About

Dr Babet de Groot is a lecturer at the University of Wollongong and a researcher and consultant specialising in the politics and governance of the global plastics crisis. She holds a PhD in Government and International Relations from the University of Sydney, where her thesis, The Politics and Governance of the Global Plastics Crisis, analysed the complex web of institutions addressing plastic pollution. Drawing on social network analysis and 84 expert interviews, her research shows how the governance architecture reinforces dominant downstream approaches to plastic pollution, focusing on waste management rather than addressing production and systemic drivers.

Babet has actively participated in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including acting as Independent Youth Advisor to the Australian Delegation at INC-3. She has contributed to advancing an ambitious global plastics treaty as a founding member of the Youth Plastic Action Network (YPAN), a member of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, and lead author of the Youth Communiqué to End Plastic Pollution, which drew insights from over 450 young people worldwide.

Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Political, Economic, and Social Sciences (Honours First Class) from the University of Sydney. A peer-reviewed article based on her honours thesis, which examined climate policy inaction in Australia, was published in the Australian Journal of Political Science. More recently, she has co-authored publications including Towards a Theory of ‘Big Plastic’ in Review of International Political Economy and Competing Axes of Power in the Global Plastics Treaty: Understanding the Politics of Progress and Setbacks in Negotiating a High-Ambition Agreement in Marine Policy.

As an educator, Babet has coordinated and taught a wide range of university subjects in Politics and International Relations at the University of Sydney and the University of Wollongong. These include Australian Politics, Environmental Politics, Power and the State (Capstone), Human Rights and Global Politics, Critical Political Theory (Honours), Introduction to International Relations, and Essential Texts in Politics and International Relations.

Beyond academia, Babet is committed to making global environmental governance more accessible to young people and the wider public. She uses platforms like Instagram and TikTok to break down complex treaty negotiations, environmental politics, and policy debates into clear and engaging explainer content. Her work bridges research, policy, and public education with a focus on justice, intersectionality, and elevating the voices of those most affected by environmental harm.