Elisabeth Costa
Australia
Government Affairs Intern

Environmental law and policy are fascinating, challenging and ever-evolving areas. Since graduating from the University of Notre Dame with law and commerce degrees, I have been employed as a Policy Analyst in the Australian Treasury’s Climate Change and Environment Unit. In this role I advise the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer of Australia on climate, energy and environmental policy issues, including Australia’s international climate strategy. Working at Treasury sparked my interest in the broader area of international environmental law and the rights and obligations imposed by international agreements.

I sought an internship at UNEP RONA as an opportunity to gain an insight into an international institution and deepen my understanding of intergovernmental processes. In particular, I am striving to develop new skills with the goal of contributing to regional and global solutions to environmental challenges.

As the Government Affairs Intern, I will be attending and reporting back on various congressional hearings, conducting policy and legal research and assisting programme staff with current projects. I hope my experience at UNEP RONA will be an excellent foundation for future work in this field.