Speakers
Hon. Tom Roper
Project Director, Small Island States Energy Initiative, Climate Institute
Hon. Tom Roper is currently living in London, UK—for 2 years—after 18 months in Ottawa, Canada. While in London and North America, he has had more time to carry out his duties as a Board Member of the Washington-based Climate Institute. On behalf of the Board, he is the Project Leader for the Small Islands Green Energy Initiative.
Tom has been involved in environmental policy and issues at all levels—local, state, federal, and international. His wide-ranging Ministerial experience has included Treasury, Planning and Environment, Aboriginal Affairs, Health and Transport. During his term at Planning and Environment, he helped to develop programs for Ozone Layer protection and Greenhouse response, oversaw the State Conservation Strategy, funded the first local government conservation strategies, and legislated for two major new national parks and to stop unrestricted tree clearing.
He served as Co-Chairman of the Coastal Resources Panel of the 1989 Cairo World Conference on Preparing for Climate Change and, in 1990, as Co-Chairman of the International Conference on a Framework Convention and Associated Emissions Protocols which floated draft documents for consideration by climate negotiations.
Since his retirement after 21 years in the Victorian Parliament, half as a Minister, he has been involved in a wide range of projects concerning climate change, including representing the Climate Institute at the Kyoto, Buenos Aires, and Hague Conferences.
Tom was also a member of the Australian Government's Advisory Council on the Environment and Employment Opportunities, and Treasurer of the Environment Training Company. He is a member of a number of Boards and is also an advisor to the Vice Chancellor of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
