GENEVA, 4 February - On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, IETA is delighted to announce the appointment of three new honorary Fellows.

The new honorees are:

Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – and an early supporter of IETA’s work. Christiana was instrumental in the negotiations leading to the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015. Before being appointed Executive Secretary, Christiana held a number of key roles in the governance of the UNFCCC, including the Clean Development Mechanism.

Dr. Richard Sandor, one of the original contributors to the UN Conference on Trade and Development’s Carbon Forum series that led to the creation of IETA. In addition to being a pioneer in financial markets, Richard founded the Chicago Climate Exchange and the European Climate Exchange.

James Cameron, founder of Climate Change Capital, one of the pioneering climate finance institutions in the early days of the global carbon market. James has been involved in climate change and carbon market issues for many years, as an advisor to the Alliance of Small Island States and to two COP Presidencies, and an advisor to the EU on the creation of the EU Emissions Trading System. He also established Baker & McKenzie’s Global Climate Change and Clean Energy Practice.

IETA honours three individuals each year for outstanding contributions to IETA’s mission of advancing market-based solutions to climate change.

Christiana Figueres said:

“I’d like to express my gratitude to IETA. I’m delighted to join your long line of trailblazers who have shown both vision and determination, creative resources which we need to urgently strengthen.”

Richard Sandor said:

“I am honoured and privileged to have been at the founding moment of this organisation over twenty years ago. New markets require the institutions that help to educate market users and policymakers. IETA was fundamental in helping build the infrastructure for carbon markets worldwide.”

James Cameron said:

“I am delighted to have been made an IETA fellow, alongside others I admire and in a line of pioneers. Creativity and constraint are connected: the law limits emissions, exchange values reduction and innovation delivers in the material world. We need IETA’s mission to succeed to increase our chances of staying below the 1.5 degree target.”

A full list of IETA Fellows can be seen on our website.

IETA awards honorary fellowships to individuals in recognition of their contributions to developing market-based solutions to climate change and in strengthening the role of the IETA in building the profession. IETA Fellows are named each year.