Meet Our Speakers

Lorenza Contin is a Research Associate at the G20 GLI. For the next six months, Lorenza will support the Director in the development of a strategic roadmap for UNCCD CoP16 and other critical initiatives focused on land conservation and restoration. With a specialized expertise in ecosystem-based and disaster risk management, Lorenza brings her knowledge of the intersection between environment and migration through her research and work with various NGOs. She has previously served as an intern with the UNEP Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction, and as a Project Assistant and Researcher in organizations dedicated to sustainable development and Nature-based Solutions, including Entrepreneurs pour la Planète and ClimaTalk.

Lorenza holds a Master’s in Environmental Policy from Sciences Po (Paris School of International Affairs) and a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative, European, and International Law from the University of Trento. Additionally, she completed a Summer School in Climate Change-related Migration at SOAS University of London. Her academic achievements are complemented by her active volunteer work, including contributions to the COP-5 to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, UNHCR community-based protection activities in Malaysia, and emergency assistance during the 2022 floods in Italy.

Residing in Padova, Italy, Lorenza’s personal interests reflect her passion for human connections and environmental stewardship. She is learning Arabic to better engage with people on the move and has a love for language exchanges, having improved her German and French through such experiences. An enthusiastic hiker, Lorenza embarks on annual week-long backpacking trips in nature, and she has been training in aerial silks at the circus since high school. She also earned academic recognition, including the Italian Excellence Student Award in 2019.