Gemma Joined NESC as a policy analyst in 2023. Her work focuses on climate change and sustainability issues and systems thinking methodologies. Prior to joining NESC, Gemma worked as economist for the secretariat to the Irish Climate Change Advisory Council. Previously, she worked with the EPA Climate Change Research Programme leading in the area of socioeconomic, technology and transition management.
Gemma was a member of the Irish delegation to the UNFCCC from 2008 to 2018. During this time, she acted as a negotiator for the EU on climate finance issues and negotiated key elements in the 2015 Paris Agreement. In 2017, Gemma was nominated by the EU as a member of the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Climate Finance which she held for two years. She was an Irish Government delegate to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2009 and in 2021.
Gemma was chair of the OECD’s Working Party on Climate, Investment and Development from 2022 to 2023. In her early career, she was an economist for the UK government working on water quality, climate change and transport modelling. She holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Policy, an M.A. in Economics and B.A.(hons) in Economics and Philosophy.