Crawford at COP29: meet Zoe Kaser
Making a meaningful contribution to our collective future is high on Zoe Kaser’s list of career goals. She’s already been making an impact in the Australian Public Service as Senior Sustainability Officer for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, while also building her climate expertise at the Crawford School, where she is currently completing a Master of Climate Change.
Always on the lookout for ways to help creating a climate neutral future, when the chance came to attend COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan as a Youth Delegate with the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate, Zoe leapt at the opportunity.
Here, she expands on her career interests and what she’s been learning at COP29.
What are the most pressing climate challenges facing Australia today, from your personal perspective?
Climate partisanship, a lack of urgency, and the absence of a positive collective vision for a climate neutral future.
What motivated you to pursue a master's degree in climate change at the Crawford School?
Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time, and I wanted to equip myself with the skills to have a positive and meaningful impact on our collective future.
How has your previous experience shaped your perspective on climate policy and negotiations?
I think all of our experiences shape our perspectives in one way or another. I’ve been fortunate to have already lived in a few different countries, and to have been able to learn from different people and different cultures.
For most of my childhood I lived in the Latrobe Valley, which informed my perspective on the need for a just transition too.
I think that an understanding of our collective ambition to live a ‘good life’ and an understanding of our shared values as humans, no matter our cultural or economic background is central to coming to an agreement in these negotiations.
What topic area are you most interested in, and why?
I find myself fascinated by a lot of the niche technological solutions, but broadly I’m interested in the systems approach to decarbonisation, how policy decisions impact (and are impacted by) communities, drivers of social change, and how we can fund and speed up the transition in a just and equitable way.
Are there specific climate change topics or issues that you are particularly passionate about and hope to participate in or observe at COP29?
I’m eagerly following the negotiations on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance, but everything being negotiated is so significant for our collective future.
Given the key takeaways from COP28 in Dubai, what changes or improvements do you anticipate coming out of this year's negotiations at COP29, particularly in terms of ambition, participation, and the integration of climate action into broader socioeconomic frameworks?
We know what we need to do now, it’s just a matter of ratcheting up the ambition, mobilising finance and implementing the actions we need to make.
In what ways do you believe your experience at COP29 will influence your future academic or professional pursuits? What are your aspirations for your career in climate policy after your studies?
I’ve been lucky to meet people from a diverse set of backgrounds and am constantly fascinated by the people I talk to. Being at COP has allowed me to build contacts and connections across a whole spectrum of climate careers, from mitigation to adaptation, and from advocacy to finance to policy and program implementation.
I’m determined to pursue a purpose-driven career to achieve better outcomes for the planet, and my experiences at COP have inspired me to continue down the path I’m on, despite not knowing where exactly it will take me.
What message do you hope to convey to others about the impacts of climate change?
It’s too late to avert all the crises that stem from climate change, but there will never be a better time to act than now.
🔗 Find out more about studying a Master of Climate Change at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy