Saphira is a Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Sustainable Finance at The University of Queensland and has a PhD in Finance.
Saphira’s research focuses on tools to measure and verify the efficacy of decarbonisation commitments by corporations. As part of the Princeton-led Rapid Switch initiative, she leads UQ’s Corporate Climate MAP program, which evaluates the alignment of companies and investment portfolios with the Paris Agreement. Saphira is a member of the Technical Working Group of the Science Based Targets initiative for the oil and gas sector, and a contributor to EU climate benchmarking regulation. She has ongoing collaborations with numerous industry partners including Fidelity, Ernst & Young and Norges Bank Investment Management.
Saphira's research is cross-disciplinary and she has published in high impact journals, Nature Climate Change and Nature Communications, as well as several other highly ranked academic journals. She has received several awards and funding; she was a recipient of the prestigious International Post-graduate Research Scholarships for her PhD in 2014 and won the UQ Business School 2017 Teaching Award (Tutor). In 2018, Saphira’s essay on integration of responsible investment in financial education won the UN Principles for Responsible Investment's 2018 essay competition. She is a regular panellist at conferences and forums such as the European Commission Conference on Sustainable Finance and the Princeton E-ffiliates Retreat, and her teaching, which includes Australia’s first Carbon Literacy course, has been recognised with multiple awards.
Journal Article: Measuring corporate Paris Compliance using a strict science-based approach
Rekker, S., Ives, M. C., Wade, B., Webb, L. and Greig, C. (2022). Measuring corporate Paris Compliance using a strict science-based approach. Nature Communications, 13 (1) 4441, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-31143-4
Journal Article: A systematic review of barriers to greenfield investment in decarbonisation solutions
Emodi, Nnaemeka Vincent, Wade, Belinda, Rekker, Saphira and Greig, Chris (2022). A systematic review of barriers to greenfield investment in decarbonisation solutions. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 165 112586, 112586. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112586
Other Outputs: The Paris-compliant company: Measuring transition performance using a strict science-based approach
Rekker, Saphira, Ives, Matthew, Wade, Belinda, Greig, Chris and Webb, Lachlan (2021). The Paris-compliant company: Measuring transition performance using a strict science-based approach. INET Working Paper. No. 2021-03. University of Oxford, INET.
The Role of Leading Indicators in the Transition to Net-Zero Emissions in Climate Sensitive Sectors
(2021–2022) Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand
Design for minimum environmental footprint
Doctor Philosophy
Paris Alignment in Finance
Doctor Philosophy
The Role of AI-Leadership interaction in improving expenditure management in Australian local government procurement processes
Doctor Philosophy
Measuring corporate Paris Compliance using a strict science-based approach
Rekker, S., Ives, M. C., Wade, B., Webb, L. and Greig, C. (2022). Measuring corporate Paris Compliance using a strict science-based approach. Nature Communications, 13 (1) 4441, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-31143-4
A systematic review of barriers to greenfield investment in decarbonisation solutions
Emodi, Nnaemeka Vincent, Wade, Belinda, Rekker, Saphira and Greig, Chris (2022). A systematic review of barriers to greenfield investment in decarbonisation solutions. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 165 112586, 112586. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112586
Research can (and should) support corporate decarbonization
Wade, Belinda and Rekker, Saphira (2020). Research can (and should) support corporate decarbonization. Nature Climate Change, 10 (12), 1064-1065. doi: 10.1038/s41558-020-00936-0
Do sustainability rating schemes capture climate goals?
