Dr Miguel Frohlich
Adjunct Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Futures
Senior Environment & Planning Specialist, Port Authority of NSW
Researcher biography
Miguel is a Senior Environment & Planning Specialist at the Port Authority of NSW, where he is responsible for preparing and managing environmental assessments, overseeing environmental monitoring activities (including noise and air quality), and developing sustainability initiatives, including strategies for the decarbonisation of Port Authority of NSW operations. Previously, he worked as an environmental manager at Prumo Logistica S.A., the company responsible for the development of the Port of Açu, the largest deep-water and private industrial port complex in Latin America.
Before joining Port Authority of NSW, Miguel was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UQ's Centre for Policy Futures, where he conducted research on the blue economy, with a particular focus on decabornisation via the deployment of ocean renewable energy. Alongside Associate Professor Pedro Fidelman, Miguel co-led the research project "Mapping and Analysis of Blue Economy Policy and Legislative Arrangements" funded by the Blue Economy CRC. He was also involved in the research project "Pre-conditions for the Development of Offshore Wind Energy in Australia".
Publications
Book
Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2018). Diagnóstico do gerenciamento costeiro no Estado do Rio de Janeiro: subsídios para a propositura de um substitutivo ao Projeto de Lei nº 216/2011. Beau Bassin, Mauritius: Nova Ediçōes Acadêmicas.
Book Chapters
Smith, Danielle, Frohlich, Miguel and Fidelman, Pedro (2026). Enabling Policy and Regulation for Offshore Wind: Lessons from Australia’s Emerging Blue Economy. Handbook of Sustainable Blue Economy. (pp. 97-116) Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-19927-0_8
Smith, Danielle, Frohlich, Miguel and Fidelman, Pedro (2025). Enabling policy and regulation for offshore wind: lessons from Australia’s emerging blue economy. Handbook of sustainable blue economy. (pp. 1-20) edited by Walter Leal Filho, Amanda Lange Salvia, Joao Paulino Pires Eustachio and Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-32671-4_8-1
Frohlich, Miguel and Fidelman, Pedro (2025). Ecosystem-based governance for a sustainable blue economy: insights from offshore wind in Australia. Volume 2: marine ecology: an ecosystemic view of anthropogenic impacts. (pp. 275-290) edited by Juan M. Molina and Gabriela E. Blasina. Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003024613-15
Ruhl, J. B., Cosens, Barbara and Frohlich, Miguel (2018). Adaptive law. Dictionnaire juridique des transitions écologiques. (pp. 59-65) edited by François Collart Dutilleul, Valérie Pironon and Agathe Van Lang. Paris, France: Institut Universitaire Varenne.
Baracui, Pedro Lehmann and Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2008). Environmental compensation and the new perspectives for its application in Brazil. Environmental taxes: a global perspective. (pp. 84-87) edited by Bronwyn Spicer. London, United Kingdom: BNA International.
Journal Articles
Smith, Timothy F., Bell-James, Justine, Page, John, Scheffers, Anja, Cataldo, Giorgio, Corrin, Jennifer, Esmaeili, Hossein, Frohlich, Miguel, Paul, Adrienne, Perroud, Thomas, Robbie, Jill and Wang, Hui (2026). Beach law in the anthropocene. Ocean and Coastal Management, 278 108213, 108213. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2026.108213
Bell‐James, Justine, Foster, Rose, Frohlich, Miguel, Archibald, Carla, Benham, Claudia, Evans, Megan, Fidelman, Pedro, Morrison, Tiffany, Rolim Baggio, Liza, Billings, Peter and Shumway, Nicole (2024). Not all conservation “policy” is created equally: When does a policy give rise to legally binding obligations?. Conservation Letters, 17 (6) e13054. doi: 10.1111/conl.13054
Frohlich, Miguel, Fidelman, Pedro, Dutton, Ian, Haward, Marcus, Head, Brian W., Maynard, Dianne, Rissik, David and Vince, Joanna (2023). A network approach to analyse Australia’s blue economy policy and legislative arrangements. Marine Policy, 151 105588, 105588. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105588
Frohlich, Miguel, Smith, Timothy F., Fidelman, Pedro, Baldwin, Claudia, Jacobson, Chris and Carter, R.W. (Bill) (2022). Towards adaptive coastal management law: lessons from Australia and Brazil. Ocean and Coastal Management, 219 106057, 106057. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106057
Frohlich, Miguel F., Smith, Timothy F., Fidelman, Pedro, Baldwin, Claudia, Jacobson, Chris and Carter, R.W. (Bill) (2021). Legal barriers to adaptive coastal management at a coastal erosion hotspot in Florianópolis, Brazil. Marine Policy, 127 104436, 104436. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104436
Frohlich, Miguel F., Smith, Timothy F., Jacobson, Chris, Fidelman, Pedro, Carter, R.W. (Bill) and Baldwin, Claudia (2019). Towards adaptive coastal management: lessons from a “legal storm” in Byron Shire, Australia. Ocean & Coastal Management, 179 104909, 104909. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.104909
Frohlich, Miguel F., Jacobson, Chris, Fidelman, Pedro and Smith, Timothy F. (2018). The relationship between adaptive management of social-ecological systems and law: a systematic review. Ecology and Society, 23 (2) art23. doi: 10.5751/es-10060-230223
Frohlich, Miguel Franco, Naspolini, Bianca Ferrazzo and Isaac, Volschan (2015). A evolução do processo de avaliação e gerenciamento de material relacionado às atividades de dragagem no Brasil: Uma análise comparativa entre as Resoluções CONAMA n° 344/04 e n° 454/12. Engenharia Sanitaria e Ambiental, 20 (1), 131-140. doi: 10.1590/S1413-41522015020000123410
Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2014). Licenciamento ambiental de atividades marítimas de pesquisa sísmica. Revista de Direito Ambiental, 19 (74), 215-237.
