An external view of the Met Office building at night.

Dr Rebecca Osborne

Dr Rebecca Osborne is the Science Manager for the Climate Risk, Engagement and Outreach team at the Met Office

Areas of expertise  

  • Climate risk
  • International Development
  • Climate training
  • Capacity building
  • Local knowledge
  • Food security & agriculture

Email: [email protected]

Current activities

Dr Rebecca Osborne leads the Climate Risk, Engagement and Outreach (CREO) team, which is part of International Applied Science and Services (IASAS) in the Met Office. The team work on projects around the world with focus on countries in the global south, providing information on future climate risks to allow adaptation planning. Rebecca leads work for the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and is currently leading the Climate Risk Reports project in collaboration with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).  Rebecca is also leading the Capacity Building Work Package as part of Scalable Climate Services Value Propositions project looking at redesigning the future of online training and capacity building to support the pull through of Met Office climate data, and scientific expertise into climate services for external users both in the UK and Internationally.  Here Rebecca is exploring how we can better combine best practice in co-producing climate services, with best practice in learning and development design.

With a background in both social and climate science Rebecca’s research interests lie in multidisciplinary approaches - primarily pulling through climate science alongside socio-economic analysis to better understand climate risk. She also has a keen interest in improving the way we communicate climate science, capacity building and supporting practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to deliver climate information and services.

Career background

In 2021, Rebecca co-led the Met Office science pavilion alongside WMO and IPCC, at COP26 organising a series of side-events focusing on showcasing the best available science relevant to the UNFCC discussions. Prior to this in 2018 Rebecca led Climate Service Demonstrators for the Commonwealth Heads of Government project, focusing on the coproduction of climate services for small island states in the Caribbean and South Pacific, pulling through climate information such as sea level rise, alongside building capacity and training.

Rebecca has a strong focus on climate training and capacity building having previously held positions as the Learning & Development Manager for Climate Science, and Senior Climate Science Training Consultant primarily focusing on external training for international development, industry, consultancies, government departments as well as internally for the Met Office.  During her time at the Met Office Rebecca has built up a wider and varied experience of working internationally having delivered workshops, training, and consultancy projects globally including for: East Africa (WISER), South Pacific (UK Space Agency: CommonSensing), Caribbean (Commonwealth Secretariat), Brazil (CSSP Brazil), South Africa (WCSSP South Africa), Myanmar (WMO), USA (World Bank) and Mexico (Precis Training). Rebecca joined the Met Office in 2015 following previous work as a climate and environment analyst for a business consultancy and completed a PhD in 2014 exploring farmers risk perceptions to climate change in the UK.