Climate change is a reality and indeed has its share of challenges as well as opportunities for businesses.

And it is these challenges and opportunities which will be discussed by Mahendra Kumar, Climate Change Technical and Policy Expert.

Mr Kumar will be speaking at the Top Executives (TOPEX) Conference tomorrow which gets underway at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa on Denarau Island.

He has previously served as Climate Change Advisor for the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) for about 12 months.

Mr Kumar has been involved with climate change activities over the past 18 year.

He was the first appointee at Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as the International Negotiations Officer for Climate Change.

Mr Kumar also assisted in the development of the Australian Government Climate Change Adaptation Initiative (ICCAI) for the Pacific, Timor-Leste and South Asia.

Mr Kumar served as the Director of Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs& International Cooperation, Fiji.

He represented Fiji at key regional and international climate change meetings such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Green Climate Fund (GCF) and CTN.

Mr Kumar has a distinguished record in academia as a Professor and Administrator.

He has served as, Vice Chancellor; Dean, Science & Technology and Director of Centre of Climate Change, Energy Environment and Sustainable Development at the University of Fiji. He also held the position of Dean, Planning & Development, Research, Campuses and Information Technology at the-then Fiji Institute of Technology.

He has a long record of teaching, research and management at the University of the South Pacific where he served as Associate Professor and Head of Physics Department.

Mr Kumar currently serves on the UNFCCC Roster of Experts as a Lead Reviewer for National Communications and Biennial Reports (BRs). He was recently appointed to the Specialist Pool of Consultants on Small States and Climate Financeby the Commonwealth Secretariat.

He continues to live and work in Fiji and is regarded as one of the foremost authorities on climate change and sustainable development in the Pacific region.

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