Bio

Currently a fulltime faculty member and the programme director of the Master of Research in Sustainable Futures at the University of Bristol Law School, Temitope Onifade has lived and practiced law in the notorious Niger Delta where he learnt about environmental issues, igniting his interest in sustainability. Pursuing this interest, he worked as a partner at Lex Luminaire in Nigeria, leading renewable energy projects and advising clients such as Biofuel Development Farmers Association and Green Energy Plant on low-carbon investment and incentives. Going beyond professional practice and often in collaboration with experts and community stakeholders, he has also conceptualized, designed, and/or led the implementation of several sustainability organizations, including the UBC Liu Institute Network for Africa and Holistic Sustainable Development Network International, and sustainability projects such as Community Sustainability Global and Re-Imagining Agenda 2063, with impacts mainly in Africa and Canada.

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After discovering some of the challenges of low-carbon policy, Temi decided to learn more about climate and low-carbon policy through research. Building on his legal and policy training in Nigeria and Canada, he has worked as a researcher for Canada Climate Law Initiative, housed at UBC but working on issues across Canadian federal and provincial jurisdictions. He has also worked as a research consultant for Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative, housed at Oxford University but working across commonwealth countries. Previously, he was a research associate with Social Impact Firm, working on documents for clients such as the American Chamber of Commerce. Before that, he was a research fellow at University of Calgary, lecturer at Memorial University, and policy researcher with the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, working on various sustainable energy, resource, and trade projects. His research has produced results contributed to over 20 policies, journals, and books, including policy documents for provincial governments in Canada and refereed articles in Energy Policy, Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law, Human Rights Review, Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review, Global Journal of Comparative Law, Nigerian Yearbook of International Law and several university journals. Besides these policy and academic contributions, he has also published articles in professional publications, including the Newsletter of the International Bar Association Section on Public and Professional Interest and the International Legal Research Informer of the American Society of International Law. Additionally, he has presented and participated at various conferences in Africa, Central America, Europe, and North America, including those hosted by the Academic Council of the United Nations System, American Law and Society Association, American Society of International Law, Canadian Council on International Law, Canadian Law and Society Association, Society of Legal Scholars, Sustainable Development Solutions Network of the United Nations, and several universities and professional organizations. He has also served as an expert at policy fora, including climate emergency dialogues of the City of Vancouver and UBC.

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Temi designed and has directed the CSG Project as an international partnership that brings NGOs, experts, social enterprises, governments, and other stakeholders together to enlighten communities on sustainability, teach sustainability skills and cut back on unsustainable practices. These partners have organized several workshops in Canada and Nigeria. Also, he has served a term as an elected UBC Senator, sitting on the Appeals on Academic Standing committee which makes final decisions on cases from academic units. Repeatedly, he also contributed to sustainability causes as a member of the Senate, including supporting the university's climate emergency agenda and advocating that UBC should support climate action in Africa. Additionally, he co-founded and has led the UBC Liu Institute Network for Africa as a multidisciplinary group of around 100 graduate students, postgrads and postdocs, professors and community members facilitating projects on global issues affecting Africa, most notably the environment-development nexus. He has led the design and implementation of several projects engaging policy and community leaders and experts working on African issues, including the Canadian African Congress and the completed COVID-19 and Africa Webinar Series. Further, he has advocated for climate action, Africa and minorities as a co-host on Vancouver Coop Radio. He has co-hosted the African Vibes Show and served on the panel of the Intercultural Podcast.

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His PhD at UBC is funded by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS). He has also received the Joseph Armand Bombardier CGS, the International Doctoral Fellowship, the Four-Year Doctoral Fellowship and other awards at UBC. For his LLM at the University of Calgary, he was one of the three global recipients of the Scholarship for Energy and Natural Resources Studies, the biggest graduate and post-doctoral award of the International Bar Association, among several other awards. His studies at Memorial University and in Nigeria were also funded through various scholarships and fellowships. Altogether, his over 40 awards, honours and grants are from the African Bar Association, American Society of International Law, American Law and Society Association, International Bar Association, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Government of Canada, Oyo State Government, and academic units and programmes at UBC, Columbia University, Yale University, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Obafemi Awolowo University.