Environment Commissioner

Meg McDonald

Meg McDonald has over 30 years experience in the public and private sectors, in Australia and internationally, in business and as a senior diplomat, with a focus on environment and environmental sustainability, climate change and energy. She has been a leader in clean technology innovation and in philanthropy and stakeholder engagement.

Meg has been at the forefront of decarbonising the economy, renewable energy and addressing climate change. In 2021 she was appointed as a Board Member of the NSW NetZero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, and previously served as member of the Expert Panel chaired by the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer advising the Government to identify innovative decarbonisation technologies and services to support the achievement of NSW Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2030 emissions targets, adapt to climate change and grow related industries.

In 2019, Meg was appointed by the Australian Government as a member of the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).

She served on the Board of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)(2016-20) and as the Chief Operating Officer of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (2013-15), CEO of Low Carbon Australia Limited (LCAL) (2010-13), and on the Board of the Co-operative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL)(2016-20). She is a Trustee of The Nature Conservancy in Australia.

She has had senior executive business roles with Alcoa (President, Alcoa Foundation and Director, Global Issues, Alcoa, in New York and General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Alcoa in Australia).

She was Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment between 1996 and 1998, Deputy Ambassador to the United States in Washington DC between 1998 and 2002 and served as Counsellor at the Australian Permanent Mission in Geneva.

From 1995-96, Meg was Assistant Secretary, Environment and Antarctic Branch, DFAT, responsible for Australia’s international environment treaty negotiations, and the Antarctic treaties. She has also served as senior Adviser to three Australian Government Cabinet ministers.

In 2014, Meg was named as an AFR/Westpac 100 Women of Influence. In 2018-19 Meg served as a judge for the MacArthur Foundation #100andchange program, for $100 million grants to fund single proposals that promise real and measurable progress in solving critical problems of our time.

Meg holds an Honours Degree in Applied Science from the University of NSW.