The COMPANY

Carbon Growth Partners Is a leading investment manager in global carbon markets

We invest in blue chip carbon assets to achieve three key outcomes for people and the planet:

Generating

financial returns

By identifying, acquiring and managing highest integrity carbon assets that can deliver superior returns to investors.

Accelerating

climate action

By providing much-needed climate finance for emissions reductions and removals, especially in developing countries.

Protecting and

restoring nature

By investing in projects that deliver co-benefits to forests, grasslands and wetlands, and the people who rely on them.

OUR STORY

Carbon Growth Partners was established to meet the world’s massively growing demand for climate finance.

Our story begins in the boardrooms, communities, forests, wetlands and grasslands of the Americas and Asia-Pacific, where our founding partners spent decades designing and implementing market-based solutions to complex environmental and social problems. This experience included many years working with The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest environmental NGO. In 2020, we leveraged that experience to establish the world’s first investment manager exclusively dedicated to generating returns and impact in the verified or ‘voluntary’ carbon market.

Uniquely, our team brings together skills and experience in investment management and operations, carbon policy and markets, community development and nature-based climate solutions. With rigorous attention to quality and integrity we are uniquely placed to generate financial returns alongside positive impacts for people and nature.

Like the carbon market itself, our approach is underpinned by a simple yet elegant premise: what is difficult and expensive to achieve in one place, may be less so in another. By financing emissions reductions and removals through investments in clean cookstoves, clean energy, nature conservation and restoration, and renewable biogas, we can accelerate a pathway to net zero that complements direct emissions reductions.

In doing so, we help to create meaningful employment and a healthy environment for some of the world’s most vulnerable people and places and help to ensure a safe climate for all.

OUR LEADERSHIP

The Carbon Growth Partners group is led by a team with more than 100 years’ experience in climate finance, policy and markets, investment banking, conservation and community development.

Rich Gilmore

Rich Gilmore

Chief Executive Officer

Rich is one of Australia’s most accomplished climate and
conservation finance professionals. He has conceived, designed and implemented more than US$400
million in innovative climate and natural capital investments in the past five years, delivering
financial returns to investors alongside positive outcomes for people and nature.

He has a diverse background that spans 28 years across financial
markets, climate change and conservation, business and science. As the Australia Country
Director for The Nature Conservancy, he originated more than $100 million in natural capital
impact investments.

Rich has a Master’s degree in Environmental Management and is a
Non-Executive Director of Tiverton Agriculture Impact Fund.

John Coffeng

John Coffeng

Chief Investment Officer

John is a professional investor with more than 20 years’ investment experience in Asia. He spent 14 years at UBS in Hong Kong, most recently as the Managing Director heading the equity derivatives trading team.

There he was a member of the Equities Asian Management Committee and the Global Equity Derivatives Board. He is the Chair of the Finance Committee of Hong Kong Academy and has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University, Ontario.

Charles Bedford

Charles Bedford

Chief Impact Officer

Charles is an attorney with more than 25 years’ global conservation and climate experience and is a founder at CGP. He is also a Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Charles previously served as Regional Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Asia Pacific Region where he led the advancement of climate, marine, freshwater and land conservation projects.

He has also served as director of the Colorado State Land Board, overseer of 3 million hectares of state lands, was Legal Counsel to Colorado Governor Roy Romer and practiced law with the firm of Kutak Rock. He graduated from Georgetown University and holds a JD from the University of Colorado School of Law.

Yvonne Choong

Yvonne Choong

Chief Operating Officer

Yvonne has more than a decade of compliance, governance and risk management experience in the financial services sector, in addition to five years at a global assurance and advisory firm.  Most recently, she was COO for an Australian mortgage fund where she was responsible for fund operations, investment analytics, AFSL compliance and risk management.

Yvonne’s industry experience covers private banking and wealth management, insurance, and real estate finance.  She is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).  Yvonne focusses primarily on the group’s Australia funds.

Yvonne Choong

Jing Huang

Advisor – International Carbon Policy & Markets

With more than 15 years of carbon market expertise, Jing possesses a profound understanding of the entire carbon market value chain and international climate policies. Her roles include serving as a private sector carbon consultant, leading various Clean Development Mechanism and voluntary carbon scheme projects. In her leadership role at Oxfam Hong Kong, she spearheaded the globally recognized Low-Carbon Adaptation and Poverty Alleviation (LAPA) Plan. Jing, with a Master of Biotechnology, also contributed to natural-based solution carbon projects design and implementation across Asia and Africa.

Jing has a Master of Biotechnology, Energy Auditor Certification and Carbon Finance Certification in China.

David Ryan

David Ryan

Head of Distribution and Business Development

David spent 20 years at Goldman Sachs, primarily in the Securities Division as a Partner Managing Director, he was responsible for managing Asian Equities distribution and then European Equities sales. Most recently he was Head of Distribution and Business Development at Climate Asset Management.

In 2014, David co-founded a corporate advisory boutique and then joined Deutsche Bank’s Global Equity Derivatives business in 2019 for a brief period.

Natalie Andre

Natalie Andre

Investor Experience Manager

Natalie is responsible for developing and leading our world-class investor journey, implementing investor events and communications as well as assisting with capital raising efforts.

With almost ten years’ experience in finance and fund operations, Natalie previously worked as the Investor Relations Manager at a hedge fund, a broking company and was the COO of another hedge fund.

Natalie has a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations, a Certificate in Financial Markets and is a graduate of the AICD.

Dr Chris Gilles

Dr Chris Gilles

Head of Nature Based Solutions

Chris is a marine scientist with over 20 years’ experience in coastal ecosystems. He is an Associate Professor (adjunct) at James Cook University. Chris has spent the last 15 years regenerating threatened marine ecosystems like shellfish reefs and coastal wetlands. He established several innovative, conservation finance tools and led the development of national citizen science initiatives and ASX-listed corporate learning programs, engaging thousands of people in ocean sustainability.

PILLARS

OF SUCCESS

Healthy Resources

Healthy resources

We raise and deploy values-aligned capital at a pace and scale aligned to the growing size and sophistication of the market.

Deep, strong roots

Deep, strong roots

We invest in the governance, people, systems & processes needed to sustain enduring impact and returns.

Diversity & connectivity

Diversity & connectivity

Our experience, networks and natural curiosity lead to us to build deep relationships & a diverse and highly engaged team.

OUR VALUES

Our values are as indispensable to our success as our unifying mission and vision. These are the distinguishing attributes and deeply held convictions that define who we are and how we work.

Healthy Resources

Fiduciary With A Capital F

We steward the assets entrusted to us with the highest ethical and professional standards. We hold ourselves accountable to our investors, our partners, the community and each other.

Healthy Resources

The Courage To Lead

We are thoughtful, then boldly decisive. We push past the status quo with innovative ideas, and have the curiosity to learn from successes and failures in order to forge a better path forward.

Healthy Resources

Respect For People And Nature

We respect the needs, values and traditions of local communities and cultures, and nature itself. We cherish diversity and forge relationships based on mutual trust to ensure everyone can benefit equitably from climate finance.

Healthy Resources

A Commitment To Excellence

We strive for excellence. We are inspired to continuously improve and bring out the best in everyone in order to achieve our mission effectively and rapidly.

Healthy Resources

A Joyful, Can-Do Spirit

We are unafraid to solve complex problems. We do so by working together cohesively, respecting each other, valuing contributions, and having fun.

OUR Projects 

Selva de Mataven 

REDD+ 

This REDD+ project is owned by Indigenous communities in north-eastern Colombia, an expansive, well-conserved transition zone between Amazonian rainforest and the tropical savannas of the Orinoco basin. 

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They are working to protect and restore 1.15 million hectares of natural forests of the Selva de Mataven from the threats of agriculture, mining and oil drilling.  The project sits entirely within the Mataven Indigenous Reserve, home to 16,000 indigenous people representing six ethnic tribes.  In addition to delivering significant climate and biodiversity benefits, project revenues support education and schools, healthcare delivery, sustainable agriculture, potable water, and solar energy.

Selva de Mataven is rated highly on Sylvera with an overall A-rating.  Selva de Mataven affords CGP the opportunity to establish a strategic offtake and marketing partnership.

Delta Blue Carbon 

Reforestation and protection of mangroves 

This project is protecting and restoring 226,000 ha of degraded tidal wetlands in the delta of the Indus River in southern Pakistan. 

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It is one of the first blue carbon projects to come to market and significantly advanced in its implementation.  The Ramsar-listed Indus Delta is one of the largest and most important arid-zone coastal ecosystems globally and provides habitat for more than 11 vulnerable and threatened species.  Alongside climate benefits (both mitigation and adaption) the project creates jobs and job training, supports education and sustainable livelihoods for the 60 local communities dependant on the mangroves to survive.  The project is supported by a strong set of local and international partners including the Government of Sindh, WWF and IUCN. 

 Nature-based removals are highly scare and difficult and will attract a widening price premium.  The project is a collaboration with the Government of Sindh state and has received a letter of authorisation for Article 6 transfer of credits to other countries.   

BlueMX 

Reforestation and protection of mangroves 

BlueMX is protecting and restoring more than 200,000 hectares of tidal wetlands and mangroves along the coastal regions of Mexico.   

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The project is notable for its strong science, financial robustness and local ownershipThe mangrove ecosystems of Mexico provide habitat for a wide variety of vulnerable and threatened species alongside their ability to capture and sequester carbon more efficiently than almost any other habitat type.  

The project is led by local communities in and around the mangroves, involving over 100 Ejidos, the community-based land tenure and local governance structure that arose from the Mexican Revolution of the early 1900s. BlueMX supports jobs, training and education and sustainable livelihoods for Ejido families and ensures that decision making and the majority of revenues and benefits flow to the Ejidos and their members.   The project also works in partnership with local and international conservation groups. 

Touba, Senegal Waste Management 

Brownfield Origination

The program will implement sophisticated compost technology for food waste, which currently contributes up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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Waste will be diverted from ten sites and processed into organic compost, which reduces methane emissions. Apart from that, it can be used as a lower-cost, environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fertilisers. Plastic waste recovered in the process will also be recycled. The program is expected to reduce carbon emissions by almost 250,000 tonnes by 2030. Emissions reductions from the projects will generate carbon credits, known as Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), which will be sold to countries and companies under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. 

 

 

Turkey – Biogas 

Primary Offtake 

Located in Çumra district, Konya province and Polatlı district, Ankara province, Türkiye, the investment supports biogas-to-energy projects generating renewable energy by capturing biogas from animal manure – via anaerobic digestion – and utilizing it to produce thermal and electric energy.

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In its first phase, manure generated by animals at neighbouring farms is collected daily through special sewage trucks and fed into the anaerobic digestersPrior to the implementation of the project, manure was left to decay in anaerobic conditions without methane recovery at the farms, and effluent flowed into local waterways, causing eutrophication and risking human health.