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Chief Executive Officer Michael Berends is a highly respected leader in the global carbon markets. With a decades-long career spanning North America and Europe, he has held senior positions in top energy and financial organizations, including Barclays Capital, Vattenfall Energy Trading, and ICL, in trading, origination, procurement, and sales.
Michael has successfully executed numerous global carbon product deals and devised pricing and risk management strategies for emitters in compliance and voluntary markets across more than 50 countries.
Under Michael's leadership, ClearBlue Markets has experienced remarkable growth, expanding sixfold, earning its place as a trusted partner for hundreds of corporations worldwide and launching the Vantage carbon intelligence platform. In 2023, ClearBlue Markets secured an investment of $8 million in financing led by the Royal Bank of Canada.
Michael holds a Master's degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Toronto and a Master's in Environmental Management from the University of Amsterdam.
Nicholas is a Manager with ClearBlue, focusing on the Voluntary Carbon Market. Tasked with providing insights and in-depth analysis of supply and demand dynamics, corporate demand trends, VCM policy, and integrity standards, including international markets and regulations (Article 6, ICVCM, VCMI).
Nicholas holds a Master’s Degree in Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets from the Barcelona School of Economics and has prior work experience in ESG ratings and sustainability reporting.
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Donna has worked on climate change for nearly two decades. Along with being a co-founder of Calyx Global, she is currently on the ICVCM’s Expert Panel and on the BVCM SBTi Expert Advisory Group. She was formerly at the State Department where, among other duties, she served as a climate change negotiator for the United States; thereafter, she served as an advisor to governments, philanthropies and companies seeking to take climate action. Her goals in life align with Calyx’s mission: to contribute to the well-being of people and to protect the planet. Donna has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Education from UCLA, and a Masters in International Policy from Stanford University. In her free time, you can find Donna wandering the Colorado Rockies by foot or on nordic skis.
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He is an international expert with more than 20 years of experience in international climate policy and carbon markets, and currently serving as as a Governing Board Member for the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM).
Pedro leads Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)’s work to assist the private sector and governments in leveraging carbon markets to addressing the climate challenge and contributing to global efforts to decarbonize toward a net-zero world. He also lead EDF’s initiatives to improve the integrity and functioning of compliance and voluntary carbon markets around the world, including through the Carbon Credit Quality Initiative and the Voluntary Carbon Market Integrity Initiative.