Kevin Horsburgh is the Climate Science Lead at the Green Climate Fund (GCF) where he leads the Climate Impact Advisory Team, a network of experts whose role is to strengthen the climate impact of GCF investments and strategic planning, and to improve access to climate finance for the most vulnerable.
The GCF is the world’s largest climate fund whose mission is to help developing countries transition to low-emission, climate resilient pathways (as of 2023, GCF funding for climate action stands at USD 13.5 billion through 243 projects in 129 developing countries).
Kevin works closely with the global expert community (the IPCC and the World Meteorological Organization, WMO) to support the development of national climate services in developing countries. As a member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Regional Information for Society (RIfS) core project, he leads international efforts to develop tools and methodologies that place climate information in the user context to serve the needs of policy-makers, planners, and climate action investors.
Kevin’s career has a strong focus on supporting policy and delivering socio-economic impact. Prior to taking up his position with the GCF, he was the Chief Scientist for International Development at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre where he led a portfolio of large-scale, multi-agency projects, harnessing marine science to support sustainable economic development. Between 2010 and 2019 he led the Expert Team on Disaster Risk Reduction where he acted as the coastal risk focal point for the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Kevin has a global reputation in the field of coastal flood hazard research and the implications of climate change on extreme sea levels. He is also an outstanding communicator of science having contributed to several prime-time television programmes. He has published over 100 papers on all aspects of extreme sea levels including tides, waves, storm surges and tsunamis. He holds a PhD from the University of Bangor and is a Visiting Professor at the University of East Anglia.
