Young Alumni Award: N. Charles Hamilton

N. Charles Hamilton
B.Sc '14

N. Charles Hamilton is a Climate Change Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister of the Bahamas. He has worked at the nexus of climate change, global health, youth, and sustainable development issues, through various roles held in government, the private sector, civil society, and multilateral organizations in the Bahamas, Canada, and Europe.

In 2014, Charles earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Guelph in 2014, and in 2019 he completed a double master's degree (with distinction) in Public Health, specializing in Health Economics and Governance of Health Systems, from the Erasmus Mundus European Public Health+ program.

Charles supports the Bahamas in regional and international climate change negotiations and was most recently elected as a representative on behalf of Latin America and Caribbean Countries to the United Nations carbon credit regulatory body. He also represents the interests of the 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states across the globe in international climate change, sustainable development negotiations and processes, for the Alliance of Small Island States.

Additionally, Charles has played a vital role in supporting the Government of the Bahamas in policy development and the rollout of its National Health Insurance program. He has worked as a consultant with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization coordinating communications and public engagement strategies in the areas of health, risk, and crisis communication – addressing a broad range of topics including, climate change and health, disasters and emergencies, outbreaks and pandemics, universal health coverage, health financing, and environmental health.

Charles as an ardent supporter of climate action and policy, continues to be involved in the publication of scientific papers to advance climate science and the empowerment of persons from "Big Ocean States" (like the Bahamas) and other marginalized groups in academic research and frequently provides guest lectures to university students on the topic of climate change.

Charles in his current roles will assist in guiding the Bahamas’ next steps in addressing the climate crisis and making his country and Caribbean region a leader in advocacy for climate justice. Charles’ achievements are nothing short of inspiring. What’s more, is his unwavering determination to champion solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. We are honoured to celebrate Charles with our 2022 Young Alumni Award and can’t wait to see what he does next.