Oli Brown

Associate Fellow, Environment and Society Centre

Headshot of Oli Brown.

Biography

Oli Brown became an associate fellow with the Energy, Environment and Resources Programme (now the Environment and Society Programme) in August 2018 following an earlier stint as a fellow from 2012-14.

Between 2014 and 2018 Oli was based in Kenya where he coordinated UN Environment’s work to minimize the risks and impacts of disasters, industrial accidents and armed conflicts. This c. $25 million annual programme is one of UN Environment’s seven priority areas and operates in several dozen countries each year.


Between 2010 and 2012 Oli managed a UN Environment programme in Sierra Leone, and before that he was a senior researcher and programme manager with the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Oli has specialist knowledge in environmental management, peacebuilding and conflict analysis, trade policy, migration policy, climate change, and extractives.

He has degrees in Anthropology and History from the University of Glasgow, a Masters of International Studies from the University of Otago in New Zealand, and a Masters of Environmental Science from the School of African and Oriental Studies, London.

Past experience

2014-18Senior Programme Manager, UN Environment (UNEP)
2012-14Associate Fellow, Chatham House
2013Visiting Practitioner, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University
2012Visiting Professor, University for Peace
2010-12Country Programme Manager, UN Department of Political Affairs & UNEP
2004-10Senior Researcher and Manager, International Institute for Sustainable Development
2009-10Director of Summer Graduate Program, Sandford School on Public Policy, Duke University
2006-07Policy Researcher, Oxfam GB
2004Policy Researcher, Oxfam GB
1997-98Assistant Programme Coordinator, Student’s Partnership Worldwide