People

Aisha Rodriguez
Manager – Markets and Standards Read More

Aisha Rodriguez

Manager – Markets and Standards

Aisha Rodriguez is Manager – Markets and Standards at VCMI where she is developing the Claims Code of Practice and associated assurance framework, enabling companies to use voluntary carbon markets with high integrity. Reporting to the Technical Director, Aisha leads research to ensure VCMI’s work is aligned with scientific and corporate best practice.

Prior to joining VCMI, Aisha worked in sustainability in the food and beverage sector, focusing on delivering climate strategies and achieving carbon reduction targets across different markets. Aisha has also worked in environmental consulting for both the private and public sector, across environmental and social sustainability. Earlier in her career, she helped to manage the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program, a UN-endorsed global standard for carbon management at airports.

Aisha has a degree in Environmental Economics from the University of York and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College. Originally from Malaysian Borneo, Aisha has lived and worked in the UK for 13 years.

Next team member
George Hodgetts
Policy Manager, Access Strategies Read More

George Hodgetts

Policy Manager, Access Strategies

George leads VCMI’s Access Strategies Programme, working with governments around the world to design and implement pathways into high-integrity carbon markets. His work spans policy development, institutional capacity building, and investor engagement — helping to transform carbon finance into a genuine instrument of sustainable development. He manages the VCMI/CVF-V20 Carbon Finance Programme and leads VCMI’s market access enabling partnerships.

George joined VCMI following more than five years in the UK Civil Service, most recently as part of the Global Carbon Markets Team at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. In that role, he oversaw UK foreign aid investment in World Bank programmes piloting carbon market mechanisms to mobilise additional climate finance and deliver sustainable development co-benefits. Ahead of COP26, he led work developing recommendations — presented at Glasgow — on effective and inclusive capacity building for ambitious global carbon market participation in support of the Paris Agreement.

He holds a BSc in Geography from the University of Bristol.

Previous team member Next team member
Karen Woodley
Executive Support Manager Read More

Karen Woodley

Executive Support Manager

Karen is an Executive Support Manager with a proven track record of ensuring the smooth operation of governance and processes, enabling teams to focus on delivering impactful results. With a background as a strategic Executive Assistant, Karen has dedicated her career to supporting senior executives, bringing efficiency and structure to high-level operations.

With many years of experience supporting C-Suite members across diverse sectors, including media, travel, and nonprofits, Karen has honed her expertise in complex, fast-paced environments. Before joining VCMI, she worked internationally, with roles at Informa Markets, Omnicom Media Group, and OSN in Dubai, Sky Network Television in New Zealand, and Virgin Atlantic in the UK.

Karen is accredited with a mini-MBA for Senior Executive Assistants by the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM), further showcasing her commitment to professional development and excellence in executive support.

Previous team member Next team member
Lydia Sheldrake
Director of Policy and Partnerships Read More

Lydia Sheldrake

Director of Policy and Partnerships

Lydia is the Director of Policy and Partnerships at VCMI. She leads the team working on engagement and collaboration with companies, governments, civil society and other initiatives involved in carbon markets to develop high integrity standards for voluntary carbon markets. She also oversees VCMI’s Access Strategies Program which supports policymakers to unlock and channel carbon finance into priority sectors.

Lydia has worked on climate finance and carbon markets across private, public, non-profit, and philanthropic organisations. Prior to joining VCMI, she advised on programmes and tools designed to raise the bar on corporate climate action at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). In the UK Government, Lydia was Head of Voluntary Carbon Markets, managed c.£250 million climate finance investments, and represented the UK in international negotiations on climate and trade. Ahead of COP26, Lydia led UK Presidency’s efforts to establish VCMI as an independent multi-stakeholder initiative.

In private and non-profit sectors, Lydia has advised multinational corporations on environmental reporting and sustainable supply chains. She has degrees from Imperial College London and the University of Oxford.

Previous team member Next team member
Mark Kenber
Executive Director Read More

Mark Kenber

Executive Director

Mark Kenber is Executive Director of VCMI and has worked for nearly three decades on market-based instruments for environmental protection, with a particular focus on carbon markets.

His previous roles include positions at Fundación Natura in Ecuador, WWF’s International Climate Change Program, The Climate Group, Mongoose Energy Ltd, and Climate Advisers. He has also served as Climate Change Advisor to the Ecuadorian Government. Mark is a board member of ICVCM, C:C Brighton and Brighton and Hove Energy Services Cooperative.

