Expert Peer Review Group

Co-Chair: Dr Thomas Hale

Tom is Associate Professor in Global Public Policy at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. His research explores how political institutions evolve–or not–to face the challenges raised by globalization and interdependence, with a particular emphasis on environmental, economic, and health issues. He holds a PhD in Politics from Princeton University, a Master of Global Politics from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. His books include Beyond Gridlock (Polity 2017), Between Interests and Law: The Politics of Transnational Commercial Disputes (Cambridge 2015), and Transnational Climate Change Governance (Cambridge 2014). Tom leads the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker.

Co-Chair: Peter Boyd

Peter Boyd is Lecturer at Yale School of the Environment and Resident Fellow at Center for Business and the Environment. Outside Yale, he is Founder & CEO of Time4Good, helping Leaders and their teams build purpose-driven paths to maximum impact. He also serves as an advisor to REDD.plus and Chair of ‘Sustainable Westport’ in his hometown of Connecticut. For over twenty years he has worked on, led and advised, high-growth organizations on purpose-driven leadership and the transition to net-zero and beyond. He was Launch Director and COO of Sir Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room; served as Chair of The Energy Efficiency Deployment Office for the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change; and led The B Team’s ‘Net-Zero by 2050’ initiative focused on business encouragement of an ambitious Paris Agreement at COP21. The Charity & Government experience followed twelve years at the Virgin Group (including CEO of Virgin Mobile South Africa), and his first job with McKinsey & Co.

Dr Nate Aden

Nate Aden leads the Science Based Targets initiative’s work with financial institutions. He has been with SBTi since 2015 and over the years has contributed to the technical foundations of the initiative, including previously leading the chemicals sector work. In addition to SBTi, Nate is a Senior Fellow with the World Resources Institute’s Climate Program.

Nate has more than 20 years of experience working on industry, trade, energy, and climate in Asia, the U.S., and Europe. He has authored or co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and reports, including “Technologies and policies to decarbonize global industry: Review and assessment of mitigation drivers through 2070“. He works with financial institutions, industry associations, and other stakeholders to help them set Science-Based Targets for GHG emissions reductions. His research on country low-carbon transformation has been written up in the New York Times and he is a frequent speaker at industry and academic conferences.

Nate holds a PhD from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s degree from Stanford University, and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. In his free time, Nate enjoys rock climbing, biking, and swimming in lakes.

Dr. Manjyot Kaur Ahluwalia

Manjyot is the Senior Program Officer, US and International Climate Cooperation at World Wildlife Fund-US and provides strategic support to the Alliances for Climate Action on behalf of WWF and its global partners, a growing body of multistakeholder national alliances across North America, Latin America, Africa and the Asia Pacific to accelerate the transition to an inclusive 1.5C aligned net-zero future by 2050. Manjyot holds a PhD in Public Administration and Environmental Policy from the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, DC, a Masters in Corporate Sustainability from the School of Sustainability, at Arizona State University, and a BA in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India.

Jesica Andrews

Jesica is a Senior Project Manager at the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, where she leads portfolio target-setting with investors in the UN-Convened Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance. She also serves as the Co-Director of the Investor Agenda Investor Climate Action Plans Working Group. Prior to working with UNEP FI, she worked on climate change projects across with multiple UN agencies, governments and private firms across some 35 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Jes supports investors in understanding climate risk and aligning with the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics and holds a Master of Finance from the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School.

Dr Lisa Benjamin

Lisa Benjamin is an Assistant Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland Oregon. Her research includes climate impacts and actions of non-state actors, including companies and institutional investors, with a focus on energy companies. Her doctoral studies focused on carbon major companies, corporate and energy law and climate change, and is the basis for her monograph with Cambridge University Press Companies and Climate Change: Theory and Law in the United Kingdom (April 2021). She is currently a member of the Compliance Committee (Facilitative Branch) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, nominated by GRULAC states, and a Director of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center.

Lisa received her B.A. from McGill University, her LL.B. from University College London, her LL.M. from University of London and her PhD from the University of Leicester. In 2018 she was a postdoctoral Global Leaders Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University, and 2019 she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University in Canada. Prior to academia, she was in private practice for eight years, as an associate in the commercial department of CMS Cameron McKenna in London (now CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP), and was a legal advisor to The Bahamian Government in the Paris Agreement negotiations.

