Chair

Kira Sorensen

Specialist Area: Environment and Sustainability
 

Kira is an environmental and sustainability professional with ten years’ experience in the resources industry within WA and internationally (Guinea), working across various mining and construction operations in bauxite and iron ore, in the policy and advocacy space, and currently in the ESG / sustainability consulting space. 

Kira is a passionate sustainability advocate and supporter of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Believing we all have unique skills and the responsibility to use those skills to drive towards a more sustainable future, Kira is keen to share her skills, knowledge, and expertise to make a positive difference and encourage others across community, industry, and government to see the benefit in doing the same.

Youth Action in Climate Change and Sustainability

Natalie Muhl

I am currently finishing my double science major of Environmental Management and Sustainability/ Conservation and Wildlife biology at Murdoch University and have a passion for community engagement and sustainable development. Throughout the past three years, I have applied my passion through multiple volunteer roles, encouraging students and community members to collaborate in environmental management projects. In addition to this, I spend time with my family, friends and my two dogs; Harriett and Audrey. I enjoy going on nature walks, reading field guides and painting with my fiancé. My goal within the Environmental Committee is to have a positive impact within Western Australian, collaborating with other members on events and engaging with the youth of WA.

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Climate Lead

Alexander Jayasuria

Alex is committed to help nations in their fight against climate change. He has joined the Environmental Committee to help further climate awareness and ambition in Western Australia. He is currently a student and researcher at Curtin University, serving on his faculty’s Sustainability Council. He is also Curtin’s student representative for the United Nation’s Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME). Drawn by his convictions to accelerate sustainable development within the region, Alex has pursued change through several domestic and international experiences. He was a recent delegate of COP26, and is an environmental and sustainability ambassador for Rotary Oceania. Alex has also been awarded a scholarship by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to continue his work on sustainable development in Singapore, Indonesia, and the wider Indo-Pacific.

Oceans Lead

Clara Obregon Lafuente

Clara is a fisheries scientist, focusing on the human dimensions of fisheries and fisheries sustainability. In 2021, she finished her PhD on the social-ecological dimensions of blue swimmer crab fisheries, in Western Australia.

Clara is a biologist by training and has worked with conservation organisations such as World Wide Fund for Nature (Madagascar), and the Zoological Society of London (UK), as well as research institutions such as the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (Spain) and Murdoch University (Australia). Clara works with fishing communities, government agencies and other stakeholders, to provide a better understanding of small-scale fisheries’ governance and support the sustainability and resilience of the communities depending on fisheries’ resources.

Co-Lead of Oceans

Dr Oliver J.D. Jewell

Oliver is a marine ecologist and oceanographer, focusing his research on the movements of large marine animals. He completed his PhD at Murdoch University in late 2021, and now works at the University of Western Australia (UWA). Oliver first learned to track wildlife in South Africa, where he has tagged over 100 great white sharks, among other species. Since moving to Western Australia he has worked on several projects with sea turtles (flatback, loggerhead and green), sawfish, bull, lemon and tiger sharks, and dugong during his time with UWA, Murdoch University, and Fisheries DPIRD. While he continues to collaborate with research groups in South Africa and California working on great whites. He now works in the Sequeira Lab tracking the movements of megafauna in Shark Bay (Gathaagudu).

Climate Lead

Estelle Roux

Estelle is an environmental expert with a solid expertise in environment, climate change and the transition to a low carbon economy.
 
Estelle is an environmental scientist by training and moved to Australia from France 10 years ago. She has been working in academia on diverse environmental topics such as energy poverty, climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable water management.
 
To ensure her work was supporting decision makers, Estelle made the decision to become an environmental policy advisor. Since then, Estelle has worked with local governments and with New South Wales and Queensland governments.  For the past few years Estelle has been working as an environmental and climate policy advisor to the Western Australian Government.