Meg McDonald

Meg McDonald was appointed Environment Commissioner in September 2021. 

Ms McDonald has more than 30 years’ experience in the public and private sectors. As a senior Australian diplomat and in business, her career focused on environment and sustainability, climate change and energy. She has been a leader in clean technology innovation, philanthropy and stakeholder engagement. 

Ms McDonald serves as member of the NSW Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, and the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer’s Expert Panel, advising the NSW Government on innovative decarbonisation technologies to support the achievement of NSW Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2030. She is Chair of the Australian Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE). 

In 2019, Ms McDonald was appointed by the Australian Government as a member of the Foreign Investment Review Board. She also serves as a Trustee of The Nature Conservancy, Australia. 

Ms McDonald’s previous roles at the forefront of decarbonising the economy, in renewable energy and addressing climate change include – Chief Operating Officer of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, CEO of Low Carbon Australia Limited, and on the Boards of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living. 

Ms McDonald has served as Assistant Secretary, Environment and Antarctic Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment, and Deputy Ambassador to the United States in Washington DC. 

She held senior executive business roles with Alcoa in New York and Australia. In 2014, Ms McDonald was named as an Australian Financial Review/Westpac 100 Women of Influence. 

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