Derik Broekhoff

Derik is a Senior Scientist with the Stockholm Environment Institute, where his work focuses on the effective design and implementation of environmental market mechanisms, and assessing subnational and local climate mitigation policies. Prior to joining SEI, Derik was Vice President for Policy at the Climate Action Reserve in Los Angeles, where he oversaw development of the Reserve’s voluntary carbon offset program and its transition into California’s regulatory cap-and-trade program. Before that, he served on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative team at the World Resources Institute, where he managed work on the design of emissions trading programs and greenhouse gas accounting standards. Derik has a Master of Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Bachelor of International Relations from Stanford University.

Cesar Carreño

Cesar leads the Climate Team services for Nexio Projects, a Rotterdam, Netherlands based consultancy which supports the private sector with compliance for Ecovadis, B-Corp and additional key sustainability services such as Science Based Targets support, CO2 footprint for both corporate and product based on GHG Protocol and ISO 14064, Climate Gap Analysis and Green supply chain.

Between 2015 and 2021 Cesar worked for ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability in Bonn, Germany where he led the Climate Data Team, this fruitful tenure offered the opportunity to support the 2021 edits of the Global protocol for Community Scaled GHG emissions inventory and collaborate with the Cities Science Based Target technical guidance report.

From 2011 until 2014 he worked for TÜV Rheinland in Cologne, Germany as project Manager for Carbon and Energy services in which he became acquaintance with Kyoto Flex- Mechs as well as Iso 14064 and the GHG protocol. Cesar has a Bachelor in Agricultural Engineering with a minor in business management from Universidad Católica de Guayaquil, a Master of Project Management from Universidad de León, Spain, and a Master of Sciences in International Material Flow Management from FH Trier in Germany.

Paula Ellinger

Paula leads Fundación Avina’s Climate Action Program, engaging with local and sub-national actors as well as national governments and regional networks, to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero and resilient future. Paula is member of the technical committee of Climate Finance Group of Latin American and the Caribbean (GFLAC) and was part of the Executive Committee of the Center for Climate Change and Decision Making Between 2014 and 2016. She holds a Bachelor of International Relations from Universidade de Brasília and Master of Local and Regional Development from the International Institute of Social Studies, part of Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Dr. Joni Jupesta

Since 2023, Dr Joni Jupesta rejoined UNU-IAS based in Tokyo, Japan as Research Fellow and Academic Associate. He started his academic career firstly at UNU-IAS as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2010-2013) and later became Visiting Research Fellow (2013-2016). From 2020 to 2023, he was Senior Researcher in System Analysis Group at the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) in Kyoto, Japan where he focused on mid- and long-term net-zero GHG emissions through Carbon Dioxide Removals (CDR), Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), and Low Energy Demand (LED) across sectors. Dr Jupesta gained industry experience as Senior Manager on corporate GHG emissions at Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food Company based in Jakarta, Indonesia (2013-2020). He graduated his PhD in Management Science and Technology from Tohoku University in 2010, and MBA in International Industrial Management from Esslingen University of Applied Science in 2006. He had received several awards for his research work, such as the Green Talent Award 2012 from the German government and the Mitra Award 2013 from the Asia Pacific Network on Global Change Research (APN-GCR), among others. Dr Jupesta is in Editorial Board Member of Carbon Capture Science and Technology (Elsevier) and Data and Policy (Cambridge University Press) journals. In 2023 he was elected as Task Force Bureau Member on National GHG Inventories of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for its 7th cycle (2023-2030). Previously he served as Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report on WG III Climate Change Mitigation (2018-2022). Since 2023 he became Technical Expert in GHG inventory of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He also served as the Member of Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and Scope 3 Sectoral Development Group (S3SDG) Verra.

Takeshi Kuramochi

Takeshi Kuramochi is a senior climate policy research at NewClimate Institute. With more than 15 years of research experience, he leads projects analysing greenhouse emission scenarios for major emitting economies as well as subnational and non-state actors. Takeshi has published more than thirty peer-reviewed articles and numerous other research reports. Since 2016, Takeshi contributes to the annual UNEP Emissions Gap Reports as a lead author on the chapter assessing G20 countries’ progress on emission reductions. Externally, Takeshi serves as a member of Science Base Targets initiative’s Scientific Advisory Group.