Previous team member Next team member
Nick Boak
Director of Operations Read More

Nick Boak

Director of Operations

As VCMI’s Director of Operations, Nick leads all aspects of VCMI’s operational strategy including procurement, funding, resourcing, management systems and IT infrastructure.

Nick’s career to date spans General Manager and COO roles across the finance industry, technology services and the charitable sector. Most recently at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Nick delivered a complete transformation of the talent acquisition strategy and associated processes. He brings significant experience in change, people and program management, having led large senior-level teams while managing budgets and achieving cost savings worth tens of millions in several organizations.

Nick is innately solutions-focused, challenges the status quo and seeks constant business improvement through innovation. He is committed to establishing supportive, high-performance cultures built upon strong employee engagement, clarity of purpose and honest and open communication.

Previous team member Next team member
Nina Foster
Strategic Communications Manager Read More

Nina Foster

Strategic Communications Manager

Nina manages strategic communications for VCMI, helping to build the profile of VCMI and its work to establish high integrity standards across the voluntary carbon market in support of global climate goals.

Prior to joining VCMI in February 2025, Nina was Senior Communications and Research Manager in the Carbon Trust’s Net Zero Intelligence Unit. In this role she led work to build the Carbon Trust’s reputation as a thought leader on the global net zero agenda, through the publication of research, analysis and commentary. Before the Carbon Trust, Nina advised MPs on scrutiny of UK environmental policy and communications at the House of Commons, including as Deputy Head of the Secretariat for the Environmental Audit Committee, and as Media, Communications and Engagement Lead for Climate Assembly UK – a citizens’ assembly on the UK’s net zero target.

Nina holds an MA in International Relations: Culture and Politics from Leiden University and a BA in History of Art from Worcester College, University of Oxford. Nina is originally from Northern Ireland, but now lives and works in London.

Previous team member Next team member
Raffaella Infanti
Engagement Manager Read More

Raffaella Infanti

Engagement Manager

Raffaella’s role in the Policy and Partnerships Team at VCMI focuses on the engagement of non-state actors across business and civil society, Indigenous Peoples and Local Community groups. Raffaella leads VCMI’s outreach strategy, coordinating and convening groups for effective stakeholder engagement.

With the upcoming launch of the VCMI Claims Code of Practice, Raffaella will bring together companies from around the world committed to pilot and implement the Code, helping to ensure credible use and associated claims of high-integrity voluntary carbon markets.

Raffaella joins the team after three years at Gold Standard, where she advocated for Gold Standard’s carbon market and sustainable development solutions among companies, to maximize the impact of their climate efforts while minimizing risks. She developed strategic partnerships and managed private sector relationships with organisations seeking to foster high ambition in response to the climate challenge.
Raffaella brings extensive experience in business growth strategies, with a focus on sustainability practices, market entry and new product development in the private sector. Originally from Italy, she is based in Geneva, Switzerland, where she has worked and lived for the past ten years.

Previous team member Next team member
Urbans Benywanira
Policy Associate, Access Strategies Read More

Urbans Benywanira

Policy Associate, Access Strategies

Urbans works with governments across emerging markets and developing economies helping them engage effectively in high-integrity carbon markets through policy analysis, technical assistance, and direct stakeholder engagement.

Prior to joining VCMI, Urbans served as an Article 6 and Carbon Pricing Expert at the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for East and Southern Africa, and as Interim Coordinator of the Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance — supporting governments and private sector actors across the region to build carbon market readiness. He has also advised the Global Green Growth Institute on carbon market readiness assessments in Uganda and across Eastern Africa.

Earlier in his career, Urbans led carbon finance operations for the Improved Cook Stoves for East Africa programme, overseeing projects across Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. He holds a Master’s in Climate and Society from Mekelle University, Ethiopia, and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Management from Makerere University, Uganda, and has co-authored publications on climate adaptation and sustainable waste technologies.

Previous team member
Usha Rao-Monari
Chair, VCMI Steering Committee Read More

Usha Rao-Monari

Chair, VCMI Steering Committee

Ms. Rao-Monari served as Under Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and has over 30 years of investment experience, particularly in the infrastructure area. She previously served as Senior Adviser to Blackstone’s Infrastructure Group, as Chief Executive Officer of Global Water Development Partners, a Blackstone portfolio company, and held several senior positions, notably as Director of the Sustainable Business Advisory Group at the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group.

She has served on the Boards of a number of organizations in the field of sustainable development and has also held Board and advisory positions in the areas of water, natural capital, biodiversity, and environment.

Ms. Rao-Monari holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Finance, School of International and Public Affairs/School of Business, Columbia University, New York, a Master’s degree in Management Studies, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai, India, and a B.A. Honors Economics, Delhi University, New Delhi.

Next team member
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal
VCMI Steering Committee Read More

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal

VCMI Steering Committee

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal is the global leader of Climate & Energy at WWF-International. He has 35 years of experience in environmental law and policy and previously served as Minister of the Environment of Peru (2011 to 2016) and President of the Twentieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP20 in 2014.

Manuel was the Executive Director of the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law, an influential institution in Latin America. He has a law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, where he is a professor, and completed a master’s degree in Business Law at the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas. He is a board member of Forest Trends, Amazon Conservation Association and Peruvian Society of Environmental Law, and a member of the Assembly of the World Wide Fund for Nature – Colombia.

He is part of the Aspen Institute Management and Leadership Advisory Group, chairman of the evaluation council of the French sovereign Green Bonds, a Global Ambassador for the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience initiatives, and a member of the IUCN Global Standard Steering Committee. He is an active member of different groups aiming to get strong outcomes as a part of the formal climate talks and the non-party stakeholders’ agenda. He has been recognized by the governments of France, Germany, and Spain, as well as by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, for his contribution to the Paris Agreement.

Previous team member Next team member
Pedro Moura Costa
VCMI Steering Committee Read More

Pedro Moura Costa

VCMI Steering Committee

Dr Pedro Moura Costa has been involved in all aspects of climate policy, carbon finance and GHG mitigation projects since 1991, when he developed and ran the first carbon-funded projects worldwide, which involved nature-based solutions implemented by the Sabah Foundation in Malaysia. In 1996, he co-founded EcoSecurities Group Plc, the world leader in carbon trading as listed in the London Stock Exchange and comprising a portfolio of more than 700 GHG mitigation projects in over 50 countries around the world.

More recently, Pedro co-founded BVRio Environmental Exchange, a Brazilian non-profit organisation aimed at promoting market mechanisms to facilitate compliance with environmental laws. Through BVRio, he developed the Responsible Timber Exchange to facilitate the trading of legal timber products; Circular Action Hub, the first global platform to promote the circular economy; and the Responsible Commodities Facility, an initiative to promote the production and trading of zero-deforestation soy in Brazil. Pedro is a Fellow of the IETA, was an Honorary Research Associate of the Smith School at Oxford University and has published over 100 articles and books on climate policy, the science of GHG mitigation, and carbon trading, including as a Lead Author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that were recognised with a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

Previous team member Next team member
Tuntiak Katan Jua
VCMI Steering Committee Read More

Tuntiak Katan Jua

VCMI Steering Committee

Originating from the Ecuadorian Amazon town of Shuar, Tuntiak began his work in his Tuutinentsa community supporting the organization la Federación Interporvincial de Centros Suhar (FICSH). This work focused on the social and environmental rights of the indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Tuntiak became the leader of the Territorios y Recursos Naturales en la Confederación de nacionalidades Indígenas de la Amazonia Ecuatoriana (CONFENIAE), engaging with communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon in the construction of the PDI Implementation Plan for the framework of Climate change and REDD+, RIA+, and Sacred Basins.

Tuntiak completed a certificate in Conservation Biology and Natural Resource Management with the Missouri Botanical Garden and studied Applied Ecology and Environmental Management at the University of San Francisco in Quito.

He has led and managed many environmental, social, and linguistic projects in Ecuador and internationally with funding from USAID, NORAD, NICFI, IKI, NFS, National Geographic and others. Since 2018, he has been the Deputy Coordinator of the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), an indigenous organization represented in nine countries. Since 2019, he has served as the General Coordinator of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, made up of five international indigenous organizations that own more than 600 million hectares of tropical forests throughout the world. His interest is to generate concrete actions in the Amazonian territories, communities, and tropical forests throughout the world.

Previous team member Next team member
Akim Daouda
CEO, Gabonese Sovereign Wealth Fund (FGIS) Read More

Akim Daouda

CEO, Gabonese Sovereign Wealth Fund (FGIS)

Mr. Akim Daouda is an investment professional with two decades of experience in driving large-scale social and economic development projects and initiatives across the African continent. As the Chief Executive Officer of Fonds Gabonais D’Investissements Stratégiques, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Gabon, he oversees the execution of the Fund’s strategy, supporting the government’s plan towards energy transition and biodiversity promotion and protection, including leading the world’s first and largest ever carbon credits issuance by a sovereign.

Prior to this role, Mr. Daouda was Chief Investment Officer, managing the fund’s portfolio of $1.9 billion assets. Currently, Mr. Daouda sits on the Africa network advisory board of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), which was created to help unlock investment and support engagement with African financial institutions.

He also sits on the board of several corporate entities, including as the Chairman of the board of Union Gabonaise de Banque, a subsidiary of Morocco’s Attijariwafabank and Gabon’s second largest bank.

He holds a double MSc in International Finance from Westminster University, London, and Skema Business School, Sophia Antipolis, Mr. Daouda is a recipient of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders award and the Tutu Fellowship Programme. He is also a member of the Harvard University Center for African Studies Leadership Council and an Advisory Board Member of The Forum of Young Global Leaders.

Previous team member Next team member
Anirban Ghosh
Chief Sustainability Officer, Mahindra Read More

Anirban Ghosh

Chief Sustainability Officer, Mahindra

Anirban Ghosh heads the Centre for Sustainability at the Mahindra University. He was the $20 billion Mahindra Group’s first Chief Sustainability Officer and shaped Mahindra’s sustainability framework, guided businesses to make ambitious climate commitments and enabled accelerated achievement of goals.

Anirban has held roles in Sales, Marketing and Strategy in the Farm Business of Mahindra. He has been the President of Mahindra USA and has been on the Board of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers in the US. Anirban has delivered lectures at many business schools like Harvard, INSEAD, and Indian Institutes of Management and also been an invited speaker at many international climate conferences. He has been recognised as a “Thought Leader” a “Global C-Suite Sustainability Champion” and a “Top 50 Global Sustainability Leader”.

Previous team member Next team member
Zita Schellekens
SVP, Sustainability & Strategy, KLM Read More

Zita Schellekens

SVP, Sustainability & Strategy, KLM

Bio coming soon.

Previous team member Next team member
Floor Saris
Global Director, Market Ready Solutions DSM Read More

Floor Saris

Global Director, Market Ready Solutions DSM
Previous team member
Alexia Kelly
Managing Director, Carbon Policy & Markets Initiative, High Tide Foundation Read More

Alexia Kelly

Managing Director, Carbon Policy & Markets Initiative, High Tide Foundation

Alexia Kelly has worked for more than 17 years at the intersection of policy and finance to address the climate crisis. Alexia currently serves as Managing Director of the Carbon Policy and Markets Initiative (CPMI) at High Tide Foundation. The CPMI accelerates ambitious climate action and capital mobilization through robust rules and guidance for voluntary corporate action and disclosures, and by building the next generation of high-integrity carbon and environmental services markets. In this role she serves on the Board of the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM) and on the Board of the Advanced and Indirect Mitigation Initiative, as well as on the Expert Advisory Group of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI).

Prior to joining High Tide Foundation, she served as Director of Net Zero & Nature at Netflix, where she led the company’s inaugural greenhouse gas inventory, renewable energy strategy, Science Based Target and global carbon credit portfolio. Previously, she worked at the U.S. Department of State, where she served as lead negotiator to the UNFCCC on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. She has also held senior roles at the World Resources Institute, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, The Climate Trust, and in private equity.

She currently serves on the Board of Craft3, a non-profit Community Development Finance Institute focused on equitable access to finance, and as the Global Co-Chair of the Global Climate Action Partnership. She resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children.

Next team member
Clarice Wambua
Partner, Energy, Environmental Law & Climate Change, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Read More

Clarice Wambua

Partner, Energy, Environmental Law & Climate Change, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr

Clarice is an Environmental Lawyer practising at Pan-African law firm, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. She is based at the firm’s Nairobi office and leads the team on Environmental Law as well as the Pro Bono and Human Rights practice. Clarice is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 15 years’ experience in legal practice, and she has particular expertise in climate change law. Clarice provides advice to public and private sector entities at the national and sub-national level on their engagement with the carbon markets and is actively involved in supporting the development of a national legal, policy and institutional framework for climate change in Kenya and the wider African region. Clarice also has experience providing gender and human rights-based approaches to climate action.

She holds a Master of Laws LLM (with distinction) in Climate Change Law and Policy from the University of Strathclyde, a Master of Science (Msc) (with distinction) in Africa and International Development from the University of Edinburgh, and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi. In 2022 she was included in the University of Edinburgh Climate 75 honoree (list of 75 alumni from the University of Edinburgh who are making an impact and contributing to positive change), and the Legal 500 Green Guide EMEA 2022 recognized her climate change and sustainability law work in Kenya. In 2019, she was a recipient of the Top 40 Under 40 Women in Kenya Award, from the Business Daily.

Previous team member Next team member
Hanna-Mari Ahonen
Senior Consultant, Climate Policy & Carbon Markets, Perspectives Climate Group Read More

Hanna-Mari Ahonen

Senior Consultant, Climate Policy & Carbon Markets, Perspectives Climate Group

Hanna-Mari Ahonen has worked with international carbon markets and climate policy since 2002. She has managed carbon credit project portfolios and funds on behalf of Nordic governments and companies, participated in UN climate negotiations as the European Union’s carbon market expert and promoted the high-integrity design and use of carbon market cooperation.

At Perspectives, she focuses on supporting public and private clients to promote ambitious climate action and sustainable development co-benefits through high-integrity carbon market cooperation, including voluntary carbon markets and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. She also participates in research on carbon removal technologies.

Recently, Hanna-Mari managed the Nordic Dialogue on Voluntary Compensation, which brought Nordic stakeholders together to co-create a Nordic best practice approach to voluntary carbon markets, drawing on and complementing relevant international and national initiatives. Hanna-Mari has also contributed to several studies on good practices for voluntary carbon markets for the Finnish government.

Hanna-Mari holds a M.Sc. in Environmental Economics, and she has studied in the Universities of York and Helsinki.

Previous team member Next team member
Lisa DeMarco
Senior Partner & CEO, Resilient LLP Read More

Lisa DeMarco

Senior Partner & CEO, Resilient LLP

Lisa DeMarco is a Senior Partner and the CEO at Resilient LLP. She is called to the bar in Canada and
England and is recognized as a global expert in climate and energy law. Lisa has over 25 years of
experience in all aspects of climate change and clean energy law. She assists financial institutions, energy
companies, innovators, governments, non-governmental organizations and Indigenous business
organizations on domestic and overseas renewable power and energy transition projects, as well as sustainable and climate finance transactions. Her assistance also covers carbon dioxide removals, carbon capture use and storage, climate-related financial disclosure, corporate climate strategy, environmental and social governance (ESG), green bonds, net-zero target setting and pathways, the Paris Agreement, carbon trading (domestic, international, voluntary, and compliance), climate-related compliance and litigation, and sustainable business strategy. She represents several governments and leading energy companies in a wide variety of international dispute resolution proceedings, and natural gas, power, pipeline and energy storage matters before the Ontario Energy Board and the Canadian Energy Regulator.

Lisa is the current Chair of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), a director of the boards of Blue Dot Carbon Corp., the Advanced Energy Centre at MaRS, and Planetary Technologies, and a member of the Climate Economy Strategic Council. Lisa is ranked by Chambers Global as one of the world’s leading climate change lawyers and regularly attends on the United Nations climate
negotiations.

Lisa has a Bachelor of Science (Hon.) in Human and Environmental Biology (Western University), a Master of Science in Environmental Toxicology (University of Toronto), a Bachelor of Laws (Osgoode Hall), and a Master of Studies in International Environmental Law, summa cum laude (Vermont Law School).

Previous team member Next team member
Nicolette Bartlett
Chief Impact Officer, CDP Read More

Nicolette Bartlett

Chief Impact Officer, CDP

Nicolette previously held positions at CDP –  an international not-for-profit organization providing the global environmental disclosure-based tracking system- including Chief Impact Officer, Global Director of Climate Change, and Carbon Pricing Director and has been the lead author of many CDP publications.

Before joining CDP Nicolette was a Senior Program Manager at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, leading on international climate policy projects; including the international engagement of The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group, developing a Green Growth Platform in Pacific Alliance countries, supporting the development of business groups on climate change and research analyzing the role that non-state actors play in driving down emissions.

Nicolette sits on various boards and advisory bodies, including the Science-Based Targets Initiative and We Mean Business boards, the Voluntary Carbon Markets Initiative (VCMI) Expert Advisory Group, and is a Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

 

Previous team member Next team member
Peter Browning
CEO, Browning Environmental Communications Read More

Peter Browning

CEO, Browning Environmental Communications

Peter Browning is a recognized pioneer of environmental communications, responsible for some of the world’s most impactful strategic campaigns on climate change and nature over the past two decades. This includes the first communications strategy for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and initiatives such as the European Hydrogen Highways Initiative, Nature4Climate for The Nature Conservancy, and the Peoples’ Climate Vote for the UN Development Program (UNDP).

In 2017, Peter launched Browning Environmental Communications, a mission-driven communication consultancy working with governments, IGOs, NGOs, foundations, scientific organizations, and corporations to accelerate action on climate change and environmental restoration.

Peter developed his skills in communications at CNC-Communications & Network Consulting (now part of Publicis), and served as the first Communications Director of Sir Richard Branson’s non-profit, The B Team. A graduate in Modern Languages from the University of Oxford, he also worked for several years as a foreign correspondent in Paris.

Previous team member Next team member
Swapan Mehra
Founder and CEO, Iora Ecological Solutions Read More

Swapan Mehra

Founder and CEO, Iora Ecological Solutions

Swapan Mehra is the Founder and CEO of Iora Ecological Solutions, one of India’s leading environmental advisory firms that enables climate action through integrated nature-based solutions. IORA specialises in developing Ecosystem-based Solutions for Climate Change, Agriculture, Forestry and Biodiversity and Land Use Sector (AFOLU).

Swapan is an environmental finance and climate policy expert with over sixteen years of experience in developing climate change mitigation and adaptation projects. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a Master’s in Business Administration from IIFM Bhopal.

Swapan has contributed for development of some of India’s pivotal policy documents in India, including Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LTLEDS) National REDD+ Strategy, NDC Goal 5 Roadmap, and the “devolution formula” for India’s 14th and 15th Finance Commissions. He is a World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader (2020), a Donella Meadows Fellow at the Balaton Group, a LEAD India Fellow, and a FICCI Young Business Leader. He also led carbon finance and climate investment teams at Evolution Markets and AES India during the early CDM days.

Previous team member Next team member
Gilles Dufrasne
Task Force on International Carbon Pricing and Markets Diplomacy, European Commission Read More

Gilles Dufrasne

Task Force on International Carbon Pricing and Markets Diplomacy, European Commission

Gilles works for the European Commission as a member of the Task Force on International Carbon Pricing and Markets Diplomacy. Before that, he worked for Carbon Market Watch where he led the international team implementing CSO campaigns on Article 6 negotiations, the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and CORSIA. Gilles has been a member of a range of VCM expert and advisory groups, such as those of the SBTi, ICVCM, VCMI and the GHG Protocol.

Previous team member Next team member
Kelley Kizzier
Director of corporate action and markets, Bezos Earth Fund Read More

Kelley Kizzier

Director of corporate action and markets, Bezos Earth Fund

Kelley Kizzier is the director of corporate action and markets at the Bezos Earth Fund. In this role, she works to identify strategies and solutions for ambitious corporate action, environmental markets, and hard to abate sectors. She was most recently Vice President for Global Climate at the Environmental Defense Fund, where she promoted ambitious and effective global climate and company action. Her work included multilateral climate agreements and global cooperation through carbon markets.

Kelley is a former official at the European Commission’s Directorate for Climate Action, working on international carbon markets, GHG accounting and transparency, and EU climate commitments. She was a lead negotiator for the EU in the international climate negotiations for more than a decade and served as the co-chair of the Article 6 negotiations under the Paris Agreement. Kelley currently plays a leading role in several voluntary carbon market initiatives.

Previous team member Next team member
Sandeep Roy Choudhury
Director & Co founder, VNV Advisory Services Read More

Sandeep Roy Choudhury

Director & Co founder, VNV Advisory Services

Sandeep is a co-founder at VNV Advisory Services, a social enterprise working with communities & climate change in Asia and East Africa. He heads VNV’s ownership on low carbon social development projects such as sustainable agriculture, social forestry, blue carbon, clean cooking, clean air, drinking water, rural energy access and waste management. Sandeep’s work encompasses over 6 million rural households across 18+ countries in the region & over 100+ NGOs and social development partners: currently working on over 5 million hectares of natural ecosystems through blended climate finance for restoration with a landscape approach and building climate smart agriculture capacities for small holders .

He manages a climate change impact fund to invest in start-ups related to climate solutions as well as is the director of a blue carbon revolving fund called Mangroves.Now . He also works as an advisor to the private sector in the Asia region with issues related to corporate sustainability and its relation to community impacts and action and is a co-founder of Sustainnext, an ESG based technology firm. He is on the board of numerous non-profits working on climate related projects including Planting on Demand, Bangladesh Bondhu Foundation & Environment Protection Centre Nepal. Sandeep has over 19 years of industry experience , has a degree in Electronics and is a Salzburg global fellow . He is also a director at “Carbon Initiative Forum”, a non-profit working on climate policy awareness for the youth and has currently serving on the accreditation board at the International Carbon reduction and offset Alliance (ICROA) and also on the board of the Centre for governance and ethics (CEGET) of the UN global compact.

Previous team member Next team member
Lorna Ritchie
Director of Public Affairs, ICVCM Read More

Lorna Ritchie

Director of Public Affairs, ICVCM

Lorna Ritchie is Director of Public Affairs for the Integrity Council (ICVCM). Over the last ten years, Lorna has worked as a policy advisor on climate change for the UK government. Lorna led the UK Presidency’s Adaptation Negotiations at COP26 and prior to that, led the UK’s carbon markets negotiations including on CORSIA and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Previous team member Next team member
Dr. Kaviraj Singh
Founder and Managing Director, Earthood Read More

Dr. Kaviraj Singh

Founder and Managing Director, Earthood

Dr. Kaviraj Singh is an eminent visionary and trailblazer, serving as the Founder and Managing Director of Earthood, a globally recognized powerhouse in carbon offset verification. At the helm of this venture, Dr. Singh has propelled Earthood to unprecedented heights, positioning it as the world’s premier carbon offset verifier. Accredited by esteemed international bodies including the United Nations (UN), VERRA, Gold Standard Foundation (GS), Global Carbon Council (GCC), and other leading carbon standard and registries, Earthood stands as a leader of carbon offset audits under his leadership.

With an exceptional record of over 2000 carbon offset audits conducted across diverse projects and a passport stamped with visits to over 100 countries, Dr. Singh’s influence has transcended borders. His prominence in the sphere of climate change is underscored by his active participation in multiple national and international committees dedicated to this pressing cause. Dr. Singh currently serves as the President of the esteemed International Carbon Auditor Forum (ICAF) and contributes his expertise as a member of the expert committee of the International Carbon Verification and Certification Management Institute (ICVCMI), International Carbon Auditor Forum (ICAF) and VERRA Expert Committee.

A distinguished scholar, Dr. Singh’s academic journey includes a master’s degree in Energy Management and a doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD). He has a wide portfolio of authored and co-authored books, as well as an extensive publication record in reputable international journals. His academic excellence was duly recognized with two national scholarships and one prestigious international scholarship during his formative years.

Previous team member Next team member
Alvin Lim
CEO & Co-Founder, Climate Bridge International Read More

Alvin Lim

CEO & Co-Founder, Climate Bridge International

Alvin Lim is the CEO and Co-Founder of Climate Bridge International, where he leads the international business for Climate Bridge Group, one of China’s largest carbon finance companies. He was formerly the Head of Asia Environmental Products at Morgan Stanley, where he led the development of the environmental products franchise. Prior to this, he served as Vice President of the Enterprise Strategy team at GIC (Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund), where he supported GIC’s Sustainable Investing initiatives, developed frameworks to integrate sustainability practices in the investment process, and authored several white papers on the role of carbon markets for asset owners. He also contributed to the Singapore Government’s Emerging Stronger Taskforce Sustainability working group that recommended the establishment of a carbon trading and services hub in Singapore.

Alvin is a Senior Fellow at the National University of Singapore Centre for Governance and Sustainability. He holds a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the National University of Singapore. Alvin is a CFA and CMT charter holder, and a SASB FSA credential holder.

Previous team member Next team member
David Burns
Director of Governance, GHG Protocol Read More

David Burns

Director of Governance, GHG Protocol

David Burns is the Director of Governance at the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, where he oversees the Protocol’s new multi-stakeholder governance model. He previously served as acting Chief of Staff for GHG Protocol and as the Natural Climate Solutions Policy Lead at the World Resources Institute. In the latter role, he focused on the use of nature to enhance national and corporate climate ambition, including via the responsible use of carbon markets, and led WRI’s engagement on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Before joining WRI, David served as a Senior Manager with the National Wildlife Federation, where his work centered on eliminating deforestation and human rights abuses from the production of globally traded agricultural commodities like palm oil, soy, and cattle products. He previously consulted for the World Bank and Climate Focus, specializing in REDD+, carbon markets, and land-use policy.

David holds a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry (now Yale School of the Environment) and a B.A. from Bates College. He is based in Washington, DC.

Previous team member Next team member
Jan Willem
Non-Executive Director, puro.earth Read More

Jan Willem

Non-Executive Director, puro.earth

Jan-Willem is an experienced energy, carbon and sustainability specialist, with a focus on strategy, financial structuring, change management and transactions in the renewable energy, carbon credit and climate change space. He has a background in project development, investment banking, project finance, structured finance and advisory.

Highlights of his career include being responsible for the first versions of the Gold Standard for carbon credits, co-founding, financing and exiting OneCarbon, a carbon credit developer in the 2000s, and managing a team of over 200 sustainability consultants while at Guidehouse, which included key projects like Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), helping to structure and launch the Future Supplier Initiative (supply chain emission reduction in the fashion industry), and various other innovative sustainability projects.

He is currently a non-executive director at puro.earth (the first carbon crediting programme focused exclusively on removals), Trion (a silicon and battery manufacturing firm) and a director at Emission Reduction Partners Ltd (ERPA.co), an advisory firm in the climate change space.

Previous team member Next team member
Felix Preston
Director of Research and Program, Climate Arc Read More

Felix Preston

Director of Research and Program, Climate Arc

Felix Preston has been working in sustainability for 20 years. He is currently Director of Research and Program for Climate Arc, a non-profit organization working to unlock capital flows to meet global climate goals. Felix joined Arc from Generation Investment Management, the pure play sustainable investment manager, where he was Director, Sustainability Impact and Research. He was previously Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House.

Previous team member Next team member
David Carlin
Founder, D.A. Carlin and Company Read More

David Carlin

Founder, D.A. Carlin and Company

David Carlin is an acknowledged authority on climate change and its implications for the financial system. He is the founder of D. A. Carlin and Company, an advisor to governments, corporates, and financial institutions on climate and ESG topics. He has authored numerous reports that provide practical tools for financial actors looking to address climate change and has run capacity-building programs for financial institutions and supervisors around the world.

David led the creation of UN Environment Programme’s- Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)’s Risk Centre as the head of Risk. Over the past years, he has worked with over 100 global banks, investors, and insurers on climate scenarios, climate risk assessments, and climate governance.

He has been an advisor to UNEP FI’s TNFD pilot program on nature and biodiversity related risks, the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), and the Glasgow Financial Alliances for Net Zero (GFANZ). David is also a contributor to Forbes and a senior associate at Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) as well as a visiting fellow at King’s College London.

David has worked as a Principal in Finance, Risk, and Public Policy for Oliver Wyman and in Model Risk Management for PNC Bank. His background is in quantitative modeling and decision science.

Previous team member Next team member
David Canassa
CEO, Reservas Votorantim Read More

David Canassa

CEO, Reservas Votorantim

Electrical Engineer and Master in Energy Efficiency, with MBAs in Sustainability, Business Management, and Environment. With more than 20 years dedicated to sustainability, he is the CEO of Reservas Votorantim, a company providing nature-based solutions, multiple-use territories, and forest reserve management. He has participated as a member of various councils dedicated to sustainability in companies and organizations. He was the president of the Technical Chamber of Energy and Climate Change at CEBDS (Brazil) and a professor of various topics related to the field. He is the author of two books: ‘Na Trilha do Saber’ and ‘Poder de Tolo’.”

Previous team member

The VCMI Stakeholder Forum captures views and perspectives from a broad range of voluntary carbon market participants to ensure that VCMI’s guidance is well designed, easy to understand, and effective. The Forum also provides input on market needs to increase adoption of the Claims Code of Practice.

Participants include representatives from organizations committed to delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement and advancing high-integrity carbon markets. They represent a diverse mix of individuals and organizations involved in global decarbonization efforts – spanning a variety of geographies, backgrounds, areas of expertise, and intended users of VCMI guidance.

Full details about the VCMI Stakeholder Forum and the role of participants can be found in the Terms of Reference (ToR). 

Stakeholder Forum members

The Country Contact Group provides a forum for governments representing both demand and supply-side perspectives to:

  • Provide insights and perspectives on VCMI work areas and processes, helping actively shape VCMI’s strategic objectives and outcomes;
  • Promote peer-to-peer exchange and learning, as well as interactions with other key stakeholders such as corporate buyers;
  • Engage with VCMI to develop VCM ‘Access Strategies’, which is an offer from VCMI to support an initial handful of countries to identify opportunities for accessing direct investment into country-specific mitigation action, aligning voluntary carbon market finance flows with national climate policy and finance priorities.