James Hopeward (He/Him)
Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering
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Organisation unit

College of Engineering and Information Technology School of Civil Engineering and Construction
Profile of James Hopeward

Available for media comment

Climate change
Energy, fuel & power
Green energy
Sustainability & resources

My skills

Climate change scenarios
Energy transition modelling
Local solutions
Systems thinking

About me

I am a sustainability scientist and systems thinker working at the intersection of environmental engineering, policy, and community engagement. My work focuses on the big-picture challenges of our time - namely climate change, energy transitions, and the limits to economic growth - and the solutions required to navigate them. 

I take a systems-based approach that spans global and local scales: from modelling global energy transition pathways and renewable energy potential, to supporting sustainable food systems, regenerative development, and community-led change. This perspective underpins my research, teaching, and academic leadership. 

My recent work has included contributing to the design of curricula, assessments, and academic structures for the newly formed Adelaide University, drawing on extensive experience developed at the University of South Australia (UniSA). An interactive example of my research is the Global Renewable Energy and Sectoral Electrification (GREaSE) model, which explores pathways for rapid global decarbonisation. 

My work has received institutional, national, and international recognition for its contribution to sustainability science, education, and policy engagement. 

This includes recognition for teaching excellence and international engagement, most recently the AEMG Outstanding Teaching Visit Teacher Award (2025) for postgraduate teaching delivered through UniSA’s transnational partnership with An De College in Xi’an, China. My research has also been widely recognised through its influence on international sustainability assessment and policy processes, including extensive citation in government and intergovernmental policy documents. 

I have been invited to contribute to high-profile global initiatives such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations Global Environment Outlook, and the UN Sustainable Development Performance Indicator (SDPI) platform, reflecting sustained recognition of my expertise at the science–policy interface.

I am an academic in environmental and sustainability engineering whose career to date has been based at the University of South Australia (UniSA), now merged with the University of Adelaide to form Adelaide University, where I am an Academic Lead.

At UniSA, I held a series of senior academic and leadership roles spanning research, teaching, and people leadership, including Professorial Lead, Acting Dean of Programs, Associate Head of School (Teaching and Learning), and Program Director. In these roles, I led curriculum renewal, accreditation processes, assessment reform, and workforce planning across engineering and environmental disciplines. 

More recently, my work has focused on supporting the transition to Adelaide University, including participation in the Academic Transition Panel and contributions to curriculum, assessment, and program design for the new institution.

I teach and coordinate undergraduate and postgraduate courses in climate change adaptation, environmental and water systems, and environmental modelling. My teaching emphasises systems thinking, real-world relevance, and the development of professional judgement in complex and uncertain contexts. 

I have provided long-term leadership in curriculum and assessment design, including leading institution-wide curriculum mapping for Engineers Australia accreditation at UniSA and contributing to curriculum development for Adelaide University. A key focus of my recent work is the design of authentic, inclusive, and AI-resilient assessment, including viva examinations and interactive causal loop modelling. 

My teaching is student-centred, internationally engaged, and inclusive of diverse educational backgrounds. I also contribute to teaching quality through mentoring, summative peer review of teaching, and guest lectures and public talks on sustainability and systems thinking.

I am a founding member of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, an international network working to re-orient economic systems towards sustainability, equity, and human wellbeing. 

I maintain active engagement with international sustainability and policy networks through contributions to the IPCC, the United Nations Global Environment Outlook, and the UN Sustainable Development Performance Indicator platform, where I have contributed to the development of global sustainability accounting metrics. 

Through these roles, I work to bridge academic research, policy development, and real-world decision-making, with a strong emphasis on systems thinking and evidence-based action.

Media experience
I have extensive experience engaging with the media to communicate complex sustainability and climate issues to broad audiences. My work has been featured across national, state, and regional media, including television, radio, print, and online outlets, and I am a regular contributor to public commentary on climate change, energy transitions, and environmental risk.

I have appeared on ABC Radio and other national and regional programs, contributed opinion pieces and explainers to outlets such as The Conversation, and participated in international podcasts reaching global audiences. I also experiment with creative approaches to public engagement, including live events that combine science, storytelling, and humour, to make sustainability challenges accessible and relevant beyond academia.
Available for media comment
  • Climate change
  • Energy, fuel & power
  • Green energy
  • Sustainability & resources
Last updated on 06/01/2026 by James Hopeward