Prior to NewClimate, Takeshi worked as a senior climate policy researcher at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) in Japan, where he carried out extensive research on Japan’s climate and energy policies as well as on the international negotiations for the post-2020 climate regime. Between 2006 and 2011 Takeshi worked as a researcher on carbon capture and storage technologies at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University (the Netherlands), where he is currently a visiting researcher.

Takeshi holds M.Sc. (environmental sciences) and Ph.D. (energy system analysis) degrees from Utrecht University, and a B.Eng. degree in chemical engineering and biotechnology from the University of Tokyo, Japan. A full list of his publications can be found on Google Scholar.

Kennedy Liti Mbeva

Kennedy is currently a PhD candidate at the School of Social and Political Sciences, and the Climate and Energy College, University of Melbourne. He is also the Co-Convenor of the African Research & Impact Network (ARIN). Kennedy’s research examines the role of trade policy in global climate governance. Kennedy has previously worked in public policy research and served in international climate diplomacy.

Malango Mughogho

Malango Mughogho is the founder and MD of ZeniZeni Sustainable Finance, which exists to solve the critical sustainability issues facing stakeholders in the finance and financing sectors, both large and small.  ZeniZeni views finance as an integral part of any economy and a key tool in delivering sustainable growth and development. Using a unique targeted and integrated approach, ZeniZeni provides a targeted range of services and solutions to governments, financial institutions, development banks, funds and NGOs that help them harness finance to deliver sustainable development. She has over 20 years’ experience in the field of finance in Africa, including 4 years leading sustainable finance work at an international NGO, 6 years in sustainability consulting and 10 years in corporate and development finance. Her expertise spans strategy, policy, programming, financing and advocacy.

Mariana Nicolletti 

Mariana is a Senior Research Manager at C40 Cities, where she leads climate mitigation research projects related to clean energy transition, building retrofits and 15-minute Cities. Prior to working with C40, she served as Regional Manager for Low Carbon and Resilience at ICLEI South America and, before, she worked for ten years leading mitigation and adaptation projects in applied research at the Center for Sustainability Studies of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGVces) in collaboration with national and local governments, as well as large companies and civil society in Brazil. She has also coordinated programs on water management, nature-based solutions and sustainable value chains. A cross-cutting theme that Mariana has been researching and embedding in projects and actions is climate justice; it was a central focus in her PhD research on climate change adaptation as transformational policies in cities. She holds a PhD in Public Administration and Government from FGV EAESP and Robert Gordon University, and a Master of Social Psychology from the University of São Paulo.

Jessica Omukuti

Jessica Omukuti is a Research Fellow on Inclusive Net Zero for the Oxford Net Zero Initiative and is based at the Institute of Science Innovation and Society (InSIS). Her research critically examines whether and how the net zero concept enables greater equity and justice in climate action by state and non-state actors in emerging economies and developing countries.  She was a member of the United Nations Secretary General’s High Level Expert Group (UNHLEG) on Credibility and Accountability of Net Zero by Non-State Actors. She has previously worked in both research and practice related to the governance of climate change in developing countries and emerging economies. She has a PhD in climate justice and climate finance from the University of Reading (2020), an MSc in Climate Change and Development from the University of Sussex and a BSc in Meteorology from the University of Nairobi.

Joana Setzer

Joana is an Assistant Professorial Research Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she leads the Climate Change Laws of the World project – the most comprehensive global resource on climate legislation and litigation. Joana was a British Academy Post-Doctoral Fellow. She holds a PhD and an MSc from the LSE, a Masters and a BA in Law from the University of Sao Paulo. Prior to moving to the UK, she worked as an environmental lawyer in Brazil. Joana regularly advises a range of international, governments and non-governmental organisations.

Irene Suárez Pérez

Dr Yixian Sun

Yixian is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in International Development at the University of Bath. His research explains the changing role of China in global environmental and climate governance, including sustainability transitions within China as well as sustainability impacts of China’s overseas engagement. Prior to moving to Bath, he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Yixian holds a Ph.D. and a Master in Political Science from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva, a B.A. from Nanjing University. He is the author of Certifying China: The Rise and Limits of Transnational Sustainability Governance in Emerging Economies (The MIT Press 2022) and has published his work in leading scientific journals on environmental policy and politics including Global Environmental Change, Global Environmental Politics, and Ecological Economics.

Thomas Tayler

Tom leads Aviva Investors’ advocacy with policymakers and regulators on climate change and finance as a member of our Sustainable Finance Centre for Excellence. His work prioritises engagement to seek correction of market failures and management of systemic risks, with particular focus on the need for reform of the international financial architecture to embed climate and sustainability at its heart.  He supports the work of Aviva Investors and the wider Aviva group on sustainable finance with a particular focus on market and regulatory reform, including contributing to the work of the UN High Level Climate Champions, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), the EU High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance, the UK Green Finance Taskforce, and the UN Global Investors for Sustainable Development Tom has worked with policymakers, peers and NGOs on key policy reforms and thought leadership in sustainable finance over the past 7 years. Prior to joining Aviva Investors, he held positions at Allen & Overy LLP, the Department of the Treasury Solicitor, Beachcroft LLP and the University of Law. Tom is a qualified solicitor with an MA (Oxon) in Jurisprudence from the Queen’s College Oxford. 

Natalie Unterstell

Natalie Unterstell is on a mission to build a net-zero and deforestation-free world. She is the President of Talanoa think tank in Brazil and also serves as the Chair to the Green Climate Fund’s Accreditation Panel. Natalie has served as the Head of Sustainable Development for the Brazilian Presidency, Head of Climate Change and Forests at the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, and as a climate and forests negotiator at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. She is the founder of multiple think tanks and policy advocacy groups focused on climate leadership, and she serves as advisor to various initiatives. She received a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Unterstell also holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the Fundaçao Getulio Vargas in Brazil and is an expert in Climate Adaptation Finance certified by the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany.

Virginia Vilariño

Degree in Environmental Sciences, with Specialization in Chemical Sciences and Environment, Specialization in Policies and Instruments of Environmental Management and Master in Project Evaluation. She is Climate and Energy Manager at the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Argentina (CEADS). CEADS is the local chapter of the WBCSD, a global, CEO-led organization of over 200 leading businesses working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world. Since 2004, she has been leading programs and initiatives to promote climate action in the business sector, both individually and collaboratively among sectors and actors, through business-led solutions across renewable energy, circular economy, sustainable food system, natural climate solutions and SDGs. Most recently, her work is focused on promoting carbon disclosure and science based targets among companies in the region, in alliance with CDP Latin America. Currently she is Lead Author of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) on Climate Change Mitigation and previously was Lead Author of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) and the Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5°C above Pre-industrial Levels. She is a member of the Climate Policy Working Group of the WBCSD. She participates in the expanded round-table of the National Climate Change Cabinet in Argentina, promoting business engagement in climate policy. She is a Member of the Community of Practice (CoP) on Private Sector Engagement in Climate Policy Processes in Latin America, facilitated by the EUROCLIMA+ Program, GIZ, the Regional Platform of Low Emission Resilient Development Strategies (LEDS LAC) and INCAE Business School. She acted as Expert Member of ISO Working group on GHG management in the value chain and been engaged in the development or pilot testing of GHG Protocol standards for agriculture and land sector. She also presents seminars and is a visiting lecturer at various academic institutions.

Emma Watson

Emma is Head of Standards at the Science Based Targets initiative. Emma oversees the Standards Team that develops and maintains SBTi’s cross-sector standards. This includes near-term science-based targets, the Corporate Net-Zero Standard, and the emerging Net-Zero for Financial Institutions and Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) Standards. Emma led the development of the Corporate Net-Zero Standard – the first standard for setting corporate net-zero targets in line with climate science.

Prior to joining the SBTi, Emma was the lead for science-based targets at Accenture’s Carbon Intelligence – a service which she developed and brought to market.  Emma has extensive knowledge of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Standards and co-authored the UK Green Building Council’s Guide to Scope 3 Reporting in Commercial Real Estate.

Emma has an MSc in Carbon Management and BSc with Honours in Environmental Science, both from the University of Edinburgh and is based in London.