Dr Neil Gilbert
- Health, Safety and Environmental Consultant and Polar Specialist -

BIO

Neil is a Polar Specialist having spent nearly 40 years working on Arctic and Antarctic issues.  He has visited the Arctic and Antarctic many times.

In 1985 Neil joined the British Antarctic Survey and spent two and half years living and working in Antarctica undertaking field studies for his PhD on near-shore marine ecology, which included a year-round diving programme.  

Between 1991 and 1994 Neil continued his association with Antarctica in the role of permanent Base Commander for one of the UK’s Antarctic research stations.

Neil joined the Polar Regions Section of the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1997.  In that capacity Neil worked on a wide range of Polar policy issues and represented the UK at meetings of the Antarctic Treaty and its Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) as well as meetings of the Scientific Committee and Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).  He also represented the UK at numerous Arctic Council Senior Arctic Official and Ministerial meetings.

In 2003 Neil joined Antarctica New Zealand as GM: Health, Safety and Environment and continued to attend meetings of the CEP as New Zealand’s representative.  Between 2006 and 2010 Neil was elected as the Chair of the (then) 35-country Committee.

In 2014 Neil established his own consultancy and has worked on a raft of Antarctic initiatives for a number of governments, national Antarctic programmes and private organisations.

In 2022, in a career highlight, Neil provided support to the Endurance22 Expedition that searched for and located the wreck of Shackleton’s ship Endurance.

TALKS / LECTURES

- Antarctica, and New Zealand's role in Antarctica are Neil's main subjects, but he can talk on many Antarctic and sub-Antarctic topics including wildlife, scientific research, environmental protection, climate change, as well as Antarctic history (Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen etc) and the geopolitics of Antarctica.

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HOME BASE

Christchurch, New Zealand.

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