Emma Carmody

Dr. Emma Carmody is a co-founder and Director of Legal and Partnerships of Restore Blue, a for purpose business that was established in early 2022 to restore lost coastal ‘blue carbon’ wetlands at scale in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Emma is also an environmental lawyer with experience in all areas of environmental law and particular expertise in international environmental law, water law and governance, wetlands, and the intersection between human rights and water. Emma served as legal advisor to the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Switzerland for five years, and spent over a decade working at the Environmental Defenders Office in Australia, including as Managing Lawyer of the Freshwater Program. Over the years, her clients have included First Nations peoples, farmers, international organisations and conservation groups.

Emma also has experience in corporate and financial services compliance, commercial negotiations, capital raising and philanthropic fundraising.

Emma’s expertise has been recognised by listings in Best Lawyers in Australia (Water Law and Planning and Environmental Law). She is a fellow of the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust, a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and an affiliate of the Australian National University’s Water Justice Hub.