Will McGoldrick
Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific
Melbourne, Australia
Will McGoldrick TNC Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific © Courtesy Will McGoldrick
Areas of Expertise
Government relations, climate change, conservation
Biography
William McGoldrick is the Regional Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy’s Asia Pacific division and Co-Chair of the Southeast Asia Climate & Nature-based Solutions (SCeNe) Coalition. Based in Australia, he leads a US$70 million program across 15 countries and territories in support of TNC’s two foremost global priorities: protecting lands, oceans and freshwater; and tackling climate change through innovative, science-based mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Over a 20-year conservation career, Will has developed deep experience in corporate practices, international negotiations, philanthropy and government policies and programs. He joined TNC in 2015 and previously held staff positions as director of climate strategy and Asia Pacific conservation director, where Will oversaw teams focused on expanding protected areas in Mongolia, restoring shellfish reefs in Hong Kong and conserving forest landscapes in Indonesia, among other initiatives.
Prior to TNC, Will served in various senior-level policy roles at WWF-Australia focused on climate and sustainable development. He has spent time living and working in a number of Pacific Island nations, including four years in Samoa, where he was an advisor to the Samoan Government on climate change policy. This experience allowed Will to witness firsthand the threat that climate change poses to some of the world’s most vulnerable people and places, underscoring the need for an agile and comprehensive global response.
Will has university degrees in international law, science and humanities from The University of Sydney and Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) and has been published in a number of academic journals. His law school thesis, “Financing Adaptation in Pacific Island Countries: Prospects for the Post-2012 Climate Regime,” was awarded high distinction and was subsequently published in the Australian International Law Journal.
Will lives in Melbourne with his wife and two children.
Publications:
McGoldrick, W., Feaver, D. and Maver, A. (2012). “Fiduciary Duty and Climate Governance: Challenges for International Diplomacy and Law”, chapter in Coghill, K., Sampford, C. and Smith, T. (2012), Fiduciary Duty and the Atmospheric Trust, Ashgate Publishing.
Feaver, D., McGoldrick, W. and Boyd-Wells, V. (2010). “Is Australia’s Emissions Intensive Trade Exposed Industry Assistance Program a Prohibited Export Subsidy?” Journal of World Trade, 44(2), pp. 319-347.
McGoldrick, W. (2009). “Financing Adaptation in Pacific Island Countries: Prospects for the Post-2012 Climate Regime.” Australian International Law Journal, Volume 14, pp. 45-69.