Kate is a co-Founder and Director and has been named as C2LI’s first CEO. She began her role with C2LI alongside its Founders and Co-Directors at its inception and has contributed to the development of the Initiative from its beginning. As a licensed attorney in the USA, with over 15 years of practical experience across a variety of legal practice areas including criminal law, corporate responsibility, mediation and social justice issues. Kate holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde where her research focused on climate change litigation with a particular emphasis on ocean-related climate impacts. Kate is fluent in German and English (mother tongues), and continues to expand her capacity in Spanish, Italian and French. In addition to her work with C2LI, Kate collaborates with multiple research and policy institutions and academic journals. She holds an LLM in Global Environmental Law and Governance, a Juris Doctor with a concentration in Environmental Law and a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance.

Francesco is the Founder and Co-Director of the Climate Change Legal Initiative. Together with Makane Moïse Mbengue he was the editor of the book “Comparative Climate Change Litigation: Beyond the Usual Suspects” that has led to C²LI. He is an expert in international law and has academic and practical experience not only in climate change, but also in international water law and sustainable development law. He provides legal advice to international organisations and governments in matters of international law and climate change and enjoys translating his academic work into policy oriented and practical outputs. C²LI feeds on this interest and need to make academic work useful and relevant. Francesco is fluent in Italian (mother tongue), English, Spanish and French. He has worked in Latin America, Central America, the Caribbean and Southern Africa. In addition to C²LI, Francesco was the Founder of the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance (SCELG), is the Co-Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law Climate Change Law Specialist Group, and Co-Chair of the IWRA Islands and Water Congress.

Amelia is a Director of the Climate Change Legal Initiative and a doctoral student with the University of Strathclyde School of Law where she is pursuing research at the intersection of environmental law and human rights as a Fulbright Award recipient. Amelia practiced law in the United States for over a decade, with a focus on protecting a healthy environment and communities that depend on natural resources. She advocated for protection of water resources, forests, and imperilled species, and for proper accounting of climate impacts and planning for resiliency in agency decision-making. Through complex litigation before federal and state tribunals, she has developed expertise in the role of strategic litigation in environmental advocacy. Amelia has presented regularly on legal advocacy related to protecting forests, biodiversity, and freshwater resources. Amelia’s work with C2LI relates to her research examining the human right dimensions of impacts from climate change and rights-based approaches to redressing environmental harms.