Shane Rattenbury
Key Opinion Ambassador
Shane is the Leader of the Green Party in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly, where he is also the Attorney General and Minister for Energy, Water and Emissions Reduction in the ACT Government. The ACT is a global leader in climate action, powered by 100% renewable electricity, and has already reduced greenhouse emissions 45% below 1990 levels.
Inspired by key environmental issues of the 1980’s and 90’s including ozone depletion, Antarctic protection and logging, Shane became an environmental advocate at a young age. He joined the Greens while studying Economics and Law (Honours) at the Australian National University.
Shane joined Greenpeace Australia in 1998, where he campaigned on local issues such as preventing toxic emissions. Later, as Head of Greenpeace’s global oceans campaign, Shane led the team that developed and delivered the Defending Our Oceans expedition, a global tour with the ship MV Esperanza that highlighted threats to the oceans, and the need for a global network of marine reserves. As part of that tour, he led an expedition of two Greenpeace ships to Antarctica to confront the Japanese whaling fleet. In 2007, as International Political Director, Shane led the Greenpeace delegation at climate change negotiations (COP13) in Bali.
Shane has been a Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly since 2008 when the Greens first gained the balance of power, and negotiated for ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. Those targets have now been accelerated and locked in legislation, including to be carbon neutral by 2045, with interim targets along the way. The ACT has an award winning Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan, has the highest rate of EV ownership in Australia, and is currently developing a plan to phase out use of fossil gas.