Ms Elina Bardram was appointed as the Head of Unit for International Relations in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action in April 2014. Her team focuses on bilateral engagement with EU's strategic partners with the view to accelerate the global transition to a climate-resilient, low emissions economy. Ms Bardram was the Head of EU delegation in the UNFCCC negotiations between 2014-2019. In this capacity, she played a central part in developing the EU’s climate diplomacy and shaping the EU’s negotiating strategy for the Paris Agreement and the Katowice Rulebook.

Before assuming her current role in leading international relations development for the Directorate General, Ms Bardram worked as Head of the International Carbon Markets, Aviation and Maritime Unit (2012- 2014) and as the Deputy Head of Unit for Climate Financing and Deforestation (2010-12). Between 2003-2010 Ms Bardram worked in the Strategy Directorate of the External Relations Directorate-General, where she led a team focussing on sustainable development and trade-related assistance and carried out selected economic analyses on the impacts of different policy approaches. Between 1996- 2003 Ms Bardram worked as a consultant in Finland and the UK covering both government and business sector assignments and served two years as an economist in the UNDP Country Office in Nigeria. She holds a PhD in Economics from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Her academic work has focused on the impacts of globalisation.