Sharna Nolan

 To the role(s), I offer over 15 years of senior management and expert experience covering programs in 18 middle income, fragile state and developing countries, in roles overseeing multi-country, multi-million-dollar programs for leading philanthropic, bilateral and multilateral donors. Working at regional, country and subnational scales, I have led remote and in country teams to design, implement and evaluate a wide range of climate change, disaster risk reduction, gender equality and adaptation planning projects as well as collaborative pilot projects to trial policy and technology innovation to identify and scale climate smart and gender equitable solutions. My skills are grounded in large, complex humanitarian programs delivered in fragile states and emerging economies involving local partners.

In my current role, as a Program Manager, I currently manage the state’s 7-million-dollar Climate Science Initiative on behalf of the Western Australian Government, leading a team of 8 climate modellers to dynamically downscale high resolution CMIP6 climate projections for the state via a range of academic, private sector and government partnerships. I also represent state interests in national and international technical working groups and conferences related to climate science and risk assessment, and act as the state knowledge broker with CSIRO and inter-jurisdictional colleagues to build climate literacy, dialogue and ensure state values and data are represented in national discourse and funded programs aimed at meeting end user needs and reducing duplication. My role also designs and executes a whole of government climate science communication and engagement strategy, to unpack end user needs, map gaps and build a dedicated data visualisation portal to communicate climate projections and science, deliver applied case studies and provide [SN1] guidance/policy advice to support risk assessment, and improve community resilience to a changing climate.

Prior to this role, I worked as a senior expert across leading global think tanks to lead global climate and policy think tanks to deliver thematic and sectoral research and policy and/or investment recommendations for public and private sector audiences across Australia, Asia and Europe. Using a range of cost-optimised energy and biophysical models, my role managed large expert teams that aimed to ‘future proof’ economic activities and scope sustainable scale up opportunities, build business cases, coalitions and partnerships, fundraise and manage milestone delivery. Examples include scoping regional integrated landscape opportunities in monsoon climates, establishing BAU emissions and identifying bankable decarbonisation opportunities in nexus (food-water-energy) systems and LULUCF value chains, leading market assessments to determine future processing and consumer trends, and overseeing socio economic research to sense check findings and assess co-benefit opportunities. My role often works with a range of stakeholders, especially in program design and results evaluation, with an aim to co-design communication and engagement initiatives to be accessible, cost effective and relevant.

In my last role, I was the Perth based Director of Asia and Australia office and program lead for the German funded climate science consultancy, Climate Analytics. Since 2020, I have established, recruited and mentored a team of engineers, economists and policy analysts, and led bilaterally funded programs aimed at delivering emissions and climate risk projections to inform policy and investment options for Asian and Australian governments, multilateral and non-state actors. My role as a Senior Expert includes preparing and presenting risk and vulnerability assessments, and considering these in the context of NDC communication, reporting and fiscal/budget allocation (i.e. MRV, MEL). I also led high profile GIZ funded projects in China and the Philippines where I advised on mitigation pathway scenarios at national, Provincial and sector levels while building the capacity of modelling and science teams in consortia with UN, Government and think tank partners. For our Australia portfolio, I am focused on unpacking LNG expansion in the context of the state wide energy system decarbonisation, and act as a peer reviewer and line manager for our Senior Analysts while directly supporting our CEO.

Until recently, I held a similar role in the Stockholm Environment Institute (Associate), where I work/ed with climate experts prior to COVID whilst living in Scandinavia and the Baltics. Here, I worked with technologists and entrepreneurs, as well as academic and government actors, to deliver technology pilots aimed at improving the transport sector using open-source applications from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. I also won funding and established a Government project to model government led, net zero decarbonisation scenarios for Estonia and, with the global LEAP modelling unit, publish reports describing the benefits of integrated planning (i.e. including adaptation co-benefits and SDG goals). Prior to this, I held senior roles within the ClimateWorks Centre, auspiced by Monash University where I grew and managed a team that coupled stakeholder-led long-term scenario planning with Government across the Asia-Pacific, delivering action plans and long term strategies to achieve prosperous emissions reduction coupled with development outcomes. Here, I supported various national negotiation teams in high level dialogues such as the Asia Clean Energy Forum and COP24 – 25 (Bonn and Katowiche) and also published a number of well-regarded practitioner guides and policy briefs aimed at describing the economic and social benefits of decarbonisation for policy makers.

In the commercial and start up sector, I have coordinated analytical projects to bring a new decarbonisation calculator to market for large digital service platforms, and authored business plans and applications for scaling green tech, including green methanol and hydrogen production.

Prior to having my daughter, I held senior roles as a roving technical and humanitarian advisor, contributing to all stages of the fundraising and project management cycle to deliver adaptation and resilience, women/human rights, poverty alleviation and policy or investment outcomes for vulnerable groups across Asia, East Africa and the Pacific. Adopting best practice engagement and evaluation approaches, I have spent significant time periods in East Africa, Afghanistan and China designing and implementing projects and pilots for large multi/ bilateral donors, and producing empirical research to inform national program interventions, investment plans and policy reform. I have also led landscape and situational assessments for international NGOs in several contexts (including Aboriginal communities in remote Central Australia, East Africa, Afghanistan) and program accountability for DFAT and Bilateral funded programs across the Asia Pacific.

To conclude, I offer enabling leadership style to mentor team performance, and enjoy participating in executive functions relating to board reporting, strategic planning, fiscal management and organisational policy. I have had the opportunity to represent various organisations in executive settings, high level dialogues, product launches (CoP, NDC Review, ACEF, Climateweek etc.) and in the media. To the role, I would bring an extensive professional network of regional and relevant bi/multilateral donors, government agency representatives, private sector stakeholders, think tanks and civil society organisations.

I thank you for this opportunity to present my skills and invite you to get in touch with any further questions you may have. My responses to the selection criteria are below, and further described in my CV.

Kind regards,

Sharna Nolan

 [SN1]In doing so, I draw on my experience as a peer reviewed scientist to tailor stakeholder engagement through surveys, interview guides and focus groups, aiming to design information platforms, briefing papers, audio visual material, conferences, webinars and lectures, web pages and portals, data visualisations and online mapping tools. To ensure fit-for-purpose, I co-design technical documentation, data management and licencing protocols, as well as author Ministerial correspondence and talking points that are relevant to climate science and contentious issues, such as explaining extreme weather and hazard events, and communicating uncertainties and risk  relating to flood, heatwaves and bushfire risk.