked on climate change for over 25 years and directs Edinburgh Climate Change Institute. His research has taken him from stormy seas in the Southern Ocean to evil-smelling Scottish ditches.

He has published over 150 research articles and books on climate change. Dave is also the creator of the award-winning Masters in Carbon Management at Edinburgh and advises the UK and Scottish Governments on climate change action.

Galina Toteva

PhD researcher

The University of Edinburgh

Galina is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh looking at greenhouse gases in forests in Scotland and South Asia. She did her masters in Carbon Management and her bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. This allowed her to gain understanding of both the scientific and socio-economic aspects of complex problems such as climate change. Her work experience ranges from working on potatoes and bee pollen in a molecular laboratory to engaging with stakeholders across the Scottish land sector as part of an international research project.

Galina developed a great part of the content for this MOOC and the other courses which form part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Climate Solutions Programme. Galina is passionate about climate change mitigation and adaptation and believes that education is at the heart of all Climate Solutions.

Vanessa Ombura

Co-founder at Leapfrogging Beyond Borders

The University of Edinburgh

Vanessa is a 2021 final year Civil Engineering student passionate about enabling sustainable and equitable development through interdisciplinary and multicultural collaboration.

She has past experiences in strategy and management consultancy, sustainable infrastructure research and university course development, in the UK and East Africa. Currently, she is developing a social enterprise to empower youth in emerging economies through streamlining personal development resources.

She also enjoys and participates in performance art such as spoken word poetry.

Lucy Stanfield

Circular Economy Business Development’ (and ‘Chair of 2050 Climate Group')

The University of Edinburgh

Lucy works for the University of Edinburgh, supporting research and innovation in the field of circular economy and low carbon. She is also a graduate of the University’s MSC Carbon Management, where she focused on land ownership and management for carbon sequestration. Lucy is also the Chair of the Board for 2050 Climate Group, a charity which empowers young people to take climate action.

Justine Bolton

Carbon management and climate resilience specialist, FirstRand Group

The University of Edinburgh

Justine is currently studying a PhD in carbon accounting through the University of Edinburgh Business School, having recently completed a master’s degree in carbon management at the University of Edinburgh. She works at FirstRand Group in South Africa, managing climate change resilience within the group; and measuring, managing and reporting the carbon footprint as well as climate related risks and opportunities of the business’ operations in line with the recommendations of the TCFD.

She has worked on FirstRand's annual CDP response, setting science-based targets for operational GHG emissions reductions, establishing an internal shadow carbon price for the group, and improving water and energy management across FirstRand's operations. Research as part of her PhD studies will assist Justine to measure financed emissions in the bank’s lending and investment portfolio so as to support work being done across the group to manage portfolio climate related risks and opportunities.

Kirsten Leggatt

Carbon and Sustainability Consultant

The University of Edinburgh

Kirsten is a Carbon & Sustainability Consultant for Sweco and a tutor on the online Carbon Management Masters at the University of Edinburgh. Her academic background has equipped her with a broad range of interdisciplinary knowledge on carbon management and sustainability, including technical, political, scientific, and business-related aspects of the field. She volunteers with the 2050 Climate Group and UK Youth Climate Coalition in her spare time and is heavily involved as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Ambassador in schools teaching students and young people about the causes and consequences of climate change. In January 2020, she presented evidence to the UK Climate Assembly on the solutions to reaching the UK Government's net-zero emissions target by 2050 and has since represented young people on the Stewarding Group for the Scottish Climate Assembly.

As a Carbon & Sustainability Consultant at Sweco, Kirsten specialises in carbon management and climate change resilience in the built environment. She is experienced in the application of carbon management tools and methodologies for the built environment and has helped achieve whole life carbon reduction on a variety of internationally significant infrastructure projects. Engaging directly with design teams to support the integration of opportunities for carbon reduction where possible, including optioneering, identification of appropriate carbon targets and supply chain engagement, she ensures that opportunities for carbon and cost reduction are understood and pursued wherever possible. Kirsten regularly contributes to Environmental Impact Assessments on matters of climate change mitigation and adaptation through her role as Climate Change Coordinator, which involves carbon quantification and the integration of climate change projections within the design process to ensure resilience.