Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

Programme Development Manager for Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes at the University of Edinburgh 

Dr Iain McNicol is the Programme Manager for the Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes at the University of Edinburgh. He is an interdisciplinary scientist with expertise in forest ecology, the remote sensing of carbon stocks and land use change, and the ecological and social impacts of conservation projects. His work has spanned 15 countries, including establishing long-term forest monitoring networks in Tanzania, Gabon, and Peru. He has consulted for major NGOs and industry clients including DFID, IIED, WWF, The World Bank and The World Resources Institute. Iain is particularly interested in developing new transparent methods for measuring and monitoring carbon stocks and biodiversity, and delivering research that has real world implications for policy and land management.

Environmental Consultant and PhD Researcher at University of Leeds 

Fran is a tropical ecologist and land use change specialist, with expertise in Earth Observation and remote sensing. She has over 5 years experience consulting on the development and implementation of Nature-based Solutions projects and in ecological research in tropical biomes. Fran has expertise in remote sensing, data analysis, and report writing and a background in conservation biology and natural resource management. Fran has worked with NGO’s, governmental bodies, and private companies on a range of conservation, resource management, and monitoring projects. She is pursuing a PhD using earth observation and computational approaches to monitor carbon dynamics of African savannas. 

Partner at The Landscapes and Livelihoods Group (TLLG) 

Mike has 16 years of experience in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects and programs. His expertise lies in applying rights-based approaches to NbS, fostering stakeholder engagement processes that integrate social and environmental safeguards, promote equity, and enhance rural livelihoods. Mike has played a pivotal role in developing and implementing Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS) aligned with international standards and human rights frameworks, and he has led teams across 26 countries and managed over 45 projects, crafting safeguard plans such as stakeholder engagement strategies, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols, livelihood improvement plans, and Environmental and Social Action Plans.

Director of Latin America – Head of Corporate Partnerships at Kinome

Camille Navarette is an agronomy engineer with a Master’s in Agroecology and a 3‑year executive program in Ethical Leadership. With over 9 years of experience, Camille consults for international agencies (World Bank, UNDP, GEF) and private sectors in forestry, agribusiness, and investment funds. She specializes in project design, management, monitoring, and social and environmental impact assessments, focusing on forestry and agroforestry carbon projects. Camille has performed 20+ social and environmental assessments of ARR and conservation projects (10,000+ ha). She leads Kinomé activities across Latin America and Europe. 

Head of Carbon Markets Intelligence and CAMIRO at OPIS 

Stephen Donofrio is an international climate expert, creative strategist, and experienced leader with a strong two-decade sustainability/​ESG track record in carbon markets, corporate sustainability, disclosure/​transparency, ethical supply chains, responsible investing, and, forestry and land use. Previously, he worked with prominent for-profit, academic, and civil society organizations including, Ecosystem Marketplace (a Forest Trends initiative), Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), United Nations Forum on Forests, Arizona State University, and Boston College. Over the years, he’s been involved with the development of carbon project methodologies and protocols and has authored dozens of sustainability publications, articles, and reports. 

Senior Advisor for Climate and Biodiversity at the Forest Stewardship Council 

Ondrej serves as the Senior Advisor for Climate and Biodiversity at the Forest Stewardship Council. His primary focus lies in forest ecosystem services, encompassing areas such as biodiversity, carbon, water management, soil health, and social impact. Previously, he held the position of Climate Program Manager at Preferred by Nature, where he engaged with both the supply and demand sides of the voluntary carbon market. With over 15 years of practical experience, Ondrej has worked extensively on forest management certification and voluntary carbon projects across various regions, project types, and social contexts. Additionally, he actively contributed to working groups within different certification schemes, emphasizing land use and climate-related initiatives. 

Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Technical Specialist at Social Development Direct

Olivia Jenkins is a Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Technical Specialist at Social Development Direct, specialising in carbon markets, climate justice and women’s economic empowerment. Olivia has researched and authored several key publications related to gender and carbon markets, including the first ever study on the integration of a gender lens in Voluntary Carbon Markets, and practical guidance for carbon market project developers and partners on how to deliver carbon projects which drive women’s empowerment. She is interested in how carbon projects can be used to deliver socio-economic benefits to communities and reduce inequities. 

Offset Program and Tribal Grants Supervisor at Washington State’s Department of Ecology

Jordan Wildish is the Offset Program and Tribal Grants Supervisor at Washington State’s Department of Ecology. Prior to joining the Department of Ecology he worked as a Senior Manager with the non-profit American Forests where he partnered with the World Economic Forum to increase investment in forest conservation and restoration through carbon financing. Jordan previously worked with Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace to improve information access in the carbon offset market and was a Project Director with Earth Economics. He has a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington.

Agricultural Carbon Practice Lead at TerraCarbon

Jaclyn is the agricultural carbon practice lead at TerraCarbon, where she advises clients on the evaluation, design, and implementation of agricultural carbon projects around the world and across agricultural systems. Her background includes research and field work in soil carbon sequestration and monitoring, climate change mitigation, and conservation of working lands. Jaclyn holds a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and International Relations from the University of Texas. 

Senior Technical Specialist at Fauna & Flora

Dr Dan Bayley is a Senior Technical Specialist leading work on blue carbon with the international charity Fauna & Flora. His work focusses on collaborating with local partners across the world to help conserve their coastal mangrove and seagrass systems and develop the potential for sustainable financing. Previously, Dan has worked for 15+ years on marine & coastal ecosystems across the tropical Indo-Pacific, Caribbean, South Atlantic, and in the UK. He is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at UCL, where his work includes research on ecosystem services, coral reefs, coastal management, kelp forests, monitoring technologies, climate and marine policy. 

Carbon Projects Senior Manager at Conservation International

Edwin Maingi is a Carbon Projects Senior Manager at Conservation International, focusing on nature-based carbon projects, including grasslands, REDD, and blue carbon initiatives. He holds an MSc in Rangeland Management and has over seven years of experience in rangeland ecology and climate change. Edwin has previously worked for ecosecurities as a carbon project developer, covering NbS and community projects, and for d.light, leading their clean cooking carbon project. His expertise lies in designing and executing projects to address climate change challenges, with a strong commitment to advancing sustainable solutions within carbon markets. 

JW Fulbright Fellow

Daniel Waiswa is a JW Fulbright Fellow holding a PhD in Forestry (Biometrics and Geomatics) from Virginia Tech, USA, Master of Science in Computer Science and Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Makerere University, Uganda. Since early 2000, Daniel works with Makerere University where he has gained significant experience in Teaching, Research and Outreach in GIS and Remote Sensing, Forest Measurements, Carbon estimation, auditing and verification, and Forest Management Planning with applications in Natural Resources Management. Daniel has also offered his knowledge and expertise to Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies in addition to the private sector and international organisations. 

Vice President Global Carbon at Macquarie Bank

Suraj Vanniarachchy, currently working at Natural Capital Partners, has over 12 years of experience in nature-based project development and stakeholder engagement in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Oman, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mexico. He holds a special passion for developing forest carbon projects that address social, environmental, and economic development. Suraj is familiarised with the latest climate policy development and global trends and is specialized in identifying carbon financing options for low carbon activities at the project and jurisdictional level. He is actively engaged in assisting community-led conservation and restoration of mangroves, sea-grass meadows, and kelp forests. 

Senior Lecturer (Soil Science and Biochar) at University of Edinburgh

Dr Saran Sohi is a researcher working on the function of soils in agriculture and forestry. He is motivated by the question of how can support more productive yet sustainable agriculture, forestry and horticulture. He co-founded the UK Biochar Research Centre in 2009 and subsequently initiated the MSc course ​“Novel Strategies for Carbon Storage in Soil”. Saran has 25 years of research experience and over 90 published papers. His research priority is to unearth predictive understanding for biochar function in soil, drawing on established knowledge of soil processes and carbon turnover. 

International Forestry Consultant

Peter Branney is a freelance consultant with over 30 years of experience in forestry, specialising in community forestry and forest management planning. He has worked in 22 countries (particularly in South Asia), where he has: Facilitated workshops; planned and supported donor-funded programmes; carried out training; prepared manuals; conducted participatory research; and prepared reviews, studies and reports. Through this work, he has advised DFID, World Bank, EU, GTZ, KfW, FAO, UNDP, SDC, SNV, Intercooperation, Helvetas, RECOFTC, Birdlife International, IIED and other International NGOs, consultancy companies and organisations. 

Manager for Nature Based Solutions in North America at South Pole

Klaus is the Manager for Nature Based Solutions in North America at South Pole, a global carbon project developer and climate solutions company. Klaus is a forester whose work with the carbon market and certification began in 2016 auditing voluntary forest carbon projects globally with Rainforest Alliance and later forest management certification across the US under Forest Stewardship Council with Preferred By Nature. While at The Nature Conservancy, he worked with landowners to sustainably manage their forestlands as part of their Working Woodlands program. Klaus served in the Peace Corps (Panama ​’09-’12), has a Masters of Forest Management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Bachelors of Forest Science from University of Missouri-Columbia. Klaus is fluent in English and Spanish.