Karen Raubenheimer

Karen Raubenheimer is a Senior Lecturer at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong. She holds a PhD from ANCORS (2016) and a Master of Environmental Management from the University of New South Wales, complemented by a background in Information Technology and project management in finance and environmental sectors. Her work bridges law, policy, and science to address marine plastic pollution at global and regional scales.

Research focuses on international legal frameworks, plastic pollution governance, and multilateral environmental agreements. Notable projects include leading UNEP's 2017 marine plastic litter assessment, Nordic Council's global agreement elements report (2020), and BRS Secretariat's chemicals-plastics governance analysis (2022). She actively participates in UN negotiations for a global plastics treaty and advises Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) on treaty negotiations.

Key funding includes a 2023 Nordic Council grant for developing global plastic product criteria and a 2021 DFAT-funded Indo-Pacific maritime management initiative. Her work integrates technical solutions with policy design, emphasizing cross-sectoral approaches to achieve sustainable ocean governance.

Raubenheimer collaborates with institutions like GRID-Arendal on climate-plastic linkages and co-authored influential reports on microplastics, regional action plans, and science-policy interfaces. Her research highlights the need for legally binding agreements, funding mechanisms, and integrated strategies to address plastic pollution’s life cycle.