Dr. Crispian Olver is the founder and CEO of Linkd Environmental Services; a Johannesburg based public policy and Research Company. In this capacity, he has been actively involved in developing climate policy in South Africa and initiating actions by businesses and local government to address climate mitigation and adaptation. Linkd recently completed the policy and research work that informed South Africa’s Climate Change Response Strategy, and supported preparations for the hosting of COP 17, including managing a series of popular policy dialogues in the build up to COP 17 on behalf of the World Bank.

From 1999-2005, he was the Director-General at the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, in which role he initiated most of the current environmental legislation in South Africa, and steered South Africa through the early stages of the global climate negotiations. During this period he also coordinated South Africa’s hosting of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Prior to this, he was Deputy Director-General in charge of Local Government in the Department of Constitutional Development, and Chief Director for the Reconstruction and Development Programme in the Office of the President.

Crispian holds BSc (Med) and MbChB degrees from the University of Cape Town, and worked as a senior medical officer at Cecilia Makiwane hospital for five years prior to joining government in 1994.