Frohlich, Miguel and Haddad, Assed (2014). Legal efforts to address climate change under environmental permitting laws in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Carbon and Climate Law Review, 8 (4), 247-256.
Conference Papers
Frohlich, Miguel Franco and Vaz Morgado, Claudia do Rosario (2014). Marco regulatório para as atividades de exploração e produção do shale gas no Brasil: perspectivas ambientais. Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 2014, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 15-18 September 2014. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis.
Sabbag, Bruno Kerlakian and Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2010). Neutralização de carbono à luz do Código de Defesa do Consumidor: imperativo de integridade jurídico-climática. 15th Brazilian Conference on Environmental Law, São Paulo, Brazil, 22-26 May 2010. São Paulo, Brazil: Instituto O Direito por um Planeta Verde.
Frohlich, Miguel Franco and Sabbag, Bruno Kerlakian (2010). Civil liability for environmental damage related to climate change in Brazil. Integrating Development and Climate Change Ethics Conference, Penn State University, PA USA, April 2010. State College, PA USA: Penn State University.
Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2008). O ciclo dos projetos de mecanismo de desenvolvimento limpo - MDL. 13th Brazilian Conference on Environmental Law, São Paulo, Brazil, 1-5 June 2008. São Paulo, Brazil: Instituto O Direito por um Planeta Verde.
Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2007). A ineficácia da governança global do clima devido à supervalorização dos interesses nacionais. 12th Brazilian Conference on Environmental Law, São Paulo, Brazil, 27 May-1 June 2007. São Paulo, Brazil: Instituto O Direito por um Planeta Verde.
Research Report
Fidelman, Pedro, Frohlich, Miguel, Head, Brian, Haward, Marcus, Vince, Joanna, Rissik, David, Dutton, Ian and Maynard, Dianne (2021). Mapping and analysis of blue economy policy and legislative arrangements. Launceston, TAS Australia: Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre.
Newspaper Articles
Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2021, 09 20). Novos ventos no Hemisfério Sul: marco regulatório para energia Renovável offshore na Austrália e as liçōes para o Brasil SAES Advogados Newsletter
Frohlich, Miguel (2016, 12 13). Infraçōes administrativas ambientais SAES Advogados Newsletter
Frohlich, Miguel (2016, 11 14). Convenção Internacional sobre Água de Lastro sairá do papel SAES Advogados Newsletter
Frohlich, Miguel (2016, 09 06). A evolução do zoneamento ecológico-econômico do Estado do Rio de Janeiro SAES Advogados Newsletter
Frohlich, Miguel (2016, 08 05). Gestão ambiental de manchas órfãs SAES Advogados Newsletter
Frohlich, Miguel (2016, 07 25). A polêmica em torno do gás de xisto no Brasil SAES Advogados Newsletter
Baracui, Pedro Lehmann and Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2009, 12 29). A reserva legal no Novo Código Florestal O Valor Econômico E2.
Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2007, 06 01). O novo panorama do aquecimento global nos Estados Unidos O Pilotis Jurídico 12-13.
Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2006, 09 01). A responsabilidade do Brasil pelas mudanças climáticas O Pilotis Jurídico 6-7.
Theses
Franco Frohlich, Miguel (2021). Towards adaptive coastal management law: lessons from Australia and Brazil. PhD Thesis, School of Law and Society, Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast. doi: 10.25907/00062
Frohlich, Miguel Franco (2016). Diagnóstico do Gerenciamento Costeiro no Estado do Rio de Janeiro: Subsídios para a Propositura de um Substitutivo ao Projeto de Lei n° 216/2011. Master's Thesis, Escola Politécnica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.