issues and experts
Nations meet for COP31 – SFU experts available
The 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) gets underway in Türkiye on Monday, Nov. 9. Several experts from Simon Fraser University are attending COP31 this year, either virtually or in-person.
The UN Environment Programme recently confirmed global temperature rise will overshoot the 1.5 C goal set by the Paris Accord. Countries are meeting in Antalya to negotiate new pathways to minimize the extent and duration of overshoot and return to 1.5 C by the end of the century.
SFU experts are available to speak on various aspects of the climate crisis and topics headlining this year’s action agenda, including electrification, zero waste and methane, resilient cities and buildings, green industrialization, and awareness and agriculture.
SFU experts available
RADOSLAV DIMITROV, professor, political science, attending COP31 virtually
rdimitro@sfu.ca
Expertise: Diplomacy and international negotiations, climate change negotiations, persuasion and policymaking, global governance and international institutions
SIAN KOU-GIESBRECHT, assistant professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management, attending COP31 virtually
sian_kou-giesbrecht@sfu.ca
Expertise: Carbon and nutrient cycling through forests, Earth system models, and climate change projections informing climate policy
SAMI KHAN, associate professor, Sustainable Energy Engineering, attending COP31 in person Nov. 9–13, 2026
s_khan@sfu.ca
Expertise: Carbon capture and conversion, technoeconomic assessments, energy policy. Not available Nov. 14–30, 2026
KIRA JOHNSON, research manager, The Planetary Health Research Group, PhD candidate, health sciences, attending COP31 virtually
kira_johnson_2@sfu.ca
Expertise: Planetary health governance, complexity theory, interspecies equity and justice, systems change, and social-ecological, political and planetary determinants of health. Not available Nov. 22–30, 2026
RACHEL DORAN, executive director, Clean Energy Canada
Based in Toronto, ON. Contact Keri McNamara, manager of reports and outreach, for interviews: 778.951.8060 | keri@cleanenergycanada.org
Expertise: Climate and energy policy, electric vehicle market, critical minerals, clean economic policy
JOANNA KYRIAZIS, director of policy and strategy, Clean Energy Canada
Based in Victoria, B.C. Contact Keri McNamara, manager of reports and outreach, for interviews: 778.951.8060 | keri@cleanenergycanada.org
Expertise: Climate policy, climate change and energy law, critical minerals, electric vehicle policies
DEBORAH HARFORD, acting executive director at SFU Climate Innovation, co-founder of the Action on Climate Team
604.671.2449 | dharford@sfu.ca
Expertise: Sustainable climate action strategies, climate resilience, governance and systems change, AI and climate initiatives, climate policy
ANDY HIRA, department chair, professor, political science, director, Clean Energy Research Group
anil_hira@sfu.ca
Expertise: Canadian policy issues related to climate change; energy markets and regulation; green transition for remote and developing communities; geopolitics of energy. Not available Nov. 16–27, 2026
ANDRÉANNE DOYON, associate professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management
andreanne_doyon@sfu.ca
Expertise: Urban planning, climate change, and resilience, how cities and regions can adapt and transform to respond to environmental and social challenges
WOO SOO KIM, professor, Mechatronic Systems Engineering, applied science, associate director of the Additive Manufacturing Lab
woosook@sfu.ca
Expertise: Agritech, sustainable agriculture, precision agriculture practices, physical AI for plant health monitoring and resource management. Not available Nov. 20–26, 2026
MAJID BAHRAMI, professor, Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Canada Research Chair in Alternative Energy Conversion Systems, Tier 1
mbahrami@sfu.ca
Expertise: Sustainable air conditioning and dehumidification systems, atmospheric water harvesting technology, sorption materials, thermal energy storage, waste-heat driven heat transformers. Not available Nov. 4, 2026
JONN AXSEN, professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management, director of the Sustainable Transportation Action Research Team (START)
jonn_axsen@sfu.ca
Expertise: Sustainable energy, electric vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles, alternative energy, climate policy, sustainable consumption, social influence, technology innovation, sustainable mobility
Contact
ROBYN STUBBS, SFU Communications & Marketing
604.376.0971 | robyn_stubbs@sfu.ca
Simon Fraser University
Communications & Marketing | SFU Media Experts Directory
778.782.3210
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