Shelagh Whitley
Research Fellow
Climate and Environment Programme
Overseas Development Institute
203 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7922 0300
Email: s.whitley@odi.org.uk
Nationality: Canadian & British
Qualifications
2003
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Master of Arts of Law and Diplomacy, Environmental
Policy and International Finance
1999
Dalhousie University, Honours BSc, Biology and International Development Studies
Languages
English
French
Portuguese
Spanish
Mother tongue
Intermediate/Advanced
Intermediate/Advanced
Intermediate/Advanced
Work experience in emerging markets: Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, China, Indonesia, Kenya,
Malawi, Morocco, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkey, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam.
Areas of expertise: Private climate finance, carbon and clean energy finance, clean energy policy, fossil
fuel subsidies, land use and forest carbon, social enterprise and impact investing.
Posts held:
11/2011Research Fellow – Climate Finance and Green Growth, Overseas Development Institute
current
 Leading ODI’s work on private finance for climate compatible development
 Examining the role of subsidies in shaping the ‘investment climate for climate
investment’ (including fossil fuel subsidies and subsidies driving deforestation)
 Designing interventions to mobilize private sector participation in climate compatible
development
 Analyzing private flows and financial instruments for mitigation and adaptation
 Mapping support for social enterprises in emerging markets - private sector models for
development
 Recent Projects:
 Mapping incentives and investment: a diagnostic tool for those seeking
to mobilise private climate finance (country studies in Vietnam –
transport and water and sanitation; Ghana – agriculture; Uganda –
energy)
 Fossil fuel bail-out: G20 subsidies to oil, gas and coal exploration
(including country studies on each of the G20)
 Co-author – Mobilizing Investment: Green Growth Best Practices (GGGI)
1





06/201111/2011
09/200604/2011
Tracking Private Climate Finance: Research Collaborative (OECD and
NOAK)
Promoting Effective Climate Finance (DFID)
Mobilising Private Climate Finance - leading workshops in Singapore,
Tunisia and Morocco (GIZ)
Impact investing and beyond: finance for social enterprises in emerging
markets (Shell Foundation)
Climate related standards in assessing investments / infrastructure
projects (European Commission DG Climate Action)
Freelance, Clean Energy and Carbon Finance
• Head of Sales for Hestian, leading carbon sales and financing of efficient cook stove
retailers in Southern Africa
• Strategic consultant to Groupo LKS, a subsidiary of Mondragon Corporation, the 7th
largest company in Spain Completed carbon markets training and assisted with business
plan development for LKS Climate
• Carbon neutrality strategy development for Marfin Popular Bank in Greece
Senior Associate, Commercial, Camco
• Closed structured carbon finance transactions with a combined upfront cash value of €20
million, including Transaction of the Year 2009 as awarded by Carbon Finance
• Commercialization lead for Camco’s global compliance and voluntary carbon portfolios
including projects in China, South East Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America,
and North America in the following sectors:
 power (conventional and renewables), forestry and agriculture, heavy industry
(cement and steel), mining, waste management, oil and gas
• Led development of Due Diligence and KYC processes for use in the origination of global
project and carbon finance opportunities, established analytical tools for use by regional
teams and in company-wide portfolio valuation
• Climate change policy lead for Camco’s Commercial Team
• Negotiated over 40 carbon purchase contracts representing over 90 million tonnes of
emission reduction, with state owned enterprises, SMEs and small businesses
Business Development Manager, International Consulting, Camco
• Managed an international team of consultants based in Europe and Africa responsible for
developing carbon projects in accordance with UNFCCC, Gold Standard, and Voluntary
Carbon Standard rules and processes
• Provided strategic advice to leading international corporations on compliance and
voluntary carbon markets
• Developed Camco’s strategy for activity in the Voluntary Carbon Market, including
completion of a study on regional
and national climate change policies in countries outside of the Kyoto Protocol
• Carbon asset development for projects in the power, cement, and steel sectors in Asia,
Africa, and Latin America
02/200408/2006
Project Manager, The Climate Group
• Established Finance Leadership Group on climate change, including some of the world’s
largest banks and insurance companies such as HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, and Swiss Re, leading
to the development of The Climate Principles
• Convened the first Climate Leaders Summit, leading to the Montreal Declaration of
Federated States and Regions, signed by regional governments from around the world
committing to targets and implementing climate change actions in their own jurisdictions
• Acted as an advisor and provided research support on solutions to climate change for
Climate Group members, including Fortune 500 companies, along with city, state / regional
and national governments
• Supported development of the Voluntary Carbon Standard in conjunction with IETA, WEF
and WBCSD
• Lead editor for the Carbon Down, Profits Up and Low Carbon Leader publication series,
working closely with partners including the Carbon Disclosure Project and Environmental
Finance Magazine
• Established The Climate Group’s internship programme
09/200301/2004
Associate, Industrial Economics Inc.
• Consultant to the US EPA, on financial assurance mechanisms and voluntary environmental
protection policies
06/200309/2004
Researcher, Ministry of Environment, Government of Brazil
• Evaluated the costs and benefits of a debt for nature swap under the US Tropical Forest
Conservation Act.
• In 2010, the US and Brazil signed an agreement converting $21m of Brazilian debt into a
fund to protect tropical ecosystems.
Associations

Recharge 4040 New Energy Leader

Vice-Chair of the Gold Standard Technical Advisory Committee which approves methodologies
and procedures for carbon projects with high sustainable development benefits, and supports the
improvement and adaptation of the standard to market and stakeholder demands.

Former Chair of the Voluntary Markets Group of the Climate Markets and Investors Association,
an international trade association and lobby group, representing firms that finance and enable
emission reductions.

Member of the Capital Markets Climate Initiative.
Selected Publications:









Empty promises: G20 subsidies to oil, gas and coal production (including country studies on each of
the G20), November 2015
Mapping current incentives and investment in Viet Nam's water and sanitation sector: lessons for
private climate finance, March 2015
Mapping current incentives and investment in Viet Nam’s transport sector: informing private
climate finance, March 2015
Mapping climate-relevant incentives and investment at country level: a diagnostic tool to mobilise
private climate finance, March 2015
Subsidies to key commodities driving forest loss, March 2015
Fossil fuel bail-out: G20 subsidies to oil, gas and coal exploration (including country studies on each
of the G20), November 2014
Fossil fuel subsidies in developing countries: a review of support to reform processes, July 2014
The role of multilateral climate funds in mobilising private investment: a detailed review of the CTF,
GEF, SREP, PPCR and GEEREF, June 2014
Why and how are donors supporting social enterprises?, April 2014
3

Mapping climate-relevant incentives and investment at country level: a diagnostic tool to mobilise
private climate finance, April 2014

Mapping current incentives and investment in Uganda's energy sector: lessons for private climate
finance, April 2014

Practical Methods for Assessing Private Climate Finance Flows, OECD Research Collaborative,
February 2014

Time to change the game: fossil fuel subsidies and climate, ODI, November 2013

Written evidence: UK Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry on Energy Subsidies, December 2013

At cross-purposes: subsidies and climate compatible investment, ODI Working Paper, April 2013

European and international financial institutions: climate related standards and measures for
assessing investments in infrastructure projects, European Commission, DG Clima, April 2013

Germany’s private climate finance support: mobilising private sector engagement in low carbon
development, ODI Background Note, August 2012

The United States’ private climate finance support: mobilising private sector engagement in low
carbon development, ODI Background Note, August 2012

The United Kingdom’s private climate finance support: mobilising private sector engagement in
low carbon development, ODI Background Note, August 2012

Japan’s private climate finance support: mobilising private sector engagement in low carbon
development, ODI Background Note, August 2012

Designing Public Sector Interventions to Mobilize Private Participation in Low Carbon Development:
20 Questions Toolkit. ODI Working Paper, May 2012

In the Black: The Growth of the Low Carbon Economy, The Climate Group, May 2007

Carbon Down, Profits Up, Editions 1-4, The Climate Group, (2005, 2006 and 2007)

Low Carbon Leader: Canada and California, The Climate Group, 2005