Dr Roanna McClelland to conclude her time with LPGCCA
It is with some sadness, but also with great pride, that we share the news that, after (a far too short!) 12mths with the Laureate Program on Global Corporate Climate Accountability (LPGCCA), Roanna McClelland, Research Fellow, will be moving on to an exciting new opportunity with McKinnon (previously known as the Susan McKinnon Foundation), as Senior Policy Advisor in their Democracy stream.
Her new role, starting in July 2026, will utilise Roanna’s extensive experience as a ministerial and policy adviser to MPs, including to the Hon Julia Gillard AC (2018-2022), as well as her legal and academic expertise.
Roanna joined the LPGCCA at its outset in June 2025, becoming a foundational member of the team. Some of Ro’s key achievements on research and impact during her time with the program include:
Roanna was a key contributor to:
Policy Backgrounder: implications of the ICJ’s Climate Advisory Opinion (June 26)
Amicus submission to the High Court of Australia in the case of MACH Energy Australia Pty Ltd v. Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group & Anor (Mar 26)
Policy Matters: From Pledges to Delivery – A Decade After Paris, the Task force on Net Zero Policy’s flagship report. (Nov 25)
Will COP30 in Brazil deliver climate accountability or business as usual? – ANZSIL Perspective (Nov 25)
Interim submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications in response to Inquiry into the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and six related bills (Nov 25)
Policy Brief: What are the implications of the ICJ Climate Advisory Opinion for EIA in Australia? (Sept 25)
Roanna also participated in many of the LPGCCA’s events and contributed to teaching programs:
She was a key organiser of the panel event International Law, Directors Duties, and Corporate Climate Accountability, co-hosted by the Laureate Program and Climate Integrity.
Presented at the Climate Litigation and Climate Justice webinar, hosted by Pacific Climate Change Centre at SPREP, The Climate Reality Project - Australia & Pacific and Melbourne Climate Futures. (Sept 25)
Attended COP30 in Belem alongside Prof Jackie Peel, participating in side events convened with Oxford Climate Policy Hub and the UN Taskforce on Net Zero Policy
Taught Climate Law for the Melbourne Law School’s Masters program
Delivered several guest lectures on climate and human rights issues across law and non-law programs.
Roanna is heading imminently to Europe with another of our Laureate Research Fellows, Suzanne Varrall, and will represent the LPGCCA at London Climate Action Week events.
Beyond these impressive achievements (and also successfully passing her PhD in the interim), Roanna has built strong working relationships across MCF and externally, contributing greatly to our collaborative research environment. Anyone who has met Roanna will understand what an asset she is to any team, a delight to work alongside and someone who calmly takes on whatever is thrown her way.
We’re incredibly proud of all that Roanna has accomplished here, and we know she’ll continue to excel in her new role. She will remain an Affiliated Scholar of the Laureate program, and we look forward to seeing her at many events and gatherings in the future.
For those working with Ro on specific projects, the Laureate team continues its work and is contactable via lp-gcca@unimelb.edu.au.