Rekker, Saphira A. C., Humphrey, Jacquelyn E. and O’Brien, Katherine R. (2019). Do sustainability rating schemes capture climate goals?. Business & Society, 60 (1), 000765031982576-160. doi: 10.1177/0007650319825764
Comparing extraction rates of fossil fuel producers against global climate goals
Rekker, Saphira A. C., O’Brien, Katherine R., Humphrey, Jacquelyn E. and Pascale, Andrew C. (2018). Comparing extraction rates of fossil fuel producers against global climate goals. Nature Climate Change, 8 (6), 489-492. doi: 10.1038/s41558-018-0158-1
Faff, Robert W., Babakhani, Nazila, Carrick, Robin, Chen, Angel, Dallest, Kathy, Daunt, Lisa, Escobar, Marisol, Foley, Gabe, Gill, Chelsea, Khong, Bo Xuan, Liu, Mengxi (Maggie), Mahmud, Siti, McCullough, Jon, Ndugwa, Zina, Nguyen, Bao, O'Brien, Shari, Orole, Felix, Qureshi, Asma, Rad, Hossein, Rekker, Saphira, Shahzad, Syed, Smith, Marita, Tran, Tran Le, Tunny, William and Wallin, Ann (2017). Motivating postgrad research students to pitch their ideas: what have we learned from 'pitching research' competitions at UQ?. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2899942
The relationship between culture and information privacy policy
Cockcroft, Sophie and Rekker, Saphira (2016). The relationship between culture and information privacy policy. Electronic Markets, 26 (1), 55-72. doi: 10.1007/s12525-015-0195-9
Rekker, Saphira (2016). Converting planetary boundaries into action, a new approach to meeting global greenhouse gas targets: A pitch. Accounting and Management Information Systems, 15 (1), 160-167.
Divestment from fossil fuel companies: confluence between policy and strategic viewpoints
Linnenluecke, Martina, Meath. Cristyn, Rekker, Saphira, Sidhu, Baljit and Smith, Tom (2015). Divestment from fossil fuel companies: confluence between policy and strategic viewpoints. Australian Journal of Management, 40 (3), 478-487. doi: 10.1177/0312896215569794
Rekker, Saphira A. C., Benson, Karen L. and Faff, Robert W. (2014). Corporate social responsibility and CEO compensation revisited, do disaggregation, market stress, sender matter?. Journal of Economics and Business, 72, 84-103. doi: 10.1016/j.jeconbus.2013.11.001
Do high and low-ranked sustainability stocks perform differently?
Lee, Darren, Faff, Robert and Rekker, Saphira (2013). Do high and low-ranked sustainability stocks perform differently?. International Journal of Accounting and Information Management, 21 (2), 116-132. doi: 10.1108/18347641311312267
The Paris-compliant company: Measuring transition performance using a strict science-based approach
Rekker, Saphira, Ives, Matthew, Wade, Belinda, Greig, Chris and Webb, Lachlan (2021). The Paris-compliant company: Measuring transition performance using a strict science-based approach. INET Working Paper. No. 2021-03. University of Oxford, INET.
Rekker, Saphira (2021). Raw data for figures in "The Paris Compliant Company: Measuring transition performance against the Paris goals using a strict science-based approach". The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/289d707
Rekker, Saphira (2019). Measuring corporate performance in meeting climate change limits using a planetary boundaries approach. PhD Thesis, School of Business, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.437
A Planetary Boundaries Approach to Measuring Corporate Environmental Performance
Rekker, Saphira (2018). A Planetary Boundaries Approach to Measuring Corporate Environmental Performance. PhD Thesis, School of Business, The University of Queensland.
Rekker, Saphira (2018). Fossil fuel producers' reserves (2010) and production (2010-2015) burnable fossil fuel allowances, proportion extracted (2011-2015), and estimated year to finish. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2018.115
Tying green bonds to Australia’s commitments to the COP 21 agreement
Rekker, Saphira and Humphrey, Jacquelyn (2016). Tying green bonds to Australia’s commitments to the COP 21 agreement. Brisbane, Australia:
The Role of Leading Indicators in the Transition to Net-Zero Emissions in Climate Sensitive Sectors
(2021–2022) Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand
Design for minimum environmental footprint
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Paris Alignment in Finance
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
The Role of AI-Leadership interaction in improving expenditure management in Australian local government procurement processes
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: