Our Team

Haseeb Bakhtary is a Lead Consultant at Climate Focus. His current areas of research focus on food systems, agriculture and land use topics. During his tenure at Climate Focus, he has contributed to many projects. These include the annual New York Declaration on Forests progress assessment and several projects on the role and potential of food systems and nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Haseeb held a role at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Afghanistan. Here Haseeb provided assistance to public universities in setting up their public administration faculties. He also provided his expertise in the guise of advisor to national and international organizations such as Samuel Halls, specifically focused on public policy and governance in Afghanistan.

Haseeb holds a degree from Mysore University (BA.LLB) in India and a degree in International Law from the London Metropolitan University (LLM International Law) in the UK. In addition, he earned his master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration at Potsdam University in Germany.

In his free time, Haseeb enjoys the outdoors, especially running and hiking. He is also a keen reader and derives great pleasure from going to the movies.

Katsiaryna Bareika is an assistant office administrator based out of the Climate Focus Amsterdam office. Her work focuses on supporting the office manager in general administration, data entry, and keeping various records updated.

Before joining Climate Focus, Katsiaryna worked as an accountant. She has 15 years of accounting experience at construction and car logistics companies.

Katsiaryna holds a degree in Economy and Accountancy from Polotsk State University (Belarus). She speaks Belarusian, Russian, and English and is currently learning Dutch.

In addition to her professional work, Katsiaryna loves traveling and exploring new cultures and places. She is passionate about baking and flowers, which she enjoys as hobbies in her free time.

Maartje van den Biggelaar is a consultant at our Climate Focus Amsterdam office. Her primary area of focus is providing technical advice on carbon projects and accounting for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In her role, she also conducts due diligence on a wide variety of carbon projects. Providing technical support in the form of GHG accounting for clients such as the World Bank, concerning investments in energy and transport. She also works on quantitative analyses encompassing carbon markets and modeling emissions reductions from a variety of policies. More recently, she has expanded her experience in ITMO transactions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Prior to joining Climate Focus. Maartje held a role at Utrecht University, assisting the development of the university’s carbon footprint. Additionally, subsequent to an internship at Deltares, a water and subsurface research institute, she worked as a sustainability consultant at an engineering firm.

Maartje holds a MSc degree in Sustainable Development in which she specialized in renewable energy and a BSc degree in Earth Sciences. Both degrees are from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. Her Master’s research focused on the technical potential of thermal energy from surface water and subsurface energy storage systems, to address heat demand in Europe. Here she used her quantitative skills in QGIS and Python to process and analyze large datasets.

Maartje is a native Dutch speaker and is fluent in both written and spoken English. In her free time, Maartje can be found climbing, both in the climbing gym inside or indeed outside. When not climbing, Maartje is equally active on the field hockey pitch, where she plays as goalkeeper. In addition, she enjoys cooking, photography and discovering Europe by train.

Sarah Bouchon is a legal consultant at Climate Focus. Based at our Amsterdam office, Sarah focuses on applying her legal expertise in the areas of policy and governance, to facilitate and assist with the acceleration toward a sustainable world.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Sarah practiced as a French-qualified attorney in a large US law firm in Paris. Her work centered on advising large international corporations, investment firms and public entities on both EU and French competition and antitrust laws. During her time as an attorney, Sarah actively participated in several pro bono efforts to provide legal advice to institutions promoting SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). She has also held positions with another international law firm in Brussels and the French Competition Authority, where she was a trainee.

Sarah holds a B.A. in Social Sciences and a Master’s degree in Economic law and Global Governance Studies from Sciences Po (Paris, France). In addition, she holds an LL.M. in European Legal Studies from the College of Europe (Bruges, Belgium).

Skilled in languages, Sarah speaks French, English and Spanish. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys cooking, skiing, yoga and traveling.

Juan Pablo Castro is a Lead Consultant at Climate Focus and runs the company’s office in Latin America. His role is to promote and implement low carbon development initiatives in the region. He serves as advisor to governments, private companies, foundations, and financial institutions on technical, policy, and business aspects of climate change mitigation. He is actively engaged in the promotion of sustainable business models in the land use sector and has leading roles in three of Climate Focus’ long-standing initiatives in Latin America: GANSO, Sinfonía Trópico, and Football for Forests.

Juan Pablo has a wealth of knowledge and experience in greenhouse gas emission reduction projects, programs, and policies, and advises on all aspects of carbon asset management. He is a seasoned consultant and manager with significant cross-sectoral expertise, having worked on numerous initiatives in sustainable agriculture, REDD+, forest restoration, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and waste management. He is actively engaged in environmental awareness and communication through the arts. Juan Pablo is pragmatic with a keen sense for the organizational and operational complexity of effective climate change initiatives.

Juan Pablo holds a BSc degree in political science from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), a MSc in environmental science and policy from The John Hopkins University (USA), and a MSc in international public management and policy from the Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands). He is a naturalist who likes biking, hiking, planting, and cooking.

Laura Coccaro is Climate Focus’s HR Coordinator, based in the Berlin office.

Before joining Climate Focus, Laura developed her professional skills in different governmental and commercial institutions in Italy and Greece. She also spent four years in the field of Recruitment and Operations for international companies in Germany. Laura holds a master’s degree in International and Multicultural Relations in the Euro-Mediterranean Area and a Bachelor of Linguistics and Cultural Mediation from the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’.

Laura will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of Climate Focus human resources information system Bamboo. This will be in addition to managing our recruitment process from job advert, through selection, interview, contract, salary discussion and work permits, as well as ensuring compliance with labor laws, with a focus on Germany to begin. Her brief also includes staff training and development programs, supporting the annual review process, benchmarking activities and 360 degree reviews. The role will also handle various employee related activities including representation and mediation. In particular she will contribute to the implementation of Climate Focus Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policy, in tandem with supporting management/admin activities locally.

Laura is originally from Italy. In addition to being a passionate scuba diver and cook, Laura enjoys spending her free time practicing yoga and Pilates, doing crosswords and being surrounded by nature.

Luis C. Cote is the Acquisition Manger at Climate Focus. His current work focuses on carbon pricing, land use and climate policy related topics.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Luis Carlos worked as a public policy coordinator at the “How we are in health?” Observatory, and as a part-time teacher at Politecnico Grancolombiano University in Bogota, Colombia. He also worked as a social project coordinator at the Barco Foundation. In his spare time, Luis Carlos enjoys traveling, running and playing football.

Luis Carlos holds degrees from Potsdam University in Germany (Master in Public Management) and Los Andes University in Colombia (B.Sc and M.Sc in Political Science, minors in Government and Philosophy).

Laura Donfack Somenguem is a consultant at Climate Focus’s Berlin office where she primarily focuses on NBS carbon project assessment, carbon accounting methods evaluation, data management and modeling in carbon projects and markets. She is particularly interested in sustainable climate solutions across various AFOLU projects and initiatives.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Laura was working as a Research Scientist at the Georg-August University of Göttingen where she was simultaneously conducting her PhD research focusing on drought impacts on tree physiological functions in temperate forests. She has also gained consistent experience in NBS projects and forest monitoring by engaging as an intern with organizations such as: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS) all in Cameroon.

Laura earned a BA and MA in Agronomy and Forestry from the University of Dschang (Cameroon), and a MSc. In Tropical and international Forestry from the Georg-August University of Göttingen (Germany).

Laura speaks French and English, and has moderate proficiency in German. In her free time, she enjoys cycling outdoors, playing tennis and badminton, hiking, and cooking.

Melaina Dyck is a consultant at Climate Focus, where she works on projects related to nature-based solutions, carbon markets, and Indigenous and local communities. Her experience includes advising decision-makers about engagement with the voluntary carbon market, analyzing carbon projects, and researching forest and land use policies.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Melaina worked for World Resources Institute, where she investigated adaptation ambitions under the Paris Agreement, and for Nature Climate Solutions, LLC, where she assessed carbon projects. She received the Yale University Gruber Fellowship in Global Justice to work with Farmacia Viva Indigena, a community-led project to conserve forests and Indigenous knowledge in Peru.

Melaina holds a Master in Environmental Science from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a minor in Spanish from the University of South Carolina. Melaina is fluent in English and Spanish. She spends her spare time traveling, dancing, hiking, and learning to be a better advocate for climate justice.

Hilda Galt is a Lead Consultant at Climate Focus, where she offers advisory services to foundations, governments, multilateral institutions, and the private sector on a variety of climate-related issues. With over a decade of experience in climate change mitigation, her areas of expertise include voluntary and compliance carbon markets, international climate policy, and results-based climate finance. Hilda is also a member of the Technical Advisory Group of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), where she provides input into the development of Beyond Value Chain Mitigation guidance affecting companies with net-zero targets.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Hilda worked with a non-governmental organization to improve women’s access to clean water, fuels, and sanitation. She also worked for Veolia Water Scotland, where she developed a carbon footprint of their wastewater treatment operations and identified opportunities for improving corporate sustainability efforts.

Hilda has a science background and holds two degrees from the University of Edinburgh: an MSc in Carbon Management, and a BSc in Ecological Science (Conservation and Ecological Management). Additionally, she holds a diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation in Development Projects from the Maastricht School of Management.

Marta García is the office and accounting manager at Climate Focus, B.V. Her responsibilities cover many aspects of the business, including bookkeeping, invoicing, travel arrangements, procurement, maintenance of the data management system, and general administration.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Marta acquired over 15 years of experience working in a number of international companies. Her previous roles have included management assistant, personal assistant and office manager. Marta is passionate about food, cooking and baking, and whenever possible buys food that is organically grown and locally produced, and therefore a better choice for the climate.

Marta holds a degree from Barcelona University (BA in social work) and studied administration.

Michael Gerhard is a Consultant at Climate Focus, focusing on the climate-development-nature nexus and the need to finance transitions to more positively integrated economic, social, and natural systems. He is particularly interested in developing transformative strategies for natural capital valuation, protection, and restoration projects that deliver developmental benefits to communities and society. Michael provides technical advice on climate finance and market-based mechanisms and is an adept facilitator, utilizing a collection of creative tools to get the most out of collaborative processes.

Michael has 10 years of experience working on the African continent, focusing on strategy, policy, regulatory frameworks, and resource mobilization to enable climate-compatible investments in the developing world. Most recently, Michael has worked with 9 commercial and development finance institutions in southern Africa to integrate climate finance into their strategies and to develop climate-responsive project investment pipelines.

Michael has an undergraduate degree in law from the University of Johannesburg and a master’s in sustainable development (LLM) from the University of the Witwatersrand. Michael has gathered additional expertise in Design Thinking, and Applied-Improv which he utilizes in facilitation and strategic planning processes.

Michael values creativity, collaboration, and movement, which finds expression in his passion for swing dance and immersive performance art. When he’s not working with others on creative projects, you will likely find him meditating at the top of a mountain or soaking in hard-to-reach hot springs somewhere.

Jillian Gladstone is a lead consultant at Climate Focus, where she focuses on land use and climate finance, and is managing the launch of the Global Restoration Observatory (GRO). She has more than ten years experience working in food and agricultural supply chains to drive improved measurement and management of environmental impacts. She has experience in sustainability reporting & disclosure, supply chain analysis, impact measurement, stakeholder engagement, and coalition building.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Jillian worked at CDP, where she lead engagement with North American companies to eliminate deforestation and reduce emissions from commodity supply chains. Earlier in her career, she drove multi-stakeholder efforts on behalf of the The Sustainability Consortium to develop sustainability reporting and measurement tools.

Jillian holds a BA from NYU, and a MALD/MS in international agriculture, food & environment from Tufts University.

Jillian has recently relocated to Washington DC with her family where she enjoys biking around the city and exploring the local food scene.

Sandra Greiner is a lead consultant at Climate Focus. She is an experienced project manager and has carried out over 50 consultancy assignments during her career. Her broad expertise ranges from supporting greenhouse gas emission reduction projects on the ground to advising financial institutions, multilateral organizations and governments in their carbon procurement and climate-related strategies.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Sandra worked from 2002 to 2006 as a carbon finance specialist for the World Bank in Washington D.C. as one of the pioneers in the global carbon market.

Sandra believes in the power of the private sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions fast and efficiently if the price of carbon is right. She supports efforts to revitalize market-based approaches in international climate policy and the disbursement of climate finance. Sandra is a technical advisor to the African group in the climate negotiations, a member of the World Bank’s CDM reform working group and an Executive Committee member of the Project Developers Forum. Inspired by Amsterdam, Sandra is passionate about zero emissions transportation and enjoys cycling around town.

Sandra holds degrees from Hamburg University (MSc and PhD in economics).

Georg Hahn is an Analyst based at Climate Focus’s Berlin office where his work focuses on food systems sustainability, sustainable land use, agriculture, and forest protection. He is particularly interested in the implications of the EU Deforestation Regulation for sustainable development in producer countries and global North-South relations, and how the transition to a more sustainable food system and diet can be achieved in a just and inclusive manner.

He contributes to multiple projects including the annual Forest Declaration Assessment.

Prior to joining us as an Analyst, Georg was an Associate Researcher at Climate Focus. His previous experience also includes working at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. At the ministry, Georg worked on development cooperation and the communication of Sustainable Development Goals to citizens.

Georg holds an M.A. in International Relations from Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and University of Potsdam, Germany, in addition to holding a B.A. in Political Science and French from University of Freiburg, Germany. His academic journey also took him to Science Po Lille, France, and to the School of International Service at American University, Washington, DC.

Georg enjoys learning languages and is fluent in English and French, in addition to being a native speaker of German and an avid student of Spanish. He has a passion for running, is a committed vegan and loves Mexican food. Georg also enjoys traveling, podcasts, and is a talented singer.

Franziska Haupt is managing partner at Climate Focus and the executive director at Climate Focus Berlin. She provides advisory service to foundations, governments, multilateral institutions and the private sector on sustainable forest and land use, and climate change related issues. Her work is focused on tracking global pledges for forest protection and restoration, finance for forests, deforestation-free commodity supply chains in the agriculture sector, sustainable mining and infrastructure, and on the design of incentives and institutional frameworks for sustainable land use. She oversees the Forest Declaration Assessment, a collaborative effort by two dozen research organizations and NGOs to measure progress towards global forest goals.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Franziska worked as an international consultant for the Kyrgyz government in a World Bank project and as a consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). She has been actively involved in the field of climate change and forestry since 2006. Franziska is passionate about classical music.

Franziska holds degrees from the Technical University of Munich (BSc in forest science) and Humboldt University Berlin (MSc in agricultural economics). During her studies, she attended a one-year exchange program at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Carolina Inclan is a senior consultant at Climate Focus specializing in economics and policy for energy and climate change. She has experience analyzing, evaluating, and designing carbon pricing instruments and companion energy and transport policies to achieve a zero-carbon transition. Her current work focuses on advising governments on communicating carbon pricing for different audiences and looking at strategic policy options to reaching climate commitments.

Before joining Climate Focus, Carolina conducted a research stay at the International Carbon Action Partnership to analyze design options of implementing an ETS with different electricity market structures and additional energy policies. She also worked for the Carbon Trust and the Mexican government to provide technical assistance in designing carbon pricing mechanisms, electromobility, and other energy and transport policies.

Carolina holds an MSc in Economics and Policy for Energy and the Environment from the University College London and a Bachelor of Economics from the Universidad Iberoamericana. In her free time, she loves scuba diving, practicing yoga, cycling around nature, and going to concerts.

Willis Kliefoth is Climate Focus’ Communication Specialist, leading the company’s communications strategy and efforts to translate research and policy work into simple and effective messages that reach a range of audiences. She has 12 years of experience in environmental and advocacy-based communications.

Immediately prior to joining Climate Focus, she spent 2 years as a freelance communications consultant and writer advising the creative and marketing teams of NGOs and scientific organizations. Her other previous experience includes leading digital Communications for the Potomac Conservancy, working on development and media relations for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, managing internal sustainability efforts at the International Finance Corporation, editing Conservation Biology textbooks, and teaching marine science at a local aquarium.  

Having studied Art History & Government at Wesleyan University and Environmental Studies and Policy (with a focus in Marine Systems) at University of Maryland, Willis likes to describe herself as a translator between the wonky worlds of science and policy and stakeholder audiences.  

In her free time, she enjoys reading about animal behavior & intelligence, scuba diving, drawing, and painting.  As a native of the DC area, Willis is excited to be the hometown representative at the Climate Focus North America office.   

Simon König is managing partner at Climate Focus and the executive director at Climate Focus North America. He advises government and private sector clients on policy, business, and partnership models for sustainable land use and REDD+. As an experienced project manager, he has led the assessment and development of numerous projects in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Simon was Senior Manager Project Development at the private investment firm Permian Global in London, UK and Washington D.C., where he led the concept development, feasibility assessment, and technical implementation of conservation, restoration, and sustainable land use investments. In his earlier career he worked in sustainable tourism development and afforestation/reforestation of degraded pasture lands in Latin America, and as a segmentation analyst for Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc. In his spare time, Simon enjoys exploring the outdoors by mountain bike or walking, foraging for wild foods, and cooking dishes from around the world.

Simon holds a degree from the University of Edinburgh (MSc in ecological economics).

Adriaan Korthuis is a co-founder and managing partner of Climate Focus. He is a strategic advisor of companies, government agencies and international organizations across the globe. He possesses a profound knowledge of climate change projects and market dynamics. He is a strong promoter of private sector engagement in climate finance and has a keen eye on the interaction between public sector policy development and private sector engagement. Currently, Adriaan is advising on voluntary carbon markets by supporting concrete projects and transactions and by promoting their use to speed-up sustainable development.

Prior to co-founding Climate Focus, Adriaan set up and managed the ground-breaking programs for purchasing carbon credits from the Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation on behalf of the Dutch Government.

Adriaan enjoys presenting to large and small audiences and breaking down complex information on climate finance and climate policy into understandable terms that allow business developers and policy officers to make informed decisions. Being compassionate about turning his own city – Rotterdam – more sustainable, Adriaan has been successfully advocating for clean air and reducing the omnipresence of car traffic in the streets and public spaces.

Adriaan holds a degree from Wageningen University (MSc in Food Science) and is a trained Moderator of Logical Framework Workshops.

Anna Kovács is a consultant at Climate Focus. Her work focuses on carbon markets and climate policies, primarily in the context of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. She supports governments, international organizations and private sector clients with research and advisory services, engages in projects focused on capacity building for Article 6-based climate action, closely follows UNFCCC developments, and supports clients in their engagement with international climate change negotiations.

Before joining Climate Focus, Anna spent four years at Erasmus University Rotterdam, analyzing the evolution of climate change policies, UNFCCC processes, and motivating large-scale collective action for climate change. She is finalizing her PhD in Law & Economics of climate change. Anna also gained experience as a trainee at The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL), supporting its business accelerator for mSMEs working on access to justice in East and Southern Africa. She holds an Advanced Master’s degree (MSc.) in International Relations and Diplomacy from Leiden University and the Clingendael Institute, and a Bachelor’s degree (LL.B.) in International and European Law from the University of Groningen.

In her off-hours, Anna can either be found dancing a variety of dance styles to swing music or in her favorite armchair with a large mug of tea and a good book.

David M. Landholm is a Senior Consultant at Climate Focus. His work encompasses research, advisory, and implementation projects, focusing mainly on two key areas: climate change mitigation in the land sector and emerging climate finance instruments. In climate change mitigation, he has nearly a decade of experience in developing spatially explicit methodologies to estimate the mitigation potential of various land use activities, including the role that Voluntary Carbon Markets can play across different regions.

In climate finance, he is increasingly engaged in creating new finance instruments and advising high-profile international organizations on strategies to protect and restore natural ecosystems, including high-integrity forests in the tropics.

Previously, he was a researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany, where he contributed to numerous scientific publications on climate change mitigation across various sectors.

David has lived and worked in Spain, France, Switzerland, and Germany, and has enjoyed research stays with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia and Vietnam. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, philosophy, sports, and spending time outdoors.

David holds a PhD in Natural Sciences from Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, and an MSc in Forest and Environmental Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid, Spain.

Imogen Long is a consultant at Climate Focus, where she conducts research and provides advisory services on climate change mitigation to a range of governments, multilateral institutions and private sector clients.

Her work is centered around forests and sustainable land use, sustainable agricultural supply chains, and climate finance in the context of nature-based solutions. She is an annual contributor to the Forest Declaration Assessment – Climate Focus’ progress assessments of the ten goals of New York Declaration on Forests.

Prior to joining the company, Imogen’s work focused on assessing the impact of soft commodity supply chain deforestation policies in the corporate and financial sectors.

Imogen holds a BSc in Psychology from Sussex University, England, and an MSc in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Outside work, she enjoys salsa dancing, experimenting in the kitchen, and escaping to the mountains for hiking and camping trips.

Jesús Mallol Díaz is an analyst at Climate Focus. His work is focused on carbon market data analysis, building market forecast and GHG accounting models, and supporting climate finance advisory work.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, he worked as a research assistant in different natural science labs while completing his bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also worked at a biochemistry lab at Vanderbilt University assisting in DNA replication research using cell extracts prepared from eggs of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). Additionally, Jesús attended Lund University for his MSc in Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, where he developed wheat yield forecasting models using remotely sensed data and machine learning algorithms for his thesis.

Jesús is fluent in English and Spanish. In his free time, enjoys exploring the outdoors and traveling.

Sanggeet Mithra Manirajah is a Senior Consultant at Climate Focus. Her expertise lies in delivering research findings in land use, nature-based solutions, and carbon markets towards effective public and private sector action. She advises governments and decision-makers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America on leveraging carbon markets to finance climate change action. As part of the Global Forest Declaration Assessment, Sanggeet has coordinated and facilitated a network of 30 research and non-profit organizations to collectively examine the progress on forest goals. She also led the research and co-authored the first Forest Declaration Regional Assessment, a grassroots-driven report that tracks progress on the efforts to implementing and achieving forest goals in the Congo Basin.

Sanggeet has 10 years of experience as a facilitator and trainer, and has designed and led workshops, dialogues and trainings for a wide variety of audiences, including policymakers, corporates, civil society, and youth across the world. Sanggeet is a co-founder and Chairperson of the Board of Architects of Diversity, a non-profit initiative that bridges different identify groups among youth in Malaysia.

Sanggeet holds a Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin and a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Scripps College in California. A native Malaysian, Sanggeet speaks fluent Bahasa Malaysia, English, Spanish and conversational Tamil and German.

In her free time, Sanggeet enjoys reading, experimenting in the kitchen, and doing yoga.

Erin D. Matson is a senior consultant at Climate Focus.

Her work focuses on tracking of global pledges for forest protection and restoration, sustainable supply chains, climate and forest policy analysis, sustainability in extractive industries and infrastructure, and jurisdictional forest and climate programs. She is the coordinator of the Forest Declaration Assessment, a collaborative effort by two dozen research organizations and NGOs to measure progress towards global forest goals.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Erin designed and implemented alternative business models for sustainable urban agriculture as a farmer and educator in Chicago. Erin holds an MA degree (Global Environmental Policy) from the School of International Service at American University and a BA degree (South Asian Languages and Civilizations) from the University of Chicago. As an undergraduate she pursued language study with the American Institute of Indian Studies in Jaipur and Chandigarh, India. To relax, Erin enjoys dancing, baking, and traveling, and is newly getting into running.

Thijs Merton is a consultant at Climate Focus, specializing in the development and implementation of carbon projects, with an emphasis on nature-based solutions and renewable energy. He actively contributes to policy dialogues on voluntary carbon markets and advises corporate, governmental, and multilateral clients. His expertise includes conducting due diligence on carbon credit projects and helping clients structure investments and programs supported by carbon and climate finance.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Thijs spent several years as a freelance consultant, supporting the development and certification of carbon projects across East Africa and Asia. Thijs also worked for a non-profit in Ethiopia, where he focused on finding market-based solutions for safe water supply and sanitation, including carbon finance. Besides English and Dutch, Thijs speaks Spanish and conversational Amharic and French. Thijs holds an MSc in Environmental Science from Utrecht University and a certificate in Climate and Renewable Energy Finance from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

Having a strong passion for music, Thijs loves playing guitar in his spare time. He also enjoys long hikes in nature, preferably high up in the mountains in remote locations.

Szymon Mikolajczyk is a lead consultant at Climate Focus. He has been working in international carbon markets since 2008. He is a strong proponent of markets as a tool to deliver cost-effective GHG abatement and removals, and offers strategic advice to both private and public sector clients on the opportunities carbon markets present.

Szymon advises corporate clients on carbon compensation and net zero strategies, supporting firms integrate offsetting in broader climate and sustainability action plans. He offers expertise along the full spectrum of the carbon compensation process, starting with the origination and due diligence of carbon projects through to the organisation of procurement tenders and valuation of carbon assets. Examples of recent corporate clients include easyJet, Shell, Woodside Energy, Rabobank and DB Schenker. He also supports project developers with the monetisation of their carbon assets, and has strong insight into market pricing in both the compliance and voluntary markets.

Szymon is also an expert in international climate financing, collaborating with development finance institutions and governments in structuring effective results-based finance schemes across sectors. Examples of clients include the EBRD (managing a carbon finance support programme in Turkey), the World Bank (using auctions as a mechanism to disburse finance), and the German BMU (supporting with climate finance proposals for the Green Climate Fund). Szymon is also closely following the Article 6 negotiations, and is involved in advising on the structuring of several pilot transactions for a post-2020 market.

Szymon holds a BSc in Ecology and Conservation from the University of Sussex and an MSc in Finance & Investments from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and has passed the first level of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification.

Sara Minoli is a consultant at Climate Focus. She conducts research and advisory projects on sustainable land use, climate-friendly agricultural practices and adaptation strategies to climate change.

Sara has experience on quantitative approaches, such as process-based modeling and big data analysis. Before joining Climate Focus, she worked as a researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany and at the University of Milan in Italy.

Sara applied and developed large-scale crop models to simulate arable crops and fruit orchards. She also developed a model to simulate farmers’ agronomic decision-making under climate change and assessed trajectories of adaptation under climate change scenarios. She has been involved in the development of multi-disciplinary modeling frameworks to simulate the feedback between climate, agriculture, forest and pollinator insects. She also has experience in conducting on-field experimental trials to measure ammonia (NH₃) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from agricultural soils and compare different methodologies. Sara has authored several scientific publications on these topics.

In her free time, Sara loves hiking, cycling, kayaking and many other outdoor activities. She has a passion for gardening and enjoys visiting cities and art expositions.

Sara holds a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from Humboldt University, where she is a member of the IRI-THESys interdisciplinary graduate program. She also holds a Master’s in Crop Sciences and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Agro-technology (University of Milan).

Manuelita Montaño is a legal consultant at Climate Focus. Her work focuses on land use mitigation-related projects and climate policy, targeted to Latin America.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, she worked in rural development, in the implementation and design of sustainable value chains and impact models for rubber, coffee and Amazonian fruits. Additionally,  she was a consultant on the structuring of sustainable sources of energy for non-interconnected zones in Colombia. She has relevant experience conducting participatory research, addressing topics on active citizenship and indigenous communities’ rights. In her initial career, she worked as a lawyer in the private sector.

Manuelita holds a Bachelor of Laws from Universidad de Los Andes and an MSc in Social Development Practice (with merit) from the DPU-University College London (UCL). As part of her master’s degree, she undertook fieldwork in both London and Salvador, Brazil, focusing on the advancement of collective rights in urban contexts.

In her spare time, Manuelita enjoys yoga, trekking, diving and beekeeping. She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

Eugene Moriarty is the operations manager at Climate Focus. His focus is on supporting, developing, and improving operations across the Climate Focus including HR and IT.

With more than 20 years of experience, Eugene came to Climate Focus by way of a career that has spanned the sporting, publishing, built environment and asset management/finance industries. Throughout his career, he has combined his diverse skillset to help improve the performance of areas under his remit. He has worked on complex large-scale strategic ERP system implementation and improving processes in diverse business areas and industries.

He holds degrees from Trinity College, Dublin (B.A. Mod – Physiology), is a certified accountant, and a qualified company director with the Institute of Directors, London (MIoD). He serves on the board of a national sporting organization and has contributed as a board committee member to committees including HR and Finance.

Eugene is inspired by advances in energy efficiency technology in all its guises, especially in the field of electrical generation, transport, transmission and storage. In his free time, he enjoys the sport of cycling. A sport in which he competed internationally for a number of years, culminating with directly qualifying a place for Ireland at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Pablo Nuñez is an analyst at Climate Focus. His work focuses on sustainable land use and climate policy. Prior to joining Climate Focus, Pablo worked as a research assistant at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam, Germany, where he formed part of a group conducting research at the intersection of democracy, climate politics, and environmental justice. 

Pablo holds a BA in Environmental Studies and Political Science from the University of Michigan, and an MSc in Environmental Governance from the University of Freiburg. His master’s thesis focused on political discourse around the Line 5 pipeline in the United States.  

In his free time, Pablo enjoys playing soccer, exploring DC, and perfecting his paella recipe. He is fluent in English and Spanish. 

Alan Ichilevici de Oliveira is an analyst at Climate Focus working on climate and land use policies. He has experience in climate action transparency, greenhouse gas mitigation, policy implementation, and capacity building.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Alan held a role at the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) where he was part of an initiative supporting developing countries to fulfill their transparency commitments under the Paris Agreement. This included tracking of NDC implementation, furthering policy development, and related monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) responsibilities. Before that, he worked at GIZ, with Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in various sectors and regions. He also worked for a state government in Brazil, where he contributed to the implementation of sanitation policies in one of the poorest regions in the country.

Alan holds a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School in Berlin and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Campinas in Brazil. For his Master’s thesis, Alan explored the opportunities, challenges, and limitations of subnational climate action by state governments in Brazil. He is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish and has intermediate French and German skills.

In his free time, Alan enjoys practicing yoga, biking, and climbing.

Lydia Omuko-Jung is a Senior Legal Consultant at Climate Focus and a qualified attorney. Her expertise covers legal issues relevant to climate change projects and policies, such as carbon transactions, climate regulatory issues and designing of mitigation policies.

Lydia advises governments on legal frameworks for carbon markets and in designing national legal instruments for implementation of Article 6 Paris Agreement. She has advised on and drafted carbon market regulations for a number of governments in South Asia and Africa. She also advises private and public entities on structuring carbon transactions, including negotiating and drafting carbon contracts, conducting due diligences and advising on implications of regulatory frameworks on carbon market activities. Lydia also supports public and private entities on Article 6 Paris Agreement transactions. Her experience includes drafting bilateral agreements between countries, negotiating and advising on Mitigation Outcome Purchase Agreements (MOPAs) and advising countries on legal considerations for Article 6 transactions. Beyond carbon markets, Lydia works on broader climate regulatory and governance issues, climate change litigation and advises entities on climate-related liabilities and claims.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Lydia was a researcher within the interdisciplinary program DK Climate Change at University of Graz, where her research focussed on legal aspects of consumption-based climate policies and climate change litigation. Before that, she worked as an Associate in a law firm in Nairobi (V.A. Nyamodi & Co Advocates), mainly on litigation, climate policy formulation and contract law.

Lydia is an attorney admitted to the Kenyan bar and holds a PhD in Law from University of Graz, an LL.M in Climate Change Law and Policy from University of Strathclyde and an LL.B from Moi University. She speaks Swahili, English, German and two local languages in Kenya (Luo and Luhyia). In her free time, she enjoys hiking in the mountains, cycling and trying new recipes.

Ivan Palmegiani is a biodiversity and land use consultant at Climate Focus where he focuses on financial instruments for the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems, on ecological restoration monitoring, and on the management of quantitative and geospatial data.

Ivan is a environmental researcher with cross-disciplinary work experience. Before joining Climate Focus, he worked as an independent consultant, collaborating with NGOs and intergovernmental organizations such as WWF – Risk Filter Suite and UNCCD, as well as private sector clients. Ivan also held positions at international research institutions, including CIBIO in Portugal and the Leibniz Association in Germany. During his academic pursuits, Ivan worked as a field researcher across Europe and Southern Africa. In this capacity, he developed and implemented data collection protocols, engaged in citizen-science projects, and collaborated with local stakeholders to develop strategies and policies for balancing commercial activities with the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity resources.

Ivan holds a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Perugia and an MSc in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Management from the University of Sassari.

In his free time, he is an outdoor person at heart. He is passionate about the sports of cycling, mountain hiking, and climbing. He avails of every opportunity to attend events in the performing arts, including music performances and dance shows.

Camilo Pardo is a consultant with Climate Focus and a qualified Colombian lawyer. He currently advises government and private sector clients on contractual, legal, and public policy matters. Camilo has experience in carbon markets, carbon pricing instruments, and design of legal frameworks for Article 6 transactions under the Paris Agreement.   

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Camilo worked as a lawyer and tax advisor for law firms in Colombia. He was also the tax director of the National Business Association of Colombia, where he gained experience in public policy, working on legal reforms that impacted SMEs and the most vulnerable areas of Colombia. 

Camilo holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Universidad Javeriana, a specialization in taxation from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia and a master’s degree in public management from the University of Potsdam in Germany. In his free time, Camilo enjoys going to concerts, watching movies, and traveling.   

Elisa Perpignan is a graphic designer at Climate Focus.

Throughout her career, Elisa has been driven by simplifying and presenting information in a way that democratizes access to important, yet sometimes technically difficult to grasp topics. She has experience developing visually appealing and engaging solutions to clients and aims to strive for designs that clearly communicate key messages and transpose written pieces into capturing reports. Her passion for the environment has encouraged her to pursue a sustainable lifestyle and be mindful of her choices from a young age. Prior to joining Climate Focus, she worked for several startups and NGOs on various communication aspects, including on Sustainable Development Goals.

Elisa holds an MSc degree in Experimental Psychology (University of Sao Paulo) and a BA degree in Biology (Federal University of Sao Carlos). Additionally, she obtained a certificate for Business Sustainability Management from Cambridge University and contributed to a study at the TU Delft on anthropometric implications on aircraft emissions.

In addition to art with socio-political commentary, she enjoys video games, craft beer, and horror movies.

Jade Pradines is an Associate Consultant at Climate Focus, supporting work on carbon markets, forests, and biodiversity. She currently conducts research and provides advisory services on nature-based solutions, forest governance, biodiversity policies, and Indigenous People and Local Communities rights. Before joining Climate Focus, Jade worked for the Environment and Green Spaces Office of the City of Paris, implementing the renewal of the Environmental Management Systems’ certification for the Boulogne Forest. With a particular interest in biodiversity preservation, she wrote her Master’s thesis on the role of biodiversity in Environmental Management.

Jade has a law background. She completed a double-degree in Italian and French law at the Alma Mater Studiorum in Bologna (Italy) and graduated from the Sorbonne University in Paris with a first Master’s Degree in Environmental Law and a second Master’s degree in Sustainable Development, Environmental Management, and Geomatics.

She is deeply interested in investigating the environmental crises faced by Indigenous People and Local Communities. Her travels across Latin America gave her the opportunity to witness the social and environmental implications of deforestation in Nicaragua, where industrial pressures are increasing rapidly.

Jade can speak French, Italian, and Spanish. She is happiest when creating music, singing, songwriting, and dancing. She also loves nurturing her connection to nature and engaging with other people by sharing spaces and plant medicine such as ceremonial cacao.

María José Rodezno is an analyst at Climate Focus, where she distributes her work supporting projects related to forests, land use, and carbon markets. Before joining Climate Focus, María José advised companies on integrating sustainable and climate-friendly strategies into their operations while completing her MSc in Sustainable Resource Management from The Technical University of Munich. During her master’s thesis, she joined the Fraunhofer Institute for Research and Innovation (ISI), where her research focused on Latin America’s scrap metal trade flows and the current state of the region’s recycling systems.

María José is very passionate about contributing to the climate movement in Latin America. She was part of the core team designing Honduras’ National Decarbonization Plan and is a volunteer with the Climate Action Network (CAN) Latin America and Sustenta Honduras. With both organizations, her work focuses on Action for Climate Empowerment and managing climate initiatives in Honduras.

In her free time, María José enjoys spending time in nature, reading, and practicing CrossFit.

Anna Rynearson is a consultant at Climate Focus where she primarily supports projects related to forests and land use. Prior to joining Climate Focus, Anna advised start-ups on integrating sustainable and climate-friendly policies into their business plans while she completed her MSc in Carbon Management from The University of Edinburgh. There, her dissertation focused on the acceptance and perception of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and negative emissions technologies (NETs).

Anna also spent time working in law firm administration in Minneapolis, MN after completing her BA in Political Science at Macalester College. She spends her free time thrifting, taking photographs, and making art.

Mauriz Schuck is a Consultant at Climate Focus. His knowledge and expertise encompass national and international climate policies, climate finance mechanisms, and sustainable urban development. At Climate Focus, he supports governments, multilateral organizations, NGOs and private sector clients with the design and implementation of policies and climate finance solutions.

Previously, Mauriz worked as a consultant at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) where his focus was on sustainable municipal and environmental infrastructure. He also worked at two strategic political communications consultancies in Berlin, serving clients from both the public and private sectors.

Mauriz holds a M.A. in International Development from the Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) and a Dual-B.A. in Political Science & Sociology and Media Studies. He is fluent in German, English and French, and is currently learning Dutch.

In his free time, you can find Mauriz either doing sports, hiking or in a museum. He also likes to spend a lot of time in bookshops, browsing through new publications, trying out new recipes, or practicing his ceramic skills.

Laura Carolina Sepúlveda is an analyst at Climate Focus. Her current work includes data analysis, GIS applied to land use and water projects, and carbon methodologies.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Laura held a role as a corporate sustainability expert, based on Dow Jones, GRI and SASB standards in conTREEbute. In addition, she held an assistant teacher post with the laboratory of waste treatment, at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. As part of her role, Laura was responsible for introducing and subsequently incorporating the topic of wastewater modelling as part of the syllabus.

Laura holds both a Master’s (Cum Laude) and a Bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering in addition to a Minor in Public Policy from the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. During her Master’s thesis research, she identified the factors that affect the microbiological quality of harvested orchard irrigation rainwater.

Laura is passionate about environmental issues, is fluent in English and Spanish, and in her free time, enjoys traveling and cooking.

Jean-Pierre Sfeir is a consultant at Climate Focus. He focuses on research and advisory services specifically on climate finance and carbon market mechanisms. He also supports a variety of partners including governments and private sector clients to structure their investments and programmes to achieve their climate goals.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Jean-Pierre worked as an internal consultant for a start-up working on growth, strategy, and business development. He has been involved at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the Sustainable Food Systems Programme, where he contributed to the transformation of sustainable food systems in the Global South. In addition, Jean-Pierre held a position for three years as a junior financial analyst in the private sector. He holds a M.A. in Sustainability Management from ESCP Europe in Berlin where he worked on several student consultancy projects for organizations such as Ademe and Empow’her. He holds a B.A. in Business administration with a specialization in Finance from the Lebanese American University in Beirut.

Jean-Pierre grew up close to both the beach and the mountains. He speaks English, French, and Arabic fluently and is currently learning German. In his free time, he enjoys snowboarding, camping, jogging, and yoga and is passionate about climate change.

Charlotte Streck is a co-founder of and lead consultant at Climate Focus. She serves as an advisor to numerous governments and non-profit organizations, private companies, and foundations on legal aspects of climate policy, international negotiations, policy development and implementation. She is also a renowned international expert on climate change mitigation, forests and agriculture.

Prior to founding Climate Focus, Charlotte held the role of Senior Counsel with the World Bank in Washington, DC from 2000 to 2005.

Charlotte serves on several advisory and investment committees. She serves on the boards of the Verra standards organization and the German Foundation for the Future of the Carbon Market, and is a the independent member of the Althelia Climate Fund. She is on several editorial boards, and an associate editor of the Climate Policy journal.  She is a very prolific writer and has edited half a dozen books.

Concerned about communicating the complexity of environmental problems, Charlotte dedicates a part of her time to projects that use the enthusiasm ignited by the arts and sports to raise awareness for climate change.

Charlotte holds degrees from the University of Regensburg (MSc in Biology) and Humboldt University (JD and PhD in law). She is an honorary Professor of the University of Potsdam, and a lecturer at the University of Bayreuth.

Gmerice Thames is the office manager at Climate Focus North America. She has over a decade of administrative and management experience in both the public and private sector. Prior to joining the Climate Focus team, she worked in mental health for several years, then transitioned to property management. Upon discovering that she lacked passion for that industry, she decided to move on to a company with a mission she truly believes in.

In addition to being a full-time human and dog mother, she has a lifelong passion for the performing arts, with many years’ experience onstage as an actress, dancer and singer. She is the lead vocalist in a hip-hop fusion band that has been performing locally since 2010 and was awarded a Maryland Music Award in 2016. In addition to her love for music of all genres, she is a travel, international cuisine and wine enthusiast who truly enjoys communicating with people from all over the world. Gmerice received her BA in Mass Communication from Towson University.

Danick Trouwloon is an Associate Consultant at Climate Focus. She supports advisory work on climate finance, carbon markets and marine climate policy. Her most recent work includes advising governments on aligning land use finance with low-emissions and climate-resilient development, in accordance with Article 2.1c of the Paris Agreement.

Danick is fluent in English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamentu (the Portuguese creole spoken in the Dutch Caribbean) and speaks a little French as well.

Danick holds a MSc degree in Ecological Economics from the University of Edinburgh and a BSc degree in Earth & Environment and Mathematics from University College Utrecht. Prior to joining Climate Focus, she worked on community-based fisheries management in southeast Madagascar.

In her free time, Danick enjoys reading, cooking and traveling, and she is committed to making the world a greener, more equitable place.

Rosario Uribe is a consultant at Climate Focus. Her current areas of focus are on land use, ecosystem restoration, climate change mitigation, and carbon crediting.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Rosario was a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University and before that at the University of California at Irvine. Her research primarily focused on the impact of global change on terrestrial tropical ecosystems. She also has experience working directly with small-scale farmers and is a strong proponent of rural development.

Rosario earned her BA in Ecology from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, in Bogotá, Colombia. Subsequently she earned her Ph.D. in Forestry and Natural Resources and an M.Sc. in Computer and Information Technology from Purdue University, Indiana, U.S.A.

In her free time, Rosario likes to read, practice yoga, and spend time outdoors.

Theda Vetter is an Analyst based at Climate Focus’s office in Washington, D.C. Her focus is on the voluntary carbon market, forest protection, sustainable land use, and the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities.

Prior to joining Climate Focus, Theda worked as a consultant for the Rainforest Foundation US, focusing on rainforest and biodiversity conservation, land rights, and environmental leadership. She has also worked with UN-Habitat in Burkina Faso, where she contributed to capacity-building projects aimed at strengthening urban and rural resilience.

Theda holds a Masters in Development Practice from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science in Urbanism from Bauhaus University Weimar. At Berkeley, Theda wrote her master’s thesis on land management in areas affected by climate and conflict-induced displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Theda is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and German. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, and playing tennis. She also loves to travel and explore new places.

Andrés Zabala is a consultant at Climate Focus. He specializes in climate finance and land use. He has broad experience in financial and risk modeling analysis in the agricultural sector, particularly in the analysis of alternatives for climate change adaptation. Prior to joining Climate Focus, Andrés worked as a researcher at the Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (AGROSAVIA) and as a research associate at the CIAT-Bioversity Alliance, where he conducted economic and financial analysis in tropical crops such as cacao agroforestry systems, avocado, and passion flowers.

Andrés holds a B.Sc. in Agronomic Engineering from Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, an M.Sc. in Natural Resources and Agricultural Economics from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Education from Purdue University in the U.S.A. In his spare time, Andrés enjoys biking in the Colombian mountains and running 10Ks and half-marathons.