Amy Steel

PhD Candidate

Amy Steel portrait

Amy Steel joined Adrift Lab in 2023 as a PhD candidate at Curtin University in Western Australia.

Research topic: Healthy country in a changing climate - Should humans intervene to help ecosystems on the verge of climate collapse and if so how/where and when?

The specific focus is Yowli/Flesh-footed Shearwaters (seabirds) which breed on islands in the Recherche Archipelago off Kepa Kurl/Esperance. These islands, and thus this species, are vulnerable to lightning ignited wildfires (which are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change) as the birds breed during the peak of the Austral summer heat.

The research is in partnership with the Esperance Tjaltjraak Rangers with a focus Wudjari cultural burning.

Amy joins the Adrift Lab team with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Her professional career includes being Head of Office and Global Subject Lead for Climate Risk and Adaptation at ENGIE Impact. Her career has delved deep into both mitigation and adaptation over the last decade. On the mitigation side, Amy has undertaken numerous projects exploring both an energy optimised mix to decarbonisation and the pathway required to maintain a safe and habitable climate at either a site, city, country or regional level. On the adaptation side, Amy has worked with global organisations to help understand, quantify and respond to the impact from a changing climate on place, infrastructure, communities and operations.

Learn more about Amy and her work on LinkedIn