Simon Retallack

Experience

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  The Ecologist

  Sept 1998 - Sept 2003

  Special Issues Editor

  • Designed and oversaw the production of special issues of the Ecologist, including its first ever edition on climate change, as well as on global poverty and genetically modified food. • Commissioned, edited, researched and wrote feature articles and conducted interviews, including with leading political figures and officials such as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, the Director of the White House’s Council for Environmental Quality, and the UK’s International Development Secretary. Show less

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  International Forum On Globalization

  Apr 1999 - Dec 1999

  Visiting Fellow

  Led research and report on the environmental impact of economic globalisation, for the World Trade Organisation's ministerial meeting in Seattle

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  Climate Initiatives Fund

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2006

  Co-director

  The Climate Initiatives Fund was a private grant-making programme dedicated to accelerating climate change mitigation internationally on behalf of the Goldsmith family. As co-director, I: • Designed and implemented CIF’s first multi-country grant-making strategy which funded ground-breaking work involving the mobilisation of the private investment community (e.g. seed-funding the Carbon Disclosure Project), shifting the lending practices of international financial institutions (e.g. the World Bank), using litigation (e.g. funding the lawsuit requiring the EPA to regulate CO2 as a pollutant under the US Clean Air Act), and building a public movement for change. • Co-founded and steering committee member of the US Climate and Energy Funders’ Group, whose membership included most of the US foundations that then supported work on climate change. Show less

• 

  Self-employed

  Apr 2002 - Sept 2002

  Author "STOP"

  Took a sabbatical to write a prize-winning book “STOP” on the world’s environmental problems for French publishers Le Seuil that sold over 40,000 copies.

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  IPPR

  Sept 2003 - Apr 2010

  • Developed and led an influential programme of research, events, media commentary and advocacy on UK and international climate change policy, with responsibility for programme, project, staff, fundraising and budget management. • Secured funding from a range of sources, including philanthropic trusts and foundations, businesses and government, for ground-breaking policy research.• This included a programme of research into the role of communications in driving changes in public behaviour and attitudes to open up political space for policy change.• Created the Global Climate Network, an alliance of influential think tanks in key countries in the climate change debate, including the US, China, India & Brazil, collaborating on research focusing on technology, finance and economic opportunity.• Under my leadership, received Prospect’s Think Tank of the Year Award for its work on climate change. Show less • Co-created a taskforce on how to make progress in addressing climate change at the international level commissioned by Prime Minister Tony Blair during the UK’s G8 Presidency and led the research effort to generate evidence-based advice for it. • Involved negotiating agreement amongst a very senior, cross-party group of some of the world’s leading figures on climate change, including Todd Stern (who became President Obama’s climate change envoy), John Holdren (who became President Obama’s chief scientific adviser), as well as Bob Carr (who became Australia’s Foreign Minister), Dr Rajendra Pachauri (former Chairman of the UN’s Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change) and Adair Turner (former Director-General of the CBI and former Chairman of the UK’s Climate Change Committee). • Among its key achievements was putting the need for a long-term temperature target on the agenda of the G8 for the first time. Show less

  • Associate Director & Head of Climate Change

    Sept 2006 - Apr 2010

  • Senior Research Fellow, Sustainability Team

    Sept 2005 - Sept 2006

  • Lead Research Fellow, International Climate Change Taskforce

    Sept 2003 - Sept 2005
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  Redefining Progress

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2007

  Board Member
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  Global Cool Foundation

  Jan 2008 - Jan 2012

  Advisory Board Member
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  Green Energy Supply Certification Scheme

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2010

  Panel Member
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  New Economics Foundation

  Jan 2010 - Dec 2016

  Trustee
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  The Carbon Trust

  Apr 2010 - now

  • Created and lead a new thought leadership capability within the Carbon Trust to accelerate global progress on creating the enabling conditions required to achieve Net Zero• Enabling policy, business and finance leaders to prioritise the most impactful decisions to achieve Net Zero by providing them with insights on key steps to get there, drawn from Carbon Trust experience, through reports, briefings, articles and a podcast • Encouraging decision makers to act on recommendations by stimulating and shaping influential external conversations on Net Zero, including through direct engagement with decision-makers, speeches, work with influential partners and media coverage• Overseeing contributions by Net Zero Knowledge Network of staff from across Carbon Trust• Securing media coverage of our work from outlets such as the Financial Times, the Times, Telegraph, Mail and Vogue, creating dedicated monthly newsletter with over 70,000 subscribers Show less • Created the Carbon Trust’s consultancy business in Latin America from scratch – now servicing 14 countries across the region, including Latin America’s largest economies, providing advice to governments and the private sector across five core platform areas: climate policy, green finance, clean energy, corporate sustainability and sustainable agriculture• Oversee our legal entity in the region, Carbon Trust Mexico, which I serve on the board of and for which I have led the recruitment of a high-performing team • Have P&L responsibility for the business, lead the development of business plans and sales strategies, lead reporting against KPIs, lead recruitment, lead the senior management team, lead the development of new business, client engagement and marketing, and oversee delivery of our programme of work • Secured contracts from multilateral organisations, bilateral climate donors, philanthropics, regional governments, sub-national entities, and large companies. Show less

  • Director, Net Zero Intelligence Unit

    Aug 2022 - now

  • Director, Latin America

    Sept 2015 - now

  • Director, Policy & Markets

    Apr 2014 - Sept 2015

  • Associate Director, Policy & Markets

    Apr 2012 - Apr 2014

  • Strategy Manager

    Apr 2010 - Apr 2012