After 10 successful years of scrutinizing market-based mechanisms designed to combat global warming, Carbon Market Watch sees a change of leadership at the beginning of 2019. Sabine Frank becomes Executive Director succeeding founding director, Eva Filzmoser; and Sam Van den plas takes over from Femke de Jong as Policy Director.
Leadership Transition
Eva Filzmoser led the creation of the watchdog organization “CDM Watch” in 2009 at the height of booming carbon markets, which later became Carbon Market Watch in 2012. Over the past 10 years Eva has lent her energy in building up the organisation, its expertise, international network, and policy influence. As a lawyer by background with social justice at the core of her motivation, she spent a large part of her working time helping to share the testimonies of communities adversely affected by carbon offsetting schemes. Tackling one of the most difficult sources of greenhouse gas emissions – agriculture – her next project is to transform a traditional farm in Austria into a new permaculture training hub with seminar and workshop facilities. You can reach Eva at eva.filzmoser@wastlbauer.at
Succeeding her is Sabine Frank who previously worked for several foundations, notably the Schöpflin Stiftung as Head of Programme “Economy and Democracy”, where she was involved in the Stop TTIP and CETA campaigns and looked at climate protection from the perspective of trade policy (environmental costs not being factored into the benefits of trade; investor protection in Free Trade Agreements causing “regulatory chill” where climate policies are concerned …). Sabine also has many years leadership experience of NGOs at European level, in particular Platform for Intercultural Europe, which was a “structured dialogue partner” with the European Commission. While concerned that the climate “changes faster than we are”, she is committed to ensuring that Carbon Market Watch continues to play a uniquely useful role in the political battle for the climate & humanity. She sees this battle not only as one of influencing policy, but also of one “supporting the outside game” and building people power. She believes that CMW’s network must be its strength. Sabine can be reached at sabine.frank@carbonmarketwatch.org
Fresh Policy Direction
Femke de Jong has recently left Carbon Market Watch. She had joined the team in the 2014, coming from the European Parliament where she was a political advisor. As CMW’s policy director, Femke was responsible for the development, planning and implementation of the organisation’s campaigns. She has been a leading advocate for robust rules in carbon pricing and climate governance in Europe and beyond, and leaves a lasting mark on our EU climate policy work. You can reach Femke at femkelisannedejong@gmail.com
Sam Van den plas joins as new Policy Director for Carbon Market Watch. He will be in charge of CMWs European and International policy strategy, positioning and advocacy outreach. Sam worked previously with WWF, where he focused on advocacy work towards the European institutions and linking the organisation’s network in Europe to the EU legislative and policy-making cycles on climate and energy issues. His main areas of expertise include EU climate policy, carbon markets, the EU Emissions Trading System and industrial decarbonisation. Sam is determined to make a difference in the struggle against climate breakdown – his preferred way of describing dangerous global warming. He believes carbon pollution pricing can have an important role to play to limit the impacts, as long as the real external cost of carbon is reflected and policymakers don’t consider carbon taxation or markets to be their only silver bullet. Sam can be reached at sam.vandenplas@carbonmarketwatch.org
