Meet the Team

Dr Elena Kavanagh is a polar lawyer and policy researcher. She works at the intersection of polar governance, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, global risk, emerging technologies, and science-policy diplomacy.

Elena founded the Risk Governance Initiative to provide independent policy analysis, advisory support, and stakeholder engagement on complex and emerging risks. Her work focuses on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and participation, climate tipping points including AMOC risk, polar and ocean governance, and the governance of emerging technologies and geoengineering.

Through the Initiative, she advances inclusive, anticipatory, and rights-based approaches to systemic global challenges.