The WWF global network, working in more than 100 countries worldwide, is engaging with national and local governments, communities, and business to promote policies and projects to preserve nature and biodiversity and to reduce the risk of climate change. As the world moves toward a new global deal on climate change in Copenhagen, there are unprecedented opportunities to use carbon finance as a source of funding for climate, conservation and sustainable economic development.
WWF’s Carbon Finance Fellow will work with the Chairman and Leader of WWF’s global initiative on Forest Carbon, and other leaders of WWF’s conservation and finance initiatives to develop and implement a coherent strategy for WWF’s approach to carbon finance in the new global climate framework, with a focus on reductions in emissions from deforestation.
This one-year fellowship appointment is a unique opportunity for an experienced executive or professional who desires a sabbatical or a change in career direction and who wants to contribute to improving the earth’s environment. The Fellow will work with conservation experts inside and outside WWF to use the new global financial architecture for carbon to support WWF’s initiatives. The Fellow will provide counsel on carbon finance project development, risk assessment, partnerships, including specific priority projects in Asia, Latin America, and/or Africa. The Fellow will advise on policies for developing sustainable financing (including forest carbon). The Fellow will work actively with others in WWF to use WWF’s convening power to host meetings and seminars with WWF’s partners that bring together decision makers and financial/legal professionals to establish sound policies for carbon finance. (See recent example of such a meeting: The Forest Carbon Finance Summit 2009 at www.law.harvard.edu/programs/pifs).
From time to time, the Fellow may have the opportunity to visit forest countries and be involved first hand in policy and project work, as early action demonstration projects are an important component of WWF’s contribution to reducing deforestation.
Work Priorities:
The list of priorities will likely evolve over the year and to some degree will depend on the thinking and initiative of the Fellow. The five main priorities currently expected are as follows: