Prof Elisa Morgera is a scholar of international law whose work focuses on human rights and the environment, especially the climate-nature and climate-ocean nexus, equity, and the rights of small-scale fishers, Indigenous Peoples, and children. From 2019 to 2024, she directed the One Ocean Hub, a Global North/South collaboration supporting inclusive ocean decision-making.

She is part-time Professor in International and EU Environmental Law at the University of Eastern Finland, and has also worked with leading universities, the FAO, UNDP, governments, civil society, and international organizations worldwide.

Professor Laura Marsiliani is an economist whose research lies at the intersection of public economics and environmental economics. Her work examines environmental policy, energy transitions, taxation, responsible investment, and the economic dimensions of environmental protection. She is Professor in Economics at Durham University Business School and a member of the Centre for Environmental and Energy Economics.

Laura has organised international conferences on environmental policy and teaches Environmental Economics and Policy, contributing to research and education on the economic challenges of sustainability and decarbonisation.

Dr Milad Kazemi is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Durham University and a member of the JusTN0W programme. His research operates at the intersection of reinforcement learning, causal reasoning, uncertainty quantification, and AI safety.

He develops methods to ensure advanced AI systems are verifiable, uncertainty-aware, and safe for deployment in high-stakes settings. His work focuses on trustworthy artificial intelligence, including safety monitoring for large language models and autonomous systems, with the goal of creating AI systems that are transparent, reliable, and scientifically rigorous.

Dr Owen Boyle is Project Manager for the JusTN0W initiative at Durham University. He has a background in human rights law, with a particular focus on business responsibility for human rights. Before joining Durham University in 2024, he worked in academia, the private sector, and for international organisations including the United Nations and the Red Cross.

Owen has significant project management experience and has previously managed large multidisciplinary academic projects funded by the British Academy and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Within JusTN0W, he supports the coordination and delivery of interdisciplinary research addressing the challenges of achieving a just transition to net zero. He has also been active as a researcher contributing to the British Academy funded project ELEVATE-ProClima and represented this project last year at COP30. 

Dr Franka Pues is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Durham University on the Leverhulme-funded project ‘A Study of Everyday Climate Litigation’, led by Dr Kim Bouwer. Her research sits at the intersection of (international) criminal law and climate change. It examines legal narratives, the role of procedure in enabling them, and wider litigation developments. Franka is particularly interested in the criminalisation of climate protest and environmental defenders. She is a Climpact Climate Fellow and has also written on youth-focused climate litigation and the crime of ecocide.

Franka’s attendance at this year’s COP connects to her work on the Leverhulme-funded project ‘A Study of Everyday Climate Litigation’ and her wider research on criminal law and climate change. She will engage with discussions on climate justice, accountability for harm, and attend to build connections to inform her ongoing research.

Professor Habib Rahman is a Professor of Economics at Durham University Business School, specialising in development economics, political economy, and climate change. His research examines how climate-related disasters and environmental shocks shape economic development, human behaviour, political institutions, and societal resilience, with a particular focus on developing and climate-vulnerable countries.

Having previously attended COP29 in Baku, Professor Rahman returns to COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, as an observer through the Australian Government delegation. His engagement will focus on strengthening climate finance mechanisms, promoting equitable and inclusive climate transitions, and fostering international partnerships that translate climate commitments into practical development outcomes. He is particularly interested in ensuring that climate policies are economically effective, socially inclusive, and responsive to the needs of vulnerable communities in developing countries.

Professor Mehmet Asutay is a scholar of Middle Eastern and Islamic political economy and finance at Durham University Business School, where he directs the Durham Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance. His research focuses on Islamic moral economy, Islamic economics and finance, sustainable development, social justice, and the role of ethical and values-based institutions in promoting human well-being.

His research advances a critical, interdisciplinary understanding of Islamic economics and finance, particularly by integrating moral economy, political economy, and applied approaches to development and financial systems. Mehmet has worked extensively with international academic institutions, policymakers, multilateral organisations, and industry stakeholders, contributing to the development of Islamic economics and finance as an ethical, socially embedded and sustainability-oriented alternative to conventional economic and financial paradigms. Mehmet has also contributed extensively to international debates, including at COP28 in Dubai.