Dr Leuserina Garniati

Dr Leuserina Garniati, BSc (Hons), MSc (Distinction), PhD

Expert Consultant and Business Development Lead

Nia has worked for more than 20 years with local and multinational NGOs, in the UK and Europe, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South America Government institutions, private sectors, and research communities in sustainable energy transition, impact assessment, capacity building, and multidisciplinary action research programmes. Her main area of interest is focused on empowering communities and organisations to build resilience towards environmental change and social marginalisation due to climate change, through clean energy technology for economic productivity.

Her technical specialisation within sustainable energy transition is in carbon management and decarbonisation, alongside renewable energy systems' environmental-social impact assessment and monitoring. Her expertise in knowledge exchange methods and in stakeholders engagement techniques have kick-started and successfully delivered a number of international low carbon development programmes through experiential learning design, upskilling initiatives creation for organisational development, and strategic advisory for decision-makers to establish the enabling environments required to build local capabilities and capacities.

Internationally, she has provided expert’s advice on strategic site selection and lead environmental impact assessments for offshore energy projects commissioned by multinational energy companies. She has also created initiatives and managed multi stakeholders’ partnerships for development programmes funded by the UNDP, UNOPS, DBT, FCDO, and the British Council. Meanwhile, her work in the UK includes contribution to the Northeast Scotland Climate Change Partnership and the European Commission’s Covenant of Mayor Initiative; as well as the more recent strategic advisories to UK Research Council and Scottish Enterprise in low carbon and environmentally sustainable Blue Economy initiatives.

Whilst currently an Expert Consultant and Business Development Lead at Aquatera Ltd., Nia also serves as an Honorary Assistant Professor at the International Centre for Island Technology at Heriot Watt University. Throughout her academic posts she has authored book chapters, academic papers, lectured in post-graduate programmes and supervised PhD students in Sustainable Energy, Environmental Impact Assessment, Climate Change, and Carbon Management.

Areas of expertise:

  • Decarbonisation strategy & carbon management
  • Sustainable energy policy & appropriate technology
  • Environmental-social impact assessment & monitoring
  • Capacity building & knowledge exchange
  • Project management
  • Action research