ClimeCo’s Bill Flederbach & Emily Damon Discuss the Acquisition of GAA, Carbon Markets, and COP26
Get ready for some great news! This is a monumental episode for ESG Decoded as GAA announces its acquisition by ClimeCo, a leader in the management and development of environmental commodities and deployment of sustainability solutions. To mark this exciting development, Kaitlyn Allen is joined by Bill Flederbach and Emily Damon. Bill is ClimeCo’s President and CEO. He co-founded ClimeCo in 2009 and three years later acquired all company shares to assume full ownership. Under his charge, ClimeCo has grown rapidly from a pioneer in N2O abatement projects to a respected leader in the environmental commodities market. Emily is VP of Sustainability, Policy and Advisory, leading the consulting business unit at ClimeCo. Emily specializes in ESG performance and disclosure. She also has deep expertise in corporate climate strategy, including greenhouse gas accounting, target-setting, abatement strategy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Before joining ClimeCo in early 2021, Emily spent over a dozen years in sustainability consulting, most recently leading Guidehouse’s ESG practice in North America. This newly formed powerhouse team provides an overview of ClimeCo’s three business units – Project Development, Environmental Credits, and ESG Advisory-- leading to a robust discussion about the thesis of the acquisition. To put it briefly, GAA’s clients need ClimeCo, and ClimeCo’s clients need GAA. Finally, hear directly from Bill about his experience at COP26 in Glasgow and why— despite anti-offset sentiment—voluntary environmental markets are crucial for rebalancing ecosystems and getting to net zero with more fairness. Of course, Kaitlyn also has some fun questions for Bill and Emily. Congratulations to Kaitlyn, Amanda, and the entire GAA family on this new adventure and the start of an amazing next chapter! 2022 will be their best year yet! Subscribe to ESG Decoded where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode