Lydia Zemke

Postgraduate Researcher at UCL

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Policy Fellow Alumna, Centre for Science and Policy

Lydia Zemke acquired over five years of experience in programme management at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) where she had the opportunity to work alongside national governments, international organizations, cities and businesses to strengthen action for biodiversity. She worked on a wide range of projects for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, including scientific and technical cooperation, capacity-building, resource mobilization and private sector engagement. She also gained considerable experience in the facilitation of intergovernmental negotiations at the UN Conference of the Parties (COP). Prior to her term at the United Nations, Lydia conducted policy research on multilateral negotiations and development issues within international organizations.

Lydia is currently conducting postgraduate research at the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, University College London (UCL). She is passionate about finding more effective approaches for governments and international organizations to harness the power of emerging technologies and innovation for the accelerated achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

At the moment, her research is focused on developing strategies and mechanisms for scaling up international and domestic financing and private sector mobilization for the transition to a low-carbon, green economy. Her interdisciplinary research also looks at evidence-based decision-making for climate mitigation and adaptation. More broadly, she is interested in the relationship between science, technology, finance and development.

Lydia holds a master’s degree in International Project Management and Global Engineering, as well as a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Joint Honours) in Political Science and International Development Studies from McGill University. She gained extensive experience studying public policy issues at various institutions, including the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, MIT Working Group on the Governance of Emerging Technologies, Centre for Interuniversity Research in Montreal (CIRANO), the Centre for International Peace and Security (CIPSS) and the Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship (CSDC).

During her Fellowship, Lydia explored the role of scientific and technical cooperation for innovation in the field of sustainable development.