Dr Tara Shine is co-founder and CEO of award-winning B Corp company Change by Degrees where she and her team are on a mission to make sustainability a superpower for every person on the planet. Tara spent 20 years as an international climate change negotiator and adviser to governments on environment, climate, and global development policy. She was previously Special Adviser to the Mary Robinson Foundation-Climate Justice and The Elders as well as multilateral agencies and civil society organisations. She is a science communicator, author, broadcaster, and TV presenter. Her book, ‘How to Save Your One Object At A Time’ was published by Simon and Schuster in 2020. She presented the prestigious Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2020 (BBC4) and has presented documentaries for the BBC, RTE and Channel 4. She co-hosts the podcast series Carbon Lifeforms with comedian Jon Long and she is a regular columnist with the online newspaper, The Currency.
Dr Shine is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute of Environment and Development and a board member of Enterprise Ireland, the State Agency supporting Irish businesses.
She co-facilitated the Structured Expert Dialogue (SED) of the 2nd Periodic Review under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2020-2022), a climate policy dialogue to monitor progress and enhance the delivery of Paris Agreement goals.
Tara is a proud alum and former Faculty member of Homeward Bound, a global leadership program for women in STEM.
Dr Shine holds a BSc in Environmental Science and a PhD in Geography from Ulster University, Northern Ireland. She was awarded the AIB Graduate of the Year Award By Ulster University in 2020.
Tara is a keen sea swimmer and scuba diver who loves the outdoors.
Recent awards:
STEM Woman of the Year, 2024
Sustainable Business Leader of the Year, 2024 (PWC and The Business Post)