Climate LinkUP Spotlight

Winnie Chepkemoi is an international development expert with experience in policy practice, social research, and multi-country programs. She has expertise in project development, implementation and stakeholder management. Her vast experience cuts across private and donor supported organizations. Currently, she serves as Climate Change Finance and Readiness Expert at the Green Growth and Climate Change Division of the African Development Bank. In this capacity, she provides policy, capacity building, and technical support to African countries to enable them mobilize resources from the Green Climate Fund. Her current focus is on lusophone countries, including Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Equatorial Guinea.In her previous roles, she led the Multilateral Affairs function at the Embassy of Sweden in Kenya, charged with coordinating and reinforcing the relationship and partnership between the embassy, the United Nations Environmental Programme, European Union, and the UN-Habitat.

Professor Adam Hart, a Climate LinkUP Expert Panelist, is an award-winning scientist who was given the title of Science Communicator of the Year in 2010 by the Royal Society of Biology. Adam Hart is a Professor of Science Communication at the University of Gloucestershire, and a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. An author and frequent broadcaster, Professor Hart has presented documentaries for the BBC Radio 4 and World Service and is a frequent commentator on science and environmental matter.

In this episode we talk to Nicc Moeono, our Climate LinkUP Energy Ambassador in Samoa, South Pacific - who has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Waikato University, New Zealand. Nicc is employed at the Electric Power Corporation (EPC) as a renewable energy engineer in Samoa. We discuss Samoa's pledge to use 100 % renewable energy by 2025, as well as the challenges involved in converting to renewable energy, and what is needed for the world as a whole to reach 100% green energy.

Tune in to our first Spotlight podcast, where our ambassador Zach Boakes is interviewed about his experience co-founding ‘North Bali Reef Conservation’. His NGO and volunteering organisation focuses on the active restoration of degraded coral reefs in North Bali, whilst running multiple other environmental and educational projects.

In this episode of Spotlight we are talking to Diwigdi Valiente, a Climate LinkUP Ambassador and climate activist from Panama. He talks about the climate challenges faced by his people who are facing the prospect of losing their homes, communities and culture, and are likely to be amongst the world's first climate refugees. He also tells us about his organisation "Burwigan" - a word that means 'children' in Kuna, that uses art to educate about climate change and plastic pollution.
NGO: Website: https://www.burwigan.com/welcome
Climate LinkUP website: https://climatelinkup